Progress report for ENE21-171
Project Information
30 service providers will deepen their farm-specific business advising skills and knowledge, and 12 service providers per year (between Maine Farmland Trust and SCORE Maine) will work collaboratively to provide enterprise budgeting, whole farm financial planning and other business-related technical assistance to 40 farmers who have a median of 17 acres in production and $72,000 in gross sales. Of these farmers, 10 of them (or 5 farms) report improved net margins or increased net profits.
Problem and Justification: In a 2019 report on farmer needs and priorities in Maine, farmers repeatedly mentioned both the importance of profitability to farm viability, and the fact that absence of profitability directly and negatively impacts their ability to adapt their businesses, plan for succession, or adequately protect the natural resources of their land. Maine has 13,414 farmers according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture—many of whom seek assistance for business planning, succession planning, marketing, labor management, and more. At the same time, Maine lacks enough service providers with both business and agricultural expertise to meet this need. In our survey of service providers during the planning process for this grant, the category ‘farm business management and financials’ had the most responses as both the unmet need most frequently expressed by farmer clients (55%) and the next area of learning needed for our service providers to expand their capacity (71%). The demand for farm business planning and support services far outstrips the supply of qualified service providers in Maine.
Solution and Approach: Maine Farmland Trust (MFT), a land trust with strong background in farm viability and business support programming, and SCORE Maine, the state chapter of a national organization which supports small business growth through free access to experienced mentors, will collaborate to improve overall capacity to support farmers and agricultural businesses. Over 30 service providers from these organizations will benefit from the training funded by this grant, which will include farm-specific business management and financials, Quickbooks, and facilitation. The training will provide a basis for a team model for technical assistance to be trialed by up to 12 service providers and 20 farms. MFT and SCORE will work together to improve and adapt existing templates and financial management tools for use with farmers.
While MFT’s service providers have a deep understanding of Maine farming and farmers, they frequently rely on outside consultants to provide expertise in marketing, financial management and other specialized skills. By contrast, SCORE volunteer mentors have a wealth of specialized knowledge from decades of experience in their previous professions, but often are more unfamiliar with agriculture. This collaboration will produce opportunities for cross-training to enable this diverse group of service providers to broaden their knowledge and work more effectively to help farmers achieve their business goals. Group trainings each summer of the two year grant will enable a baseline of knowledge among the service providers, and will allow each service provider to work more effectively as a well-rounded individual service provider. In addition, this collaboration will also enable the start of a new model of team technical assistance to support the needs of up to 40 farmers on 20 farms over the course of 2 years.
Cooperators
Educational Approach
MFT and SCORE intended to work together during the two-year grant period to recruit and train SCORE mentors, work in technical assistance teams, and cross-train on tools. Some parts of this partnership approach were successful, and some parts proved too time intensive for SCORE which is a volunteer organization. MFT will collaborate with other consulting Technical Assistance providers to fulfill professional development goals.
Service provider recruitment and engagement
The SCORE network is a large and diverse community of volunteer service providers, and the interest survey indicates that at least 30 of those service providers are interested in working with farmer clients. Trainings will be opened up to the entire network of SCORE mentors and MFT service providers.The trainings will include an interactive component for service providers to meet each other and form relationships, laying the groundwork for the formation of teams. Trainings successfully provided an opportunity for team technical assistance providers to form relationships. SCORE was not able to recruit as many mentors as indicated to participate in trainings.
After the first round of trainings, service providers will be invited through a post-training survey to participate in the team technical assistance program by indicating their skills, interests and availability. Even if only half of the SCORE service providers choose to continue to this stage, that would be more than enough for the scope of the team technical assistance, which is designed to accommodate up to 12 service providers. Those selected will then be matched in pairs, and assigned farmer clients through the intake processes of MFT’s farmer business planning programs and SCORE’s general business assistance. Teams of 2 will create a scope of work to be undertaken with farmer clients over the course of the following year, during which time they also will have a second round of summer trainings. The application process, while not onerous, will create a deeper degree of commitment and the team structure will create accountability in the service provider relationships. Service providers will also be supported by retaining a consultant as a mentor to discuss questions and concerns over the course of the year. Although many SCORE mentors indicated interest, being volunteers, few were able to commit to the training program we designed.
