Final report for PDP20-002
Project Information
AFT’s Farmland for the Next Generation Training in the Pacific Northwest is leveraging a collaborative project team, including Washington Farmland Trust and Viva Farms, to develop curriculum and professionally train a cohort of a minimum of 20 land access technical service providers in Washington State in land access, land tenure, and succession planning. Subsequently, land access technical service providers are delivering technical assistance to a minimum of 200 new and beginning farmers and ranchers. This curriculum and training format is unique and in demand, as it comprehensively focuses on topic areas which are not currently readily accessible as professional development opportunities to those serving the state’s stewards of private lands. The project team has recruited participants in this cohort training program who are from agricultural service provider organizations and agencies, including Cooperative Extension Service programs, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Conservation Districts, and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The project team adapted AFT’s national 8-unit land access training curriculum in accordance with the specific needs of farmers and ranchers in Washington in order to best serve their interests in land protection, sustaining multi-generational operations, and stewarding land. Land access technical service providers will become part of a growing network of professionals in the Pacific Northwest region who can effectively deliver technical assistance to help new and beginning farmers and ranchers navigate land tenure and access. The project will be expanded in subsequent phases beyond this grant to other states in the region as AFT and its partners continue to help new and beginning farmers and ranchers meet their goals in accessing land and managing their operations and land sustainably.
The objectives of Farmland for the Next Generation Training in the Pacific Northwest are:
- Enhance the capacity of a network of agricultural educators and service providers by providing training to 20 new land access technical service providers who will become part of a growing network of land access technical service providers in Washington.
- Increase land access for new and beginning farmers and ranchers in Washington by supporting land access technical service providers in serving 200 new and beginning farmers and ranchers by helping them assess their goals and financial readiness to lease or buy land, understand ways to identify available farmland, and evaluate farm lease or purchase options.
- Increase the adoption of sustainability practices in agriculture by training land access technical service providers in delivering technical assistance to new and beginning farmers and ranchers on sustainability concepts.
This project builds off of AFT’s Farmland for the Next Generation curriculum, which is preparing the network of land access technical service providers to assist and mentor new farmers and ranchers to assess their financial readiness; determine their land tenure options; find and evaluate farm properties; and negotiate lease, inheritance and purchase agreements.
To date, AFT has made the following progress on the above objectives and associated project activities and associated methodologies and timelines:
- Project Activity 1, Adapt national land access training curriculum to best fit regional needs in collaboration with partners. (September 1, 2020 – January 31, 2020): AFT adapted and refined current national land access training curriculum to fit regional needs, collaboratively working with Washington Farmland Trust and Viva Farms. The project team consulted with Washington State University Extension to review materials for alignment with existing Cultivating Success Program curriculum, which focuses on business development training for small and medium-scale farmers and ranchers. The curriculum also includes use of Washington Farmland Trust’s Farm to Farmer website (https://farmtofarmer.org/), which links farmers with prospective land. AFT also recruited additional consultants to the project to bring unique skills and expertise: Ecotrust, who advised on content specific to systemic and institutional barriers to land access for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers; Luke Wiesner, who advised on content related to coaching, mentoring, and other foundational skills for technical assistance; and Common Goodness Project, who advised on content related to working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) farmers.
- Project Activity 2, Recruit and select 24 trainees on land access, land tenure, and succession planning. (February 1, 2021 – August 31, 2021): The network of land access technical service provider trainees were selected through a competitive process. The project team identified 170 qualifying prospects and invited them to participate, seeking participants who were staff from NRCS, Cooperative Extension Service programs, Conservation Districts, and conservation NGOs. 61 people applied. Of these, the project team selected 40 participants to reflect the range of service providers needed to create a sustainable support system that can operate in unison as a cohort to provide newly learned services to new and beginning farmers and ranchers throughout Washington. The original proposal was to recruit 24 participants. However, due to the shift to a virtual format, the project team determined it would be appropriate to increase the size of the cohort. This also enabled the inclusion of multiple service providers from the same geography, in order to foster regionally-specific peer-to-peer relationship building and support networks in the future. Of the 40 individuals who were initially invited to participate, ultimately 34 service providers joined the 8-week training.
- Project Activity 3, Train trainees (September 1, 2021 - August 31, 2023): The project team provided the selected participants with 24 hours of training, divided into weekly 3-hour virtual sessions over an 8-week period. Each virtual session focused on a different topic, and included a mix of presentation, discussion, and small group activities. Participants were asked to complete up to 1 hour of preparatory work (i.e. reading or reflection) in advance of each session. The eight sessions occurred weekly between February 1st and March 22nd, 2022.
