Final report for PDP20-019
Project Information
Oregon Tilth sought WSARE funds to support planning and program expenses associated with the 2021 National Farm Viability Conference (NFVC). Because of the COVID pandemic the conference was held in a fully virtual format in October 2021. Oregon Tilth co-hosted the conference with Oregon State University. The conference is focused on the professional development of agricultural service providers working on dimensions of farm viability such as business development, financial management, agricultural financing, farmland conservation, succession/transition strategies, market development, value-added enterprise, food hubs, and farm incubators. Attendees learn about new program and service models, network with other professionals, tour farms and facilities, and gather ideas and models they can use in their viability work. We expanded the impact of the 2021 conference by collaborating with the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project’s 10th annual FIELD School which offers professional development for service providers who operate incubator farm and apprenticeship training programs for beginning farmers and ranchers.
NFVC has been held five times since 2008. It is intended to move around the country to highlight regional issues and initiatives. The 2021 conference would have been the first in the western region. The programming for the 2021 conference was adapted for the virtual format. WSARE funds covered conference planning, speaker honorariums, attendee scholarships. Other expenses were covered through sponsorship dollars and registration fees. Past hosts and organizers were involved in planning the conference via three different planing committees.
The NFVC's history, continuity, and collaborative approach, along with co-hosts' networks and expertise in educational conference programming helped to contribute to the project's success. This unique event directly aligns with SARE priorities on farmers' quality of life, rural livelihoods, and sustainable, diversified agriculture. The event built capacity of a diverse cadre of professionals supporting thriving small farms, farmers, farm families, local food systems, and rural economies.
The goal of the NFVC is to strengthen farm sustainability, build more resilient local food systems, and support the long-term profitability of farming and agri-entrepreneurs from start-ups to generational businesses. The event aimed to strengthen the individual and collective ability of diverse professionals to advance this goal. We attracted over 400 attendees to the 2021 conference due to its increasing exposure. The virtual format allowed for participation from more regions of the country than in the past, including strong participation from farm viability-focused professionals in the western region.
Our objectives include:
1) To increase attendees’ knowledge in domains such as farm and food business development, financial planning and management, agricultural financing, market development, succession planning, and other areas of farm viability.
2) To increase and/or strengthen attendees’ relationships and networks expected to support and/or improve their farm viability work and increase its value to farmers.
3) To increase and/or strengthen attendees’ intentions to advance and/or expand their viability work by developing, implementing, and/or improving viability programming, services, and/or resources for farmers.
Expectations/assumptions
We expect to build on the success of NFVC in advancing the knowledge and networks of professionals working on diverse aspects of farm viability; with a special focus on western region issues, initiatives, and opportunities. Oregon Tilth has decades of experience in conducting educational programming, including training thousands of service providers and farmers each year and co-hosting the biannual Organicology conference, the largest multi-sector organic event in the country. We have a long history of effective collaboration with OSU as well as other regional institutions and organizations. We have substantial farm viability programming expertise; strong networks and partnerships across the US and regionally; the support and commitment of past hosts and organizers; and extensive resources for planning and guidance. We’ll have access to past organizers' "lessons learned" as well as evaluation survey data to inform needed changes, improvements, and additions.
Resources
Oregon Tilth will lead conference program planning and content development with a national planning committee and regional and national advisory committees. OSU will serve as the fiscal manager and operational lead with responsibility for venue hosting, registration and fees management, contracts, and site and meal logistics. Marketing, sponsorship, and other responsibilities will be shared between the co-hosts and supported by committees. Existing planning resources include a comprehensive “roadmap”, suggested timeline, budget guidance, and workshop proposal review template. The roadmap specifies the roles of three committees and several subcommittees. Past hosts and organizers, including Renewing the Countryside and the Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, have committed their support and commitment.
Timeline
10/2020: confirm funding; assemble planning committee
11/2020: assemble advisory committee; reserve lodging; begin sponsorship/fundraising; update website; “FYI” emails
12/2020: outreach to local colleagues/partners; national advisory committee finalized
1/2021: revise budget; sponsorship outreach push
2/2021: finalize regional advisory committee; revise registration page; secure scholarship funds; sponsorship outreach and website updates (through Sept)
3/2021: outreach list; “Save the Date”; finalize pricing; soft launch registration for testing; create RFP subcommittee
4/2021: early bird registration; send media kit to outreach list; draft/finalize/publicize RFP; brainstorm tours/speakers/entertainment
5/2021: registration (continues-Sept.); RFP outreach; identify keynote; map breakout sessions; preliminary schedule; communications planning; form scholarship committee
6/2021: preliminary agenda; assign workshop submissions & rank; food & entertainment planning; speaker bios
7/2021: communications push; notify RFP applicants; finalize sessions/agenda
8/2021: press release; signage; materials; transportation planning
9/2021: sponsor materials; supplies; tour sites/prep hosts; speaker gifts; last-call registration; brainstorm livestream/TV coverage
10/2021: send agenda; assemble folder materials; check AV; hold conference; thank-yous; post surveys, internal evaluation; press release; financial report
Cooperators
Education
Because of the COVID pandemic, we held the 2021 event in a virtual format. The event took place over the entire month of October and highlighted programs and models for supporting farm viability. The conference also addressed key themes from the 2019 conference - strategies to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion in our efforts to support viable farms; the intersection of climate change and farm viability; and the role farm viability professionals can play in developing policies that support viable farms.