Therefore, we are now relying on the educational approach of retaining a consultant as a mentor for MFT staff who are Technical Assistance providers, who then provide one on one Technical Assistance to farmers. MFT Technical Assistance providers have received mentorship and direct support from three consultants. Since re-focusing the professional development on a mentor-model (instead of TA Teams), MFT staff have started monthly meetings with Rose Wilson, where they meet individually and bring questions and sticking points from their work with the farms TA providers are supporting.
Project interactions and educational experiences
32 service providers will participate in the following training opportunities:
- Participate in a consultant-led training in facilitation to support a team model of technical assistance.
- Participate in three consultant-led trainings in farm business management and financials.
- Participate in a consultant-led workshop on Quickbooks for farm management decisions using farmer case studies.
- Cross-train SCORE volunteers in use of FarmCalc, a new profitability planning tool designed by MFT for diversified crop farmers and their service providers.
- Cross-train all service providers in the use of updated SCORE worksheets for farm business planning.
Service providers participated in trainings in facilitation, farm systems and terminology, and cross-training in FarmCalc and SCORE worksheets. The remaining trainings did not take place after SCORE discontinued their participation.
10-12 service providers will:
- Develop a team technical assistance system for 10 farms annually where MFT and SCORE service providers work together in teams of two to support farmers’ financial planning and decisions about farm profitability. Each farmer will create a scope of work and key deliverables with their service provider team that addresses their unique needs.
- Receive ongoing mentorship to support technical assistance delivery from two of the consultants teaching farm business management and financials.
- Tool development: MFT and SCORE will train each other on current tools and materials each has developed, and will develop and implement plans to improve functionality for farmer clients (e.g. increase user friendliness/accessibility of MFT’s FarmCalc, develop farm-specific versions of SCORE workshops and materials).
Service providers worked in teams to provide technical assistance to 5 farms. Project partners were limited in the number of farms they could support due to the limited number of participating service providers and selecting farms that were a good fit to pilot a new Technical Assistance provider relationship. Technical assistance will continue after SCORE discontinued participation, and will be provided by MFT service providers with ongoing mentorship from outside consultants. Outside consultants meet monthly individually with MFT service providers, and are available as-needed for questions, resources, guidance on next steps, and to meet directly with farmers and MFT service providers.
Methods for supporting service providers
Service providers will have regular opportunities to learn and form relationships through regular summer training opportunities. In addition, they will work in pairs, with the support of a facilitation training at the beginning of the project to improve communication and develop structures for effective teamwork and service delivery. The pairs will also have the support of a highly skilled mentor service provider, whom they will have met as one of the consultants for the summer trainings. Service providers will also have the use of tools like SCORE’s worksheets and MFT’s FarmCalc, and they will be cross-trained in the use of these tools. Finally, there will be a mid-year survey during the team technical assistance period for service providers to assess how much they have advanced their skills (in facilitation, Quickbooks and farm business financials).
Although MFT mentors will not continue to work in provider teams, they will benefit from all the trainings, tools, and ongoing support from a highly skilled mentor service provider.
Milestones
130 service providers receive invitation to participate in 2 trainings taught by expert farm business consultants, and 30 respond by completing a survey to confirm desired training topics.
130
130
June 01, 2021
Completed
June 01, 2021
Service Provider Support Survey and invitation to participate in trainings was sent to 130 SCORE mentors and MFT service providers in May 2021. Thirty service providers responded. The survey gauged interest in working with agricultural clients, experience, and topics service providers wanted to learn so better serve ag clients. Topics selected by service providers interested in working with ag clients included: Farming basics and terminology; Time management for farm business owners; Debt capacity management, financing, and infrastructure planning; Sales and Marketing; and Climate-smart Practices.
Tool development: SCORE worksheets are adapted for farmer use by SCORE consultant.
5
5
September 15, 2021
Completed
August 11, 2022
SCORE tailored 6 worksheets for SCORE mentors and other ag service providers to use with farm businesses. The worksheets (educational tools) include:
- a client assessment checklist
- SWOT analysis
- Schedule F aligned Income Statement
- debt schedule
- start-up expenses
- breakeven-analysis
Worksheets are available here.
