Progress report for SNE23-016-DC
Project Information
Through a needs assessment, food production amongst urban agriculture struggles to be adequately supported economically. Broader and more consolidated training to enhance efficiencies and processes may serve to alleviate and reinforce our local producers and food systems. The educational approach will encompass an urban agriculture production to distribution path, which will consist of programs such as land assessment/preparation, soil analysis/soil amendments, irrigation, pest management, cultivation, and distribution. The training program will be conducted via virtual and hands-on workshops to offer greater flexibility and access.
Ten Agriculture Service Providers will be certified in 3-month training in a production to distribution program. Throughout this program, educators and experienced ASP's will provide in-person and virtual workshops (up to 100 participants) to support our partner farmer organizations in training workshops embedded in the program. Participants will enhance and practice their skills in soil analysis, land preparation/irrigation, cultivation and IPM of one high value and one high yield crop, and farmers market distribution methods and processes. Knowledge gained through the New Beginning Farmer Program is applied and practiced at UDC Agriculture spaces, providing access to grow and distribute through UDC spaces if other spaces or distributions are not available or not yet set up. USDA says cropland needs only produce $1,000 dollars of sales for it to be considered crop lands. The training and production space will lead to the production of $1,000 dollars’ worth of crops for sale for each of 30 New Beginning Farmers (NBF), resulting in a total of $30,000 in local economic returns on yield within the local food system.
As urban agriculture continues to involve and develop amongst our urban spaces, it can be challenging to advance in the urban agriculture field amongst the competing variables that exist within cities, such as pollution, competing land use requirements and access to ongoing farmer training. Through assessment results from survey data of 40 participants of land-grant certificate programs and agricultural workshops, meetings and work with 10 urban farmers, leaders of the National Black Farmers Cooperative, National Latinos and Ranchers Association, Farmers Market Managers, and House Agriculture Committee members it is clear more training and programing to support urban agriculture production and distribution processes and methods can serve to support our local urban food producers and food systems in their work and careers. Members of the House Agriculture Meeting recommended allowing community to come pick their own crops/U pick could be offered by some new beginning farmers to benefit from ag-tourism and potentially reduce harvesting work especially as it relates to UDC’s long history with Ethnic Crops and could fulfill of the high value/high yield crops that leadership from the 2020 National Black Farmers Cooperative recommended as they said initial focuses in production on “one high yield and one high value crop” could be helpful to many beginning farmers.
In data from surveys, more practical training that expands farming skills that focus growing lots of food in small spaces for family, and community which would help them develop their urban farming abilities was requested widely. As one of our larger agriculture spaces is located in Prince Georges county, I will seek to work with community in Prince George's county and our largest closest city, Baltimore.
A graduate student will be recruited to support field production, distribution and yield data information, co-facilitation, and assessment and recommendations to improve findings from year 2 to year 3, supporting to ensure project development, enhancements, implementation, and outcomes. Program funding will also support Irrigation, soil testing, compost, and payment for contractors/instructors. The project seeks to benefit new beginning farmers in DC or close surrounding areas. The total number of ASP’s looks to consist of at least 200 hundred people. However, it is difficult to find exact approximations because many could be also working in other positions such as science teachers, landscapers, policy related jobs to support their agriculture work as DC has one of the highest costs of living in the Nation and urban agriculture’s profits can be slim and far between. Also, some ASPs produce marijuana as crop is legal in DC and are experts in production but are leery of sharing lots of information. State Coordinator will continue assessment to determine approximation numbers while respecting those that wish to remain anonymous. Further assessment is needed to determine number of food producers and Agriculture Service Providers in DC.
- Nazirakh will demonstrate and discuss soil health and land preparation and land management
- Love’s Garden will support instruction in small equipment, irrigation, production methods
- Three Seed- support education, outreach, and workshops
- Major Warren Program and workshop support
- Stefan Templeton will support and inform on Farmers Market Distribution and workshops
Educational Approach
Engagement will go out through our UDC marketing channels and partners. 6 Workshops by primary instructors will be conducted to support knowledge and skills around soil health, materials and methods and Farmers Market distribution throughout program with workshops provided by at various urban farms throughout the city. Pre and post tests will be conducted on training and programing activities to ensure skills are enhanced and acquired throughout.
