Growing Farmers, Growing Food

Non-Technical Summary:<br/>
Minnesota's population demographics are changing rapidly. Our state leads the nation in several areas of immigration: the largest population of Somali immigrants (over 25,000), the largest concentration of Hmong immigrants/refugees in a single city (St Paul, over 25,000, with over 45,000 in the State) and the fastest growing communities of Karen/Burmese (now over 10,000) and Bhutanese refugees (now over 1,200). All of them come from agrarian backgrounds. While MFA has been training new immigrants since 1999, in the past 2 seasons we have worked with Somali, Bhutanese and Karen farmers who have exceptional farming skills and background. The new immigrants who want to farm in MM very quickly learn the basic production aspects and are very keen on organic production. But the business and marketing aspects of operating a viable farm, together with all the rules, laws and administration is a large barrier. Minnesota farm business practices, record-keeping, finding or creating a markets, attending to food safety and organic practices, and access to farmer support programs are all new and different. While they are highly motivated, the search for resources can be discouraging. The existing immigrant and refugee resettlement programs do not address agriculture as a legitimate educational or career opportunity, and direct the immigrants to low wage service jobs, whereas they are really interested in agriculture. MFA is changing this perception and practice at both grassroots and institutional levels. We see significant increases in interest in farming from more and various immigrant communities in MN each year. The most common request we have from farmers is for more market opportunities. We have found that using new market opportunities is an excellent mechanism for training in other farm business aspects. While MFA has excellent experience in doing this, we recognize the need to have a specific staff person focused on this, working with individual farms, in order to be most effective. Based on our experience and the farmers' feedback over the past 4 years especially, their needs can be summarized as: production skills, , markets and skills in developing markets, farm business management, land for practical cultivation, regular one-on-one support and mentoring, initial risk protection and lower cost and longer term risk management tools, physical and cultural safe space to explore, experiment and learn farming and how to develop their operations, increasing gross initial revenues and yields per acre, more exposure to other farms and farming ideas and techniques, and relationships with other resources that can support them in the future. Farmers are involved in the design and priorities of the project by providing both input and assisting with training. This is the only training program in MN and our area that focuses on immigrant farmers with a practical on-site farm, practical application and plots for each farm, built in markets (CSA and wholesale) and developing markets, organic certification, and intensive individualized mentoring and consultation for each farm.
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Approach:<br/>
MFA conducts a series of 12 Winter Workshops Sessions covering Business Planning, Organic Production and Certification, and Marketing. During the growing season from May - October, MFA conducts 6 - 8 infield skill sessions, three comprehensive in-field workshops on seed-saving and postharvest handling and food safety, and 4 fields trips to other local farms. During the growing season, the farmers receive one-on-one training from MFA staff and external trainers. This involves practical experience in plot planning, market planning, seed selection and purchase, production, weed and pest management, water management, food safety and GAP practices, Organic Certification and practice, post-harvest handling, packing, record, invoicing, making orders, distribution, financial management, and buyer and customer relations.MFA enhances the training by adding a new focus to directly connect 2nd and 3rd your farmers to their own markets. Staff arrange meetings and accompany farmers to the meetings with buyers, and the farmer and the buyer in building the relationship. The farmers have made this very specific request - help us find, develop and understand more diverse markets. We receive many requests from various venders looking to connect with certified organic immigrant farmers. The main approach for this project (grant) is to hire a Marketing Coordinator to conduct training in marketing, to assess potential markets, to assist farmers in connecting with those markets and to facilitate the relationship building between the venders and the farmers. The Minnesota Food Association, the Association for the Advancement of Hmong Women in Minnesota, and the USDA-Farm Service Agency will jointly co-host the 8th and 9th Annual Minority and Immigrant Farming Conferences in this project period. The planning committee includes 10-12 representatives from USDA, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, University of Minnesota, LSP, Farmers' Legal Action Group, AAHWM, and up to 6 immigrant farmers. This conference has the goal of promoting the success and viability of small and beginning minority and immigrant farmers. Only sustainable and organic agriculture is promoted. We expect over 200 farmers from various immigrant communities. Land access is a significant issue for our new farmers.MFA works with LSP, AAHWMN, FLAG and others to explore ways to increase access to land and capital needed for farming. Evaluation - Based on both qualitative and quantitative measures of effectiveness. Administrative systems are in place to collect the following data. Farmer recruitment and retention in the program. # of one to one sessions with farms, # of workshops and farmer attendance, # of market outlets each farm has and the # of new markets developed; # farms organic certified; # farms with business plans; # farms involved in which other private or federal programs. # farms fully establishing their own farm business enterprises. MFA has hires an external evaluator to conduct a formal qualitative and quantitative evaluation. This includes a series of interviews each season with farmers, staff, venders and other stakeholders. The report will be ready in early 2013.