30 service providers participate in 2 summer trainings (facilitation, farm business planning, cross-training in FarmCalc/SCORE worksheets)
30
10
September 15, 2021
Completed
September 09, 2022
10 Service Providers from SCORE and Maine Farmland Trust participated in the workshop, "Team Facilitation Skills" presented by Leslie Forstadt, PhD, Extension Professor, Human Development Specialist and Director of the Maine Agricultural Mediation Program and Karen Groat, Farm Coach and Maine Association of Mediators on 9/29/21. This session included team formation theory, and identification of what support and processes participants will need to work effectively in teams. A follow-up "Team Coaching Skills" workshop took place on 7/27/22. This session included agenda-building and giving/receiving feedback. Seven service providers returned for this workshop. Both these sessions were online trainings.
The third and fourth workshops on farm business planning, and cross-training on FarmCalc/SCORE worksheets took place in summer 2022, as described in Milestone #10.
Participation at workshops has included a fairly consistent group of service providers. There have not been as many SCORE mentors attending workshops as indicated their interest in our initial survey (Milestone #1). SCORE project leaders have struggled to attract new mentors to attend workshops. Ultimately, SCORE decided not to continue with the project.
30 training participants complete post-training surveys measuring learning, skills and interest/availability to work in a team with a MFT and SCORE service provider to offer support to 1 farm next year.
30
12
September 15, 2021
Completed
September 09, 2022
Eight service providers completed an evaluation following the "Team Facilitation Skills" workshop on 9/9/21. 100% of the service providers were interested and available to work in a team to provide technical assistance to farm businesses. Prior to this workshop, registrants rated their knowledge about and ability to work effectively in a team an average of 7.9 out of a scale of 10 (1 being extremely not confident and 10 being extremely confident). After the workshop, this average increased to 8.4. Instead of completing an evaluation post-session for “Team Coaching Skills”, service providers filled out a pre-session survey to check in on progress and determine workshop content.
Eight service providers and three support staff completed an evaluation following the "Farming Systems and Terminology" workshop. Seven attendees reported learning a new farming term, gaining an overview of farming, or a deeper knowledge into a specific topic. One participant shared, "This was a really excellent session. I learned a lot from both the presentations and the tours. Lots of information packed into a single day! Thanks so much for putting this on."
Service providers did not fill out an evaluation following the FarmCalc/SCORE worksheets cross-training.
Tool development: Software contractor upgrades FarmCalc to a user-friendly interface for use in farm technical assistance.
5
3
February 01, 2022
Completed
April 13, 2022
The newest version of FarmCalc launched publicly on 4/13/22. The tool has been redeveloped on a new platform that is more user-friendly. The information architecture was reconfigured to have more direction and divide the user experience into easier steps to navigate. Additionally, since the tool was being redeveloped, we were able to make the product budgets more flexible and customizable for livestock operations and value-added products. Now, farmers are able to calculate costs to raise an animal or crop, and then pass on a percentage of those costs to raise as well as add additional harvesting, post-harvest handling, and processing costs to specific products. They have the option of adding in overhead, equipment, and indirect labor costs so that unit costs of products are "fully-loaded". FarmCalc is available for free through a web browser on MFT's website at https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/farm-viability/farmcalc/. FarmCalc is an educational tool.
FarmCalc was demo-ed at three farmer workshops in early 2022, and twice more in January 2023, totaling five webinars/talks/presentations.
One user shared, "I've spent about 20 hours on the platform so far trying and trying to figure out how to make our business feel comfortable. Thanks for making this free and available. Without it, the figuring would have taken a lot longer."
5 teams identified and paired with 10 cohort 1 farms.
20
12
7
6
February 01, 2022
Completed
May 27, 2022
Project Team created a Team Technical Assistance Process outline for creating and pairing farms, as well as guidelines for Technical Assistance providers working in teams.
The first farm client in Cohort 1 was identified and paired with a team of service providers to pilot the Technical Assistance provider guidelines. Four additional farms were identified and paired with a team of service providers in spring 2022, totaling five farms and four different Technical Assistance provider teams. Unfortunately this is lower than our Cohort 1 goal. Technical Assistance teams worked with farms through about 15 consultations.