The program participation will be held over a 3 month practicum production course for high yield and high value cultivation of crops that will then flow to our UDC Farmers Markets. The goal of the practicum is to produce enough yield to net $1,000. Throughout the 12 weeks, a series of workshops will be conducted that will be open and be made available to larger audiences via our partners and our internal marketing that focus on topics, soil health, production materials & methods, and Farmers Market distribution. Participants that can demonstrate progress and effort in the program by attending workshops, and enhanced skills development in production will be eligible for incentive even if the $1,000 sales mark/goal is not met. Pre and Post tests will be delivered and assessed to evaluate learning and knowledge change. Dr. Nazirakh Amen will demonstrate and discuss soil health Dr. Lavell Merritt will talk and support production and materials and methods Stefan Templeton will support and inform on Farmers Market Distribution
Milestones
Engagement
1. Project Leader and (Kevin Bailey) will host listening sessions in February of 2024 and February of 2025 that seek to strengthen outreach and engagement Major Warren and Dr. Lavell Merritt will support outreach and engagement for both listening sessions.
Status: Listening sessions and meetings completed.
Accomplishments: Information shared to inform professional development enhancements.
Learning
2. 3 Hands-on Workshops and 3 virtual workshops covering the same topics in order to create greater accessibility and accommodate transportation challenges.
The ASP's will learn about soil health, how it supports production, why/what materials and equipment to use for enhancing health/production, and Farmers Market Vendor Operations. The workshops will focus on production as it relates to one high value and one high yield crop, crops in production, and NBF recommended crops, to support farmers getting crops to market distributions successfully. The workshops will have a in-person session and virtual sessions. In the Soil Health or workshops 1, participants will strengthen through hands-on and field knowledge and experience about soil health and it's indicators and ways to enhance soil life. Certificates will be recorded and confirmed by graduate student at completion of each workshop
3. April 2024 and April 2025 Soil Health workshop: (Nazriahk Amen)
1 in-person and 1 virtual session, participants will learn via presentation around the topic of soil health from an experienced Farmer in a in-person workshop and virtual session. The virtual session will serve to help create more access to information.
Status: Workshops held with new farmers and ASPs.
Accomplishments:
Workshops provided in-person field session where new farmers learned about tools (hoes, BCS, and proper use). Presentations shared with all attendees to review and study.
4. May 2024 and May 2025 Materials and methods for Soil Health workshop: (Dr. Lavell Merritt)
1 in-person and 1 virtual session to foster strengthened awareness and familiarity with the skills, materials and methods by participating in hands-on demonstration of equipment use in field. Virtual presentation covering materials and methods will provide overview and help with access to information from hands-on session. A goal of this workshop is to support efforts that support production of $1,000 worth of crops.
Status: Field Sessions Held.
Accomplishments:
Presentations held and shared with all attendees to review and study.
- UDC Beginning Farmers Pest Management 2024 (1) (1) 1
- UDC Beginning Farmers -Trellising and pruning (1) (1) 1
- UDC Beginning Farmers -Propogation (1) (1) 1
- UDC Beginning Farmers -Irrigating Beginning Farmers beds near Red Barn (1) (1) 1
- UDC Beginning Farmers -BCS Operation (1) (1) 1
5. June 2024 and June 2025 Farmers Market Distribution (Stefan Templeton)
1 in-person and 1 virtual workshop on Farmers Market Distribution. The workshop will be conducted ahead of a market and participants can either participate or visit market to further strengthen skills, experience, knowledge and attitudes of Farmers Market distribution. A virtual session will provide presentation, information, and wisdom related to distribution through Farmers Markets to achieve $1,000 of revenue and will help serve to help expand access to information from hands-on session.
Status: Presentations held.
Accomplishments:
Presentations held and shared with all workshop attendees for review and study.
6. August 2024 and 2025: 50 (20 in 2024 and 30 in 2025) ASP's and 15 (5 in 2024 and 10 in 2025) Urban Farmers will complete the 3 workshops (Soil heath (Nazriahk Amen), Materials & Methods (Dr. Lavell Merritt), and Farmers Market Distribution (Stefan Templeton)) and receive a certificate of completion recognizing their work.
Status: New farmers attended workshops. Additional field sessions and farmers market field support provided by Farmers Alliance.
Accomplishments:
Workshops held at multiple field locations and online.
Engagement and Evaluation
7. April, May, June of 2024 and 2025: Pre and post tests will be conducted by graduate student amongst all workshops.
Status: Graduate Student did not continue School. Work was picked up by project leader.
Accomplishments:
Attendance records of and presentations were shared from sessions to attendees to support continued review and study.
8. August 2024 and August 2025: Project leader and Kevin Bailey will host a focus group with at least 25 participants. The feedback aggregated from 2024 focus group will support implementation and practices associated with production to distribution in 2025 workshops. A sign up sheet will be utilized to confirm participation of August 2024 and August 2025. The 2025 focus group will serve to provide more assessment and evaluation information as the project closes out in September of 2025.