The main educational programming included traditional presenter led workshops and a variation of the Reading the Farm program that addressed for farm viability professionals to work together to practice supporting a farm with addressing a viability challenge.
Peer-to-peer learning continued to be the primary focus of the event. To this end, we put out an RFP for educational programming for the event in the spring of 2021 to past and prospective conference attendees. The highly participatory design of the event ensured that programming was relevant and useful. Proposals were evaluated in the early summer with members of the advisory committee working with us (the conference planners) to develop the final conference agenda by late August.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
To increase attendees’ knowledge in domains such as farm and food business development, financial planning and management, agricultural financing, market development, succession planning, and other areas of farm viability.
To increase and/or strengthen attendees’ ability to develop and implement farm viability programming and services.
To increase and/or strengthen relationships and networks.
The virtual conference programming included 70 traditional workshops that focused on increasing attendee's knowledge and expertise about key farm viability topics including: Accessing Capital; Advocacy and Policy; Business Planning and Development; Equity and Social Justice in the Food System; Farm Viability and Climate Change; Equity and Social Justice in the Food System; Farmer Training via Incubator and Apprenticeship Programs; Food and Farm Marketing and Distribution; Land Access and Succession Planning; Program Development, Funding and Design.
These workshops increased participants' knowledge of various topics related to farm viability, thereby strengthening their ability to provide training and support to the farmers that they work with. Farm viability professionals gained skills and strategies that they intend to implement in their day-to-day work and/or having become aware of new models and solutions that they intend to draw on for ideas and inspiration. Professional relationships and networks were expanded.
94% of respondents to our post-session surveys reported that they gained new knowledge or skills.
83% of respondents to our post-session surveys reported that they intended to put a new practice in place and/or change an existing practice.
62% of respondents to our post-session surveys reported that their professional network expanded.
The policy plenary was designed to inform participants about policy opportunities related to farm viability - and business technical assistance in particular.
Our Policy Plenary featured Jennifer Moffitt, USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, as well as short video presentations from Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Representative Antonio Delgado of New York, speaking directly to the conference audience of business technical assistance providers. They shared their perspectives on immediate federal policy opportunities related to farm viability - and business technical assistance in particular.
A panel of congressional staff that work on agricultural policy also spoke to these topics and the 2023 Farm Bill. Panelists included:
- Katie Naessens, Senior Professional Staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee (Majority)
- Jeremy Witte, Professional Staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee (Minority)
- Andrew Bahrenburg, Legislative Assistant with the Office of Senator Leahy
- Katie Bergh, Senior Policy Advisor with the Office of Rep. Chellie Pingree
The panel was moderated by Cris Coffin, Senior Policy Advisor at American Farmland Trust and Todd Erling, Executive Director at the Hudson Valley Agribusiness Development Corporation.
The policy plenary was designed to inform participants about policy opportunities related to farm viability - and business technical assistance in particular.
100% of survey respondents reported gaining new knowledge or skills as a result of attending this session.
To increase attendees’ knowledge in domains such as farm and food business development, financial planning and management, agricultural financing, market development, succession planning, and other areas of farm viability.
To increase and/or strengthen attendees’ ability to develop and implement farm viability programming and services.
To increase and/or strengthen relationships and networks.
Mike Sciabarrasi, Agricultural Business Management State Specialist, Emeritus, University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension
The Reading the Farm workshops increased participants' knowledge of various topics related to farm viability, thereby strengthening their ability to provide training and support to the farmers that they work with. Farm viability professionals gained skills and strategies that they intend to implement in their day-to-day work and/or having become aware of new models and solutions that they intend to draw on for ideas and inspiration. Professional relationships and networks were expanded.
100% of respondents to our post-session survey reported that they gained new knowledge or skills.
83% of respondents to our post-session survey reported that they intended to put a new practice in place and/or change an existing practice.