5 teams meet with 10 farmers (meeting #1) for introduction and to define scope of work.
20
12
7
6
April 01, 2022
Completed
June 30, 2022
Each of the five client farms have had an initial meeting with their team of service providers. Most have started work. Services provided include: support crafting business plan, preparing cash flow projections, SWOT analysis, pricing strategy, loan application support, and recordkeeping systems.
5 teams submit scope of work to technical assistance mentors & farmers for feedback and confirmation. This includes the number of future meetings and farm visits anticipated.
5 teams also schedule a service provider progress survey, and mentor meetings.
20
12
7
6
March 15, 2022
Incomplete
As part of the Team Technical Assistance process, it was proposed that teams would outline a set of goals, action plan, and timeline with farmers. Service providers would meet regularly outside of farm visits to debrief, plan, and for cross-training opportunities and be surveyed for progress towards their learning goals.
Outlining a scope of work is standard practice for farms participating in MFT programs, but not for SCORE programs. The new process was a challenging requirement for SCORE mentors. SCORE mentors are volunteers and the time commitment for additional meetings proved to be too cumbersome. This might be why SCORE wasn't able to engage as many mentors as they anticipated. MFT continues to outline a scope of work with farms receiving technical assistance.
Final work product produced by 5 teams for cohort 1 of 10 farmers.
20
12
5
6
December 31, 2023
Completed
December 31, 2022
Four teams produced final work products for five participating farms over the course of 2022. Work included: grant applications, loan applications, financial projections, business plan writing support, development of recordkeeping systems, SWOT analysis, and pricing recommendations.
One farm reported in their MFT Business of Farming program evaluation, “Because of the Maine Farmland Trust program we feel we have a better handle on how to run our business and keep organized.”
Summer trainings 3, 4 & 5 take place (farm business management, Quickbooks)
30
5
8
October 01, 2022
Incomplete
SCORE and MFT service providers hosted workshop #3, a Farm Business Planning Tools Skill-share, on 8/11/22 to cross-train on each organization's financial planning tools. SCORE provided a walkthrough of their newly tailored worksheets and provided copies to MFT service providers. MFT gave an overview of cost-accounting and demoed FarmCalc for SCORE mentors. This session was an online training.
The fourth workshop, "Farming Systems and Terminology" workshop was planned in partnership with Wolfe's Neck Center. The experiential agenda included introductions to life cycles of annual crops, perennial crops, dairy cows, and poultry, and focused on the language and small business concepts that are unique, or more challenging, in farm business. Then participants toured the farm in stations to observe farming practices, use terminology, and hear how the farmers are making management decisions. This workshop was postponed from fall 2021 to fall 2022 due to COVID, and took place on 9/9/22. This session was a workshop field day.
All four workshops required development of new curricula. The fifth workshop on QuickBooks will not be planned since the primary audience for the workshops was SCORE mentors, and MFT staff have previously taken QuickBooks trainings has yet to be planned. Therefore, this milestone is marked Incomplete.
Participation at workshops has been a fairly consistent group of service providers. There have not been as many SCORE mentors attending workshops as indicated their interest in our initial survey (Milestone #1). SCORE project leaders have struggled to attract new mentors to attend workshops. Ultimately, SCORE decided not to continue with the project. Without their continued participation in the project, it makes more sense to redirect effort into one-on-one training and mentorship for MFT service providers.
New teams formed for work with cohort 2 of farmers (repeat process for a second year) to be completed March 2024.
20
12
February 01, 2023
Incomplete
The primary success of cohort 1 was building a new collaborative relationship between SCORE and MFT. Both organizations participated in the creation of a program and TA process. However, we were challenged to meet our participation goals. Team TA requires a significant time commitment and attention to relationships, in order for it to be a successful and smooth experience for farmers. This commitment was too great for volunteer SCORE mentors, and so we were only able to work with four mentors who are highly committed to agriculture. SCORE was not able to engage any new mentors who have an interest in learning to work with farm businesses. Additionally, both organizations struggled to find farms who were a good fit and willing to try out the new Team TA model. For these reasons, SCORE does not want to pursue a second TA cohort.