Status: Focus groups and listening sessions completed.
Accomplishments:
Information and feedback shared to enhance professional development programs.
9. September 2024 and September 2025: Survey of Farmers conducted by Project Leader to assess if completion of $1,000 crop revenue goal was achieved and what they believe could enhance others to successfully reach this goal.
Status: Farmers shared and reported their farm practices and achievements.
Accomplishments:
17 New Farmers reported over $1,000 in sales marking a financial new farmer success metric. Farmers shared information and feedback about learning.
Milestone Activities and Participation Summary
Participation Summary:
Learning Outcomes
Performance Target Outcomes
Performance Target Outcomes - Service Providers
Target #1
Acquired knowledge on soil, irrigation, production methods, harvesting and business operations (insurance compliance, distribution, learning about their business and market)
100 acres/ over $100,000
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 12 |
Provided workshops about small farming, herb, fresh farm to table demonstrations, field day tours.
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 12 |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|
10 acres |
| Activity | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curricula, factsheets and other educational tools | 4 | 4 | ||
| Consultations | 10 | 10 | ||
| On-farm demonstrations | 20 | 20 | ||
| Online trainings | 3 | 3 | ||
| Published press, articles, newsletters | 2 | 2 | ||
| Study circles / focus groups | 2 | 2 | ||
| Tours | 15 | 15 | ||
| Webinars, talks and presentations | 2 | 2 | ||
| Workshops and field days | 14 | 14 |
Participants joined workshops in field to learn about crops and farm operations(tools, irrigation, plant spacing/times). Provided/supported tours and supported community field days where people wanted to get engaged in local agriculture system.
Participants also reported supporting and/or participation in local farmers markets.
Performance Target Outcomes - Farmers
Target #1
10
Produce and sell community needed crops at markets, csa's, food banks, and/or via farm to table programs.
10 acres
12
12
15 acres
Local new small farmers produced and earned over $30,000 in farmer revenue from crop produced and sold locally to their communities.
Additional Project Outcomes
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50000 | $ | $ | $50000 |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10 |
New farmers suggested production method being used in community. Jointly, scientists verified findings with new farmers, to further connect across urban agriculture, which has contributed to pilot research project which has created promising results- verifying new farmers field observations.
Information has been shared with more researchers and connected to local area urban farms for more collaborative projects.
It was recommended the Novel approaches Grant through NESARE be applied for this research collaboration.
New Farmers supported their local communities through sales to food banks (Martha's table) which cooks and donates food to enhance food access for those that are hungry in our communities.
New Farmers developed their brand and built awareness with public by selling through UDC Farmers Markets.
Collaborations with other ASP's were welcomed and hosted, participants had opportunity to meet and connect with others in industry of agriculture.
Food Safety Conference hosted
Business Compliances hosted
Tours, field days, and affordable farmers market/Upick field day (House Agriculture Committee Recommendation/incorporation)
More mixed media will support various types of learning style strengths.
Tiering education may be beneficial to those with different levels of skills.
Tier 1 Introduction certificate-accelerated for ASP knowledge and new farmers(1-2 years experience)
Tier 2- Hands-on Workshops and Field Sessions (2-5 years)
Tier 3- Hands-on Training in spaces and invited to attend all trainings, also working with these participants to conduct field sessions (5-9 years)
Assessment in Developers interests of incorporating sustainable agriculture spaces into their projects as small farmer spaces are appealing and can contribute to dominate Mixed USED Development strategies of DC Builders (courtyards, green roofs, indoor production, etc.) . Assessment of DC Small business interests as they seek more Certified Business Enterprise development and are interested in supporting participants. Assessment of veterans and returning citizen partners that wish to have their members gain agricultural knowledge and skills by participating in program. Quote from Colonel "Many DC vets are struggling with homelessness and nutrition" -This could help them connect again with communities and provide an opportunity for them to connect and provide for their communities. Quote from Non-Profit Manager and native community leader that works with local DC residents- this urban farming program provides a valued resource for underserved communities. By training local DC new farmers and ASPs, the program provides intergenerational health inducing benefits through sustainable economic activities that serve and connect to residents that live within underserved communities-this includes communities of color, returning citizens, seniors, and young people."
SARE Outreach
Hosted SARE DC Tour.
Provided tours, field days, and hosted educational visits sharing work with SARE.
Shared grant opportunities and educational resources at urban farms and via emails.
Recieved information about SARE grant programs and information resouces:
| Audience | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service providers | 100 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Farmers | 100 | 0 | 0 | 100 |