Project Overview
Overall goal of this project was to empower socially
disadvantaged and veteran beginning farmers and ranchers (SDVBFR) in Virginia,
by equipping them with tools and skills needed to make informed decisions in
owning and operating successful farm businesses, through outreach, training,
technical assistance, and mentoring, in a holistic manner, thereby enhancing
their economic opportunities and quality of life. The supporting objectives are
to: 1) Enhance the ability of SDVBFR to rent, own, and transfer farmlands
successfully; 2) Improve the knowledge and skills of SDVBFR in financial, farm
business planning and management; 3) Enhance the skills and ability of SDVBFR
to implement alternative, profitable, and environmentally friendly production
practices; 4) Increase marketing activities for SDVBFR by identifying new
markets, connecting them to existing markets, and assisting them with effective
marketing strategies; 5) Build the capacity of project partners. The project
targets SDVBFR in 54 Virginia counties. These audiences have been traditionally
undeserved and have been plagued by several barriers such as: high start-up
costs, limited access to credit and capital, lack of knowledge on land
acquisition and transition process, lack of skills in agribusiness and
financial planning, lack of adequate production skills, and limited access to
existing and viable markets. Virginia State University, in a continued
partnership, with Virginia Tech’s Virginia Beginning Farmer/Rancher Program
(VT-BFRP), is addressing these barriers by using the “Whole Farm Planning”
curriculum developed by VT-BFRP, as a tool to train these farmers. This progress
report covers the first year performance of this three-year project. In a
preliminary evaluation of all activities conducted so far, 94% of the
participants indicated an increased knowledge, while 6% indicated little or no in
increase knowledge. Accomplishments so far were in line with project
objectives and timetable. Second year of the project will mainly focus on
production and marketing activities.
Number of Participants: 170
Promotional Materials
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Educational Materials
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Reports & Evaluations
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Individual Stories / Examples of Success