Progress report for WPDP24-012
Project Information
This project will result in the development and support of 8 Farm Law Leaders who will deliver at least 8 farm law workshops in the Western region on legal issues of importance to sustainable producers. The Farm Law Leaders will be equipped with additional resources that empower the Leader to continue supporting producers who attend the workshops. As a result, 240 farmers attending the 8 workshops (30 attendees each) will have more resilient stable businesses and improved quality of life.
We will achieve these outcomes by hosting a Farm Law Leadership Fellowship- a train-the-trainer program for Extension educators, farm education nonprofit staff, farm business service providers, and post-secondary instructors to lead farm law workshops locally. The training curriculum emphasizes risk-reducing action steps and accurate, clear legal explanations. The program also trains (and requires) Leaders to use peer-to-peer training techniques and incorporate local producers in their presentations.
This program creates a next-step leadership process for agriculture professionals who have been through our 2018 Western SARE PD-funded Guiding Resilience program (a 15-hour training in the basics of farm law for professionals). Graduates asked us for this program so they can deliver presentations. They also want support materials designed just for them. As such, we will develop two handbooks in collaboration with professionals and producers, to further support the Leaders on leases and business structures. These handbooks complement the extensive collection of resources Farm Commons already provides to agriculture professionals on other legal subjects.
As a nonprofit devoted exclusively to teaching agricultural communities farm law, we are deeply skilled in creating educational materials that accommodate all state-specific nuances that are necessary to the curricular goals. Through our NC SARE pilot, we proved that it is safe and effective to train laypersons in legal matters without violating any rules on practicing law.
For this proposal, objectives and
short term learning outcomes are the same. Please reference
the attached Logic Model for additional detail.
|
Logic Model Ref # |
Objectives |
Indicator |
Target Number |
How measured |
By whom |
|
4.1 |
1) Increase ag |
# of APs with increased |
8 |
Online survey, |
Farm Commons staff |
|
4.2 |
2) Increase APs |
# of APs with increased |
8 |
Online survey, |
FC staff |
|
4.2 |
3) Increase |
# of APs with increased |
8 |
Online survey, |
FC staff |
|
4.2 |
4) Increase |
# of APs with increased |
8 |
Online survey, |
FC staff |
|
4.3 |
5) Increase APs |
# of APs with increased |
8 |
Online survey, |
FC staff |
|
5.2 |
6) Producers intend to |
# of producers who intend |
240 |
In person survey |
Farm Law Leaders |
|
Task name |
Duration |
Start |
End |
|
1. Adapt the Farm Law Leadership Fellowship training curriculum to the Western Region |
Fall-Winter 2024-25 |
September 2024 |
February 2025 |
|
2. Convene virtual meetings of the Resource Advisory Team of Western ag professional and producer cooperators to advise, review, and give feedback on the two trainer handbooks, as well as other handouts to be included in the Leaders’ resource toolkit |
Fall-Winter 2024-25 |
September 2024 |
February 2025 |
|
3. Create Leaders’ resource toolkit including the development of two trainer handbooks on 1) creating an operating agreement and 2) creating a farmland lease, and compile resources on employment law, insurance, and food safety into handouts |
Fall-Winter 2024-25 |
September 2024 |
February 2025 |
|
4. Design the support structure for the Farm Law Leadership Fellowship as they access training materials, the resource toolkit, and presentations for adaptation and review in Thinkific online education platform |
Fall-Winter 2024-2025 |
September 2024 |
February 2025 |
|
5. Open Farm Law Leadership application |
Spring 2025 |
March 2025 |
March 2025 |
|
6. Select up to 8 leaders from the applicant pool |
Spring 2025 |
April 2025 |
April 2025 |
|
7. Carry out the Farm Law Leadership Fellowship program with the selected cohort |
Summer-Fall 2025 |
June 2025 |
August 2025 |
|
8. Support Leadership cohort members in securing and preparing for workshop opportunities |
Fall-Winter 2025-26 |
September 2025 |
February 2026 |
|
9. Follow up with Leadership cohort members about their experiences; refine program training and support. |
Spring 2026 |
February 2026 |
March 2026 |
|
10. Complete program evaluation and reporting |
Spring 2026 |
March 2026 |
March 2026 |
Cooperators
- (Educator)
- - Producer
- (Educator)
- - Producer
Education
Through a 6-session Legal Ecosystem Fellowship program in Fall 2024, farm professionals learn to adapt template farm law presentations presentations (with slides and scripts) create interactivity, discuss common questions and response techniques for farm audiences in their community. The Fellowship program also builds Fellow confidence and tackles fears and worries that come with presenting legal information. Together, we sharpen Fellow ability and perspective on farm law subjects. Our staff continues to help each Fellow as they create and deliver presentations-we provide editorial review and technical support throughout the year.