- Project Activity 4, Support trainees in delivering the training curriculum to new and beginning farmers and ranchers. (September 1, 2022 – August 31, 2023): Upon completion of the 8-week training, participants were surveyed to determine the ways they would most like to receive support in leveraging the training to help new and beginning farmers. Participants identified three core support strategies: quarterly calls for networking and resource sharing; a listserv for cohort communication; and additional training opportunities. In response to these requests, since the completion of the training, AFT has hosted three quarterly networking calls of 1.5 hours each. Between 7 and 10 service providers participated in each call, and participants used the time to share success stories and discuss challenges. AFT has also created a Google listserv to foster cohort communication. Lastly, AFT has been working to develop a follow-up training series. While many additional training needs were identified, the greatest need was for training on trauma-informed technical assistance and lease negotiation. Presenters have been identified, and a three-part virtual training series, to be held in January 2023, will address these topics.
The proposed project activities and associated methodologies and timelines are as follows:
- Adapt national land access training curriculum to best fit regional needs in collaboration with partners. (September 1, 2020 – January 31, 2020)
AFT will adapt and refine current national land access training curriculum to fit regional needs, collaboratively working with PCC Farmland Trust and Viva Farms. The project team will also consult with Washington State University Extension to review materials for alignment with existing Cultivating Success Program curriculum, which focuses on business development training for small and medium-scale farmers and ranchers. The curriculum will also include use of PCC Farmland Trust’s Farm to Farmer website (https://farmtofarmer.org/), which links farmers with prospective land.
- Recruit and select 24 trainers on land access, land tenure, and succession planning. (February 1, 2021 – August 31, 2021)
The network of trainers will be selected through a competitive process. The project team will identify 200 qualifying prospects and invite them to participate, seeking participants who are farmers and ranchers as well as staff from NRCS, Cooperative Extension Service programs, Conservation Districts, and conservation NGOs. It is anticipated that 75 people will apply. Of these, the project team will select 24 trainers to reflect the range of service providers needed to create a sustainable support system that can operate in unison as a cohort to provide newly learned services to new and beginning farmers and ranchers throughout Washington.
- Train trainers (September 1, 2021-August 31, 2023)
The project team will provide the selected trainers with two in-depth in-person trainings, two half-day hybrid webinar sessions, the curriculum and extensive contacts and resources, as well as opportunities for one-on-one consultation.
- Support trainers in delivering the training curriculum to new and beginning farmers and ranchers. (September 1, 2022 – August 31, 2023)
Trainers will develop training plans with the support of their peers and the project team through monthly meeting calls. The trainers will deliver the training workshops to a total of 200 new and beginning farmers and ranchers, subsequently seeking feedback via surveys from their workshop participants. At least 20 trainers will complete and deliver two trainings and achieve certification as LATs, becoming a part of a growing and ongoing LAT network in the Pacific Northwest.
Cooperators
- (Educator)
- (Educator)
- (Educator)
Education
The educational approach this project uses is to adapt American Farmland Trust’s (AFT) 8-unit land access training curriculum to fit the needs specific to new and beginning farmers in Washington State; train a minimum of 20 land access technical service providers in delivering technical assistance to new and beginning farmers; and provide ongoing support for land access technical service providers to best assist new and beginning farmer trainees in accessing land and managing their operations and land sustainably. The adaptation of AFT’s original 8-unit land access training curriculum includes a new emphasis on the foundational skills needed to provide effective technical assistance, as well as a strong focus on understanding the unique needs, challenges, and barriers experienced by farmers who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or who don’t speak English as a primary language.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
Enhance the capacity of a network of agricultural educators and service providers by providing training to 20 new land access technical service providers who will become part of a growing network of service providers in Washington.
The project team will provide the selected land access technical service provider trainees with weekly 3-hour virtual sessions over an 8-week period, the curriculum and extensive contacts and resources, as well as opportunities for one-on-one consultation.
Learning and action outcomes and impact of this initiative are as such:
- Land access technical service provider trainees received comprehensive curriculum related to land access and tenure.
- Land access technical service provider trainees learned how to work with unique audiences to navigate the land access process.
- Land access technical service provider trainees learned how to help beginning farmers and ranchers to navigate land access concerns.
- Land access technical service provider trainees gained access to contacts within the land access community.
- Land access technical service provider trainees gained opportunities for peer support and networking in providing technical assistance related to land access and tenure.
Increase land access for new and beginning farmers and ranchers in Washington by supporting land access technical service providers in serving 200 new and beginning farmers and ranchers and helping them assess their goals and financial readiness to lease or buy land, understand ways to identify available farmland, and evaluate farm lease or purchase options.
Land access technical service providers will develop implementation plans with the support of their peers and the project team through monthly meeting calls. The land access technical service providers will deliver technical assistance to a total of 200 new and beginning farmers and ranchers, subsequently seeking feedback from the farmers and ranchers.
Learning and action outcomes and impact of this initiative are as such:
- Land access technical service providers served over 400 new farmers and ranchers through relevant , targeted, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed technical assistance.
