Progress report for ONC24-140
Project Information
SILT will use grant funds to perform a needs-based assessment on Iowa’s under-studied table food farms. The need is dire: most of Iowa’s small, sustainable farmers aren’t able to sell at a profit. We can help remedy this by acquiring thorough information from farmers, then using data to research, implement, and widely disseminate solutions. This project is innovative because it leverages SILT’s diverse network of trusted farmers.
In year one, four SILT farmers in Iowa will thoroughly document a full growing season, including inputs, outputs, profits, losses, opportunities, and challenges regarding growing, harvesting, marketing, farmers’ markets, processing, wholesale, safety, equipment, certifications, storage, and preservation. Farmers will fill out surveys at the beginning of the project and at months one, six, and twelve to reflect on what they learn.
In year two, using farmer-provided data, SILT will determine what skills, practices, knowledge, awareness, and attitudes our farmers are lacking and create materials that fill those gaps. Results will include new educational booklets and webpages, training sessions with partner organizations specializing in business operations, and a published white paper. Data will also inform how SILT approaches future partnerships. Farmers will remain involved by participating meaningfully in an outreach activity during year two.
- Perform 4 needs-based operation and market evaluations of SILT farms
- Determine at least 5 specific, actionable gaps in farmers’ skills, practices, knowledge, awareness, and attitudes
- Develop at least 3 new online/print educational packets for farmers that respond to these gaps
- Share new material with at least 2,500 Iowans, including 100 farmers
- Organize 3 training sessions with partner organizations specializing in business operations
- Host at least 25 farmers/agricultural professionals at each training session
- Write and publish 1 white paper on the study
- Develop at least 1 meaningful partnership in each Iowa quadrant that contributes to a sustainable food network
Cooperators
- (Researcher)
- (Researcher)
Research
Our farmers were chosen based on their size ranging from 2 acres to 60 acres. In results they will be referred to as participant A, B, C, and D. There is one landowner while the other three are renters. Three participants are farming various small crops of fruits and vegetables. One is farming livestock with Highland cattle and grazing goats. Location and climate were also taken into account with farmer selection from Northern to Southwest Iowa. All four did not request or require guidance on farming skills. Participants received a beginning interview survey along with a 6 month and exit interview. Surveys were submitted via Google forms. Pictures were also taken at farm visits or provided by the participant when possible (yet to be uploaded).
Participant D was unable to continue on with her operation about 5 months into the project due to complications with the landowner regarding market chain disruptions and labor shortages (lack of general support).
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
- We held a 1.5 hour Webinar in October and will be holding another in March. The first webinar featured 5 speaker presentations about services available to small and sustainable farmers on a variety of topics from Business product differentiation to urban agriculture. This upcoming webinar has more specific focus on solutions to finding labor, funding, and markets, where it will be the same duration but with 3 presenters.
- The webinar had a total of 68 attendees, where we were not able to determine the amount of farm professionals at the time. The recording of the October Webinar was shared on Youtube, with those who registered (even if they did not attend the live session), and with the presenters’ organization networks. The recording was also shared via the SILT monthly newsletter, which has over 2500 subscribers.
- We are planning for an in-person training session at a SILT Small Farm Summer event, topic TBD.