A more successful approach has been the informal collaboration that has come out of the new relationship. For example, an MFT client is evaluating selling an enterprise and had questions beyond the MFT service provider’s knowledge. The MFT service provider asked SCORE for guidance, and a SCORE mentor was able to offer some framing, considerations to bring back to the farmer, and a worksheet. Recently a SCORE client requested information about organizations that specialize in supporting women farmers, and SCORE was able to approach MFT for new connections for their client.
Instead of providing technical assistance in a team with a SCORE mentor, MFT service providers will work with farms in cohort 2 individually. Farm participants in MFT’s programs will be paired with an MFT service provider and create a scope of work. MFT service providers will be supported by consulting mentors. During the first quarter of 2023, this was provided on an as-needed basis, such as to review financial projections and discuss next steps to measure debt capacity for a business considering a land purchase. During the rest of 2023 and early 2024, Jed Beach and Mikelle Carver continue to be available for mentorship as needed. Rose Wilson has been contracted to provide regular, ongoing mentorship to MFT service providers. This includes monthly meetings individually with MFT service providers to review Technical Assistance projects and provide guidance and resources, as well as training on skills such as creating more nuanced cost of production analysis that follows industry standards.
Service providers receive final financial reports and evaluations from farmers and compile.
20
12
March 31, 2023
In Progress
Approximately half of cohort 1 farms have submitted 2022 financial statements and evaluations. Staff will follow up with farmers in January 2023 to get this information. Staff will start outreach to farmers in cohort 2 in March to gather 2023 financial statements and evaluations.
Milestone Activities and Participation Summary
Educational activities and events conducted by the project team:
Participants in the project’s educational activities:
Learning Outcomes
- Developed a relationship with SCORE that will allow clients to get access to more service and move between organizations more fluidly. Opened up opportunities to collaborate on client projects in future.
- SCORE mentors and MFT service providers deepened their knowledge of farming and team coaching at workshops. After the “Farming Systems and Terminology” workshop one participant shared, “The types of cattle feeding was interesting as were the grazing techniques.” and another said the terms "clipping pasture” and "sward" were new to them. However, getting introduced to new farming techniques was not enough for mentors to take on new agricultural clients. As a group, service providers increased their knowledge about and ability to work effectively in a team 0.5 points on a ten-point scale.
- Identification of facilitation skills as very important to effectively providing team TA, and that developing those skills and teamwork is a significant time commitment. Some skills folks identified they wanted to cultivate included: identifying roles and timing, preparing for farmer meetings, co-facilitating meetings, building trust, sharing technical information, and providing feedback to team members.
- Having a structured process for developing team member roles and a scope of work with farmers was also a significant time commitment that proved to be too much for volunteer SCORE mentors.
- MFT service providers improved skills with business start up and packaging loan and grant applications by working on Technical Assistance Teams with SCORE mentors.
- MFT service provider improving accuracy of cost of production and breakeven calculations with guidance from consultant mentor Rose Wilson.
- One MFT service provider shared, “Utilizing the SARE PDP grant funds for mentorship has been extremely beneficial in developing my skills and confidence as a technical service provider. I’ve been able to bring very specific questions about my one-on-one work with farmers to two different mentors. It’s been an incredible resource to have access to these mentors who have years of farm business planning and bookkeeping experience."
Performance Target Outcomes
Performance Target Outcomes - Service Providers
Target #1
30
30 service providers will deepen their farm-specific business advising skills and knowledge, and 12 service providers per year will work collaboratively (between Maine Farmland Trust and SCORE Maine) to provide enterprise budgeting, whole farm financial planning, and other business related technical assistance to 40 farmers who have a median of 17 acres in production and $72,000 gross sales.
40
17 acres in production and $72,000 gross sales per farm.
Performance Target Outcomes - Farmers
Target #1
10
5 farms which participate in the team technical assistance through this SARE PDP will improve the profitability of their businesses, which we define as improved net margin and/or increased net profits.
17 acres in production and $72,000 gross sales
Information Products
- FarmCalc (Decision-making Tool, Mobile/Desktop Application)