Increase the adoption of sustainability practices in agriculture by training land access technical service providers in delivering technical assistance new and beginning farmers and ranchers on sustainability concepts.
AFT will adapt and refine current national land access training curriculum, including the integration of sustainability concepts that land access technical service providers will be trained in delivering to new and beginning farmers and ranchers.
Learning and action outcomes and impact of this initiative are as such:
- The train the trainer curriculum was enhanced by the additional resources included.
- Land access technical service providers benefitted from increased knowledge around farm sustainability.
Educational & Outreach Activities
6 meetings, 1.5 hours each, for a total of 9 hours of networking
Participation Summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Project outcomes are the following:
- The project team will deliver eight 3-hour virtual workshop sessions that cover the eight original modules of AFT’s Land Access Training Curriculum as well as newly developed content.
- The project team will integrate engaging virtual content to events if workshops shift to an online format.
- Land access technical service providers will be able to explain and confidently relay content from the 8 modules of AFT’s Land Access Training Curriculum.
- Land access technical service providers will collectively serve at least 200 farmers and ranchers with delivery of land access technical assistance.
- Land access technical service providers will benefit from learning more about land access, from definitions of land tenure to financial planning, to succession planning. They will feel confident and able to communicate land access issues to a wide variety of audiences.
Additional outcomes of the project to date (January 24, 2023), include two blogposts described in detail below:
Blog Post #1: “A Few Reflections – And a Story – about Land Tenure”
- Description: A personal reflection on the importance of this project
- Author: Addie Candib, American Farmland Trust
- Target Audience: Educators:
- URL: https://farmland.org/a-few-reflections-and-a-story-about-land-tenure/
Blog Post #2: “National and Regional Collaboration Builds Innovation in Land Access Programming”
- Description: Blogpost describing the internal collaboration at American Farmland Trust that led to and supported this project.
- Author: Chantel Welch, American Farmland Trust
- Target Audience: Educators
- URL: https://farmland.org/national-and-regional-collaboration-builds-innovation-in-land-access-programming/
AFT administered two surveys of participants to evaluate project impacts: an evaluation immediately following the 8-week training, and an evaluation one year after the training to evaluate longer-term impacts. In the survey immediately after the training, participants reported:
- “One of the greatest realizations for me was the number of folks out there that are working towards a similar vision of the future. We are not working in isolation and together we can succeed.” - Service provider in Washington State
- “I'm so grateful for this training. It was amazing to connect and network and know that we are all working in solidarity and in good company. The content was helpful and organized. guest speakers were on-point and often times truly excellent.” - Service provider in Washington State
- “I am thankful I got to participate. It gives me hope to know this whole cohort got this training and now Washington State farmers have us available. I am excited for the effects of our training to begin to show in our communities.” - Service provider in Washington State.
In the one-year survey, in response to a question around how information was shared with others in their organization, participants reported the following:
- “After the training I realized a strategic and targeted approach to farmland preservation, transition planning and land access was required. We engaged a group of agencies and stakeholders in a year long process to examine options for Kitsap, drafted a strategic plan and engaged partner” - Service Provider in Washington State
- “I was able to share information to our Veteran group about resources available and also to assist more women/veterans. I also brough the ancestral land acknowledgment to our board for formal recognition.” - Service Provider in Washington State
- “I have shared historical context with others. I have shared information about on-going efforts organizations working to build land access for farmers.” - Service Provider in Washington State
- “All of the other farm planners at [my organization] are aware of my focus on this and refer farmers to me.” - Service Provider in Washington State
Other feedback from the one-year survey included:
- “It was excellent! Thanks for such a great job facilitating, setting expectations, and sharing resources.” -Service Provider in Washington State
- “I wished I could have attended more of the sessions. I truly value the work. The coordinators were excellent. I appreciate that American Farmland Trust values this work and is investing resources in it.” -Service Provider in Washington State
- “It was an amazing opportunity to network. [AFT staff] attended our most recent Farmland Preservation Working Group meeting and brought a wealth of information to us... Several of us have been working on options for this farm parcel and it was so exciting to see opportunity opening up before us.” - Service Provider in Washington State
While new and beginning farmers and ranchers can certainly benefit from land access training, they are only one part of the puzzle in ensuring that agricultural lands are protected and sustainable land stewardship continues. Aging farmers and ranchers also need assistance as they retire and make land succession plans. Projects that provide succession planning resources to farmers and ranchers that desire their land to remain in agriculture as they retire will help reduce unsustainable development of these lands while also helping them become available to new and beginning farmers and ranchers who are increasingly in need of affordable land tenure options.
Alternative land tenure options are also increasingly of interest to farmers seeking land. AFT sees potential opportunities to conduct research and create resources that explore various land tenure models, as well as promote findings to best serve farming communities.