67% of respondents to our post-session survey reported that their professional network expanded.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
The 2021 National Farm Viability Conference brought together over 400 agriculture viability professionals from 42 states for a month-long, fully virtual gathering focused on strengthening farm sustainability, building more resilient local food systems, and supporting the long-term profitability of farming and agri-entrepreneurs from start-ups to generational businesses. The robust agenda for this peer-to-peer educational event featured 70 workshop sessions, focusing on a variety of topics, including: Accessing Capital; Advocacy and Policy; Business Planning and Development; Equity and Social Justice in the Food System; Farm Viability and Climate Change; Equity and Social Justice in the Food System; Farmer Training via Incubator and Apprenticeship Programs; Food and Farm Marketing and Distribution; Land Access and Succession Planning; Program Development, Funding and Design. A modified version of the Reading the Farm program was offered in a virtual two-part interactive session, offering participants the chance to explore the social, economic, and environmental factors that inform decision-making and to put their business expertise into practice. The mid-conference Plenary provided participants the opportunity to hear perspectives on immediate federal policy opportunities related to farm viability - and business technical assistance in particular – directly from policy makers. The Opening of the conference facilitated community building via a small group breakout session which allowed participants to connect with colleagues. The Closing of the conference was a participatory session that reflected on key takeaways from the month-long event.
Overall results:
94% of respondents to our post-session surveys reported that they gained new knowledge or skills.
82% of respondents to our post-session surveys reported that they intended to put a new practice in place and/or change an existing practice.
64% of respondents to our post-session surveys reported that their professional network expand as a result of attending this session?
Key Takeaways from Conference Participants
"I think this is the first conference I’ve attended that said they wanted a focus on diversity.. and really put it together. It was great to see more people of color presenting; and also sharing their experience so we can be better allies and anti-racists. I think some of the presenters were concerned that there weren’t more questions… and I can appreciate that… questions mean the participants are absorbing and engaging with the content. That said, there was a lot of new content as we think about diversity and inclusion… so for me, I was trying to build the framework in my head to absorb everything and start putting the pieces together. There were so many new ideas I didn’t even know the questions to ask. I heard it once suggested that it’s like we’re building a scaffolding for new ideas to latch onto.
I also attended a few sessions in my “area of expertise” and pulled out a lot of nuggets. In KTCs session about working with more advanced farmers, it was helpful to distinguish between the goals and objectives of beginning vs advanced farmers – all of whom need some level of business assistance. Something I had thought about but hadn’t yet articulated. In Diagnosing and Untangling QuickBooks, it was great to hear a different perspective on the messes we all encounter. And making data driven decisions from the farmers market POS system was super helpful and got my brain buzzing.
I really enjoyed Mary Peabody’s session on surviving life’s quakes… especially in light of covid, it helps to offer a more holistic approach to business assistance.
While I haven’t had a chance to “network” like I might have at other conferences… I did send out a few emails requests to connect and have scheduled “get-to-know- you” zooms with a few people… so I’m excited to make some new connections."
"There are about 12-15 people who presented at the conference that I will follow-up with on providing services to farmers that we work with. I also very much enjoyed the presentation on New Innovations in Financing Climate-Smart Agriculture. I would love to have more discussions of how to finance and incentivize climate-smart agriculture practices."
"I've already connected with Daniela Perez of Adelante Mujeres to repeat the training she provided at the conference for a group of local ag orgs in my area...in order to increase Latinx farm viability."
"I now have skills to direct my client to build business, succession, retirement plans."
"Many of my clients here in California are small, diversified producers, and while they have needs/challenges quite distinct from many of the larger, monocultural producers that dominate specialty crop production in the state, they have much in common with the smaller, more fractured landscapes of the east coast (and the agriculture that has taken form on it). I realized that I need to connect more deeply and mine the resources and networks of the east to enrich my work here in the west."
"I plan to utilize a lot of the business planning and mentorship resources I heard about during the sessions in my work with beginning farmers. We're at the very start of linking beginning farmers with opportunities to grow their businesses through land access and technical assistance."
"I feel a lot more confident about insisting that the BFRs I work with take their business planning seriously. Everyone wants to jump on buying land and either planting crops or raising livestock, but you shouldn't be doing either without that plan to guide you and help you garner funding."
"I’ve already used a couple new ideas and resources about labor management in workshops with farmers."
"Networking with others that share similar goals and objectives of educating farmers that farming is a business."
"I'm especially excited to learn about the many programs and people doing this work across the region and country. As a company that seeks to uplift and support our growers, it is extremely helpful to know where they can turn for support and how we can facilitate those connections."