A second fellowship is held in Fall 2025 with expanded curricular materials. These fellows will also receive workbooks designed to help them guide producers through 1) drafting an operating agreement and 2) drafting a lease agreement. Wee will teach the Fellows how to use these workbooks to provide follow up support to workshop attendees, as well as in stand-alone service to producers.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
To train 6 agricultural professionals in delivering 5 different farm law presentations to their communities.
We started this initiative in October 2024 and completed it by December 2024. In January 2025 and beyond, we continue to support our Fellows with one-on-one consultations regarding their presentations.
Described in our grant application as the Farm Law Leadership Fellowship (and renamed to the Legal Ecosystem Fellowship) is a train-the-trainer program for Extension educators, farm education nonprofit staff, farm business service providers, and post-secondary instructors to lead farm law workshops locally. The training curriculum emphasizes risk-reducing action steps and accurate, clear legal explanations. The program also trains Fellows to use peer-to-peer training techniques and incorporate local producers in their presentations. This program creates a next-step leadership process for agriculture professionals who have been through our 2018 Western SARE PD-funded Guiding Resilience program (a15-hour training in the basics of farm law for professionals).
Fellows who graduate from the training program receive curriculum and one-on-one ongoing support to continue delivery of farm law presentations in their communities.
Fellows will be confident in delivering up to 5 educational presentations/workshops that help producers take one of 10 specific, risk-reducing action steps, especially for direct to consumer operations including CSAs, U-picks, those selling at farmers' markets or doing other direct marketing, without overstepping any bounds of their position as non-attorneys or creating additional risk for producers.
Fellows have the capacity to adapt excellent presentations that are accurate, motivate farmer to undertake 1 or 2 specific risk-reducing actions, leverage farmer-to-farmer learning and create peer engagement around legal issues, while being mindful of the needs of disadvantaged/ underrepresented community members.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Farm Law Leadership Fellowship participants will:
- Be confident in delivering up to 5 educational presentations/workshops that help producers take one of 10 specific, risk-reducing action steps, especially for direct to consumer operations including CSAs, U-picks, those selling at farmers' markets or doing other direct marketing, without overstepping any bounds of their position as non-attorneys or creating additional risk for producers.
- Have the capacity to adapt excellent presentations that are accurate, motivate farmer to undertake 1 or 2 specific risk-reducing actions, leverage farmer-to-farmer learning and create peer engagement around legal issues, while being mindful of the needs of disadvantaged/ underrepresented community members.
- Improve their capacity to provide follow-up support post-workshop to attendees through the use of trainer handbooks on drafting an operating agreement and creating a written farmland lease, as well as handouts on key risk management strategies for employment law, food safety liability, and insurance.
Project Participants Will Use Their Learning To:
- Host 8 different educational workshops throughout the Western region that empower 240 producers take one of 10 specific risk reducing action steps.
The 240 producers attending the workshops provided will:
- Increase their knowledge of the subject matter,
- Form an intention to adopt the specific risk-reducing action step presented, and
- Express confidence in their ability to undertake the action in the near term.
As this program is repeated and sustained in future years to expand to additional regions, the program will train more and more educators. As they host these workshops in their communities, the community of sustainable agriculture will be able to:
- Avoid legal vulnerabilities through proactive action
- Create legally stronger, more resilient business models for future producers to emulate
- Be more profitable as a result
As of the beginning of 2025, we are making strong progress on our objectives above! We have already trained 6 fellows in delivering 5 educational presentations/workshops that help producers take specific risk-reducing action steps. These fellows have the capacity to adapt excellent presentations that are accurate and motivate farmers to take action steps.
We will be hosting another training session in Fall 2025 to train the remaining fellows. At that time, we will also be releasing our trainer handbooks on how to help farmers draft operating agreements and written leases, as well as supporting farmers with key risk management strategies for employment law, food safety liability, and insurance.
We don't have any yet but will update as the project progresses.
None yet, but we will update this section as the project moves forward.