Increasing Farm Profitability through Value Added Training and Certification

Increasing Farm Profitability through Value Added Training and Certification

Summary

A six person Working Committee made up of the New York Small Scale Food Processors’ Assn. (NYSSFPA), and partners from Adirondack Harvest and the Northern NY Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations met in person and via conference call to plan the locations and dates to carry out our Value Added Institute courses. We also planned ways to communicate our pre- registration questionnaire which would determine sites most accessible and courses most desired in each location of this large region. Phone calls were made, and received enthusiastically, to 25 farming, Small Business Development and other potential support groups to both electronically and in newsletters send out the registrations as well as become a supportive network after the courses were attended. Three courses were taught in each of three different Adirondack areas with nine instructors and a total of 34 attendees. The fourth course for certification with hands-on processing procedures was offered at the Food Venture Center of the NY Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva preceded by a tour of the new Agricultural Technology Farm offering incubator space to start-up food businesses. This was followed by a tour and graduation dinner for 15 students at the NY Wine and Culinary Center.

Objectives/Performance Targets

• Our long-range objective of adding profitability for farmers through value added processing will be determined in one and two year interviews. However, we did
  establish teaching sites in the Eastern, Central and Western parts of the large region
  deliver valued resources and information to 34 students who either were already farming wanting to add value to their products, or were prospective farmers looking for the right farming niche or others wanting resources to work with farmers.
  offer courses in: Profitability for Small Food Businesses, Processing the Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs from Harvest for Market, Small Scale Meat Processing and Marketing, Freezing and Vacuum Packaging of Local Harvest, Home-Based Food Business Start-up, Local and Sustainable Marketing, Acid and Acidified Foods, Models for Shared Use Kitchens. Two were offered twice due to demand in two locations
  establish a network of 25 organizations across the Adirondacks to both communicate the courses and agree to offer resource help following the courses

Accomplishments/Milestones

• Since the grant process was delayed this past year due to Congress, we started two months later than planned
  We contacted the instructors in April to tell them of the award. All were still available depending on final dates. A new NYSSFPA member who had taught start-up home-based businesses that do not require a 20-C license was added as an instructor at that point.
  We formed a Working Committee of six and met personally at the Adirondack Harvest office and then by conference call. The first meeting was in early May.

  For a determinant of needs of farmers already processing and those wanting to process we sent out a questionnaire in June electronically with questions varied for each category to approximately 500 and 10 by mail. These names came from the 5 county Northern Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations. We received 17 returns. Though not as many as hoped, they gave us a good feel of what courses might be offered in what geographic area.
  By July we had determined the three sites, two hosted by CCEs and one by Com Links, a NYS facility receiving gleaned produce and processing it. Dates in October through mid-November were established for classes and graduation.
  Phone calls were made to CCEs directors , the Small Business Development Centers, Farm Bureau, Farmers Direct Marketing, Grange, NOFA and others in July to personally ask for participation both in communicating registration information, and to become a supportive organization offering resources following the courses. All were very enthusiastic.
  In late July instructors were re-contacted and asked if they could make the dates determined. Other than one getting flu and another whose mother died, most were able to come or we were able to substitute at the last minute
  In August registration forms were prepared and sent out by the above organizations. Later in August a poster was printed and several sent to the supportive organizations for posting in their office and in community centers such as libraries.
  Though we had anticipated registration of 45 to a session, we had sufficient numbers ranging from 12-15 which in some cases allowed for more participatory discussion with instructors.
  Worked with host sites in September to be sure of needed equipment, snacks and lunch for the Friday session since we offered sessions Friday a.m., Friday pm. and Sat. a.m.
  Also in September we finalized evaluation forms for each class.
  Plans finalized in September for the trip to Geneva and Canandaigua
  Classes were held in Watertown October 7-8, Ballston Spa October 21-22, and Malone Nov. 3-4.
  Certificates were made and laminated in early Nov.
  Evaluations after each class were filled out and in almost every instance were extremely positive.
  Three people registered to come to Geneva on November 17 cancelled at the last minute, but 15 came and were very enthusiastic. There was a real sense of community at our graduation dinner.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

We have had incredibly favorable response from those taking the classes, despite the numbers being low. At each session there were one or two from supportive organizations such as Essex and Saratoga County Cooperative Extension and Jefferson Community College Small Business Development, Their evaluations were equally encouraging. We have yet to have a follow-up meeting with these supportive organizations. However, we have begun a list of these organizations with not only their descriptions but the resources they have to help with follow up for students.

Three wonderful surprise outcomes were:
1. The director of the Montgomery County Economic Development and another staff person from that Central NY region attended the Ballston Spa session. They asked if we would bring the Value Added Institute to their city, Fultonville. They anticipated they would have 50 farmers attending. They have agreed to pay the stipends and mileage for the instructors. We are planning this session for March 1-2, so it will be included in our grant results.
2. As a member of the Education Committee for the Northeast Organic Farmers Assn. Annual Conference January 20-22, 2012 in Saratoga Springs, I was able to suggest three of our Value Added workshops which will be held there. We have told the attendees of the October-November workshops that were unable to take 4 classes for a certificate that they might make up the fourth for a certificate either by one offered in Saratoga or in March in Fultonville.
3. One of our students who couldn’t take all three classes in the Adirondacks asked for permission to volunteer at a farm doing value added work in her area as a make-up. The farmer who runs Singer Farms Natural was delighted, and it was a fulfilling experience for both!
As we approach our NY Small Scale Food Processing Annual Meeting during the NOFA conference at the end of January, thanks to USDA NE SARE, we have established a key education program area that can be tweaked for other regions. And we have built a wonderful partnership with the Adirondack Harvest and Northern Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations.

Collaborators: