Our overall goal is to deliver high-quality training to underemployed, beginning farmers that prepares them to start farming businesses or enter careers as farmers. In Year 1, we provided provide agricultural, professional, financial, and business skills training to 16 beginning farmers in the KNOX Urban Farming Program through our newly-redesigned three-level program model. In Year 1, 4 participants have scaled up their existing farm businesses, 4 adopted a new marketing practice, 1 developed a business plan, and 7 adopted a new production practice. We also provided training to 10 non-program participants, focusing on low-space, high-yield growing. In Year 2, 1 participant created a new farm startup, 3 adapted a new marketing practice, 3 developed a business plan, and 5 adopted a new production practice.
Additionally, we leveraged local partnerships to meet needs of participants not covered through the program and promote the importance and community value of urban farming in Hartford. Hands on Hartford provided access to their commercial kitchen, enabling participants to create value-added products. reSET provided basic business model and marketing trainings. Farm Credit East provided agribusiness and financial literacy trainings.
We also increased access to healthy, locally grown food in Hartford by leveraging KNOX’s partnership with local organizations and farmers markets to engage participants in growing produce to sell to the community. KNOX sold produce grown by participants to organizations such as Hartford Public Schools, Foodshare, My Local Chefs, and Hartford Healthcare’s Food FARMacy Program.
Our goals align well with USDA’s program goals to educate and mentor beginning farmers to improve their successes in farming and provide them with knowledge and skills to make informed decisions for their operations. 100% of total federal funds requested are allocated to nongovernmental organizations. 95% of the budget is allocated to serving socially disadvantaged farmers.