Increasing Farm Profitability through Value Added Training and Certification

Increasing Farm Profitability through Value Added Training and Certification

Summary

Thirty-five people attended the Value Added Institute (VAI) courses sponsored by the NY Small Scale Food Processors’ Assn. in the three Adirondack sites: Watertown, Malone and Ballston Spa. Two people took courses in two of the sites. Twelve people are currently farmers (7 marketing meat), 3 are aspiring farmers, 5 work for Cornell Cooperative Extension or Small Business Development Centers, and the rest are a mix of at-home processors, those offering courses in food hubs, and those searching for their place in the local food system. Evaluations at the end of each course were totally positive with a few saying they want to take more VAI courses. At this point two farmers have expressed a need for mentoring. Twenty-one phone interviews were conducted in November, 2012, one year after the Adirondack courses. We were pleased that all reported gains from the courses and several included some measurement of profitability in the first year even if their actual accounting hadn’t been completed.

Objectives/Performance Targets

•To offer courses to farmers in the Adirondack North Country which would lead to adding value to farmers produce and animal sales
•To reach out to other small scale processors offering added skills and resources to help their businesses
•To reach Extension agents and other agencies in the Adirondacks with information that might better help those wanting to process and market produce and meat.
•To offer mentoring after the courses, where requested.
•To ultimately demonstrate added profitability for farmers and others in the N. Country

Accomplishments/Milestones

•Twenty-one phone interviews were conducted in November, 2012, one year after the Adirondack courses.
•Efforts were made to hold a two day VAI in Central NY, but it has been rescheduled for early in 2013.
•Resource organizations in the Adirondacks have sent mini-descriptions of their offerings and that list has now been emailed to all past participants in the VAI.
•Catalogues for the upcoming NOFA-NY conference, at which our VAI instructors are giving courses, have been sent to all of the VAI participants.
•As part of the organizing for the next workshop session in Central NY, we reached out to Cornell Cooperative Extension in both Queens and Canajoharie who kindly have offered to let us use their Polycom facility to allow Kathrine Gregory to participate in the “Processing of Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs” workshop long distance. She offers many resources especially in setting up and running an incubator kitchen teaching “newbies” to process local foods. This now allows much more flexibility in our instruction

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

•One farmer and one non-farmer succeeded in establishing 20-C commercial kitchens. The farmer, previously marketing mostly meat, now has added processed vegetables and baked goods. The non-farmer established a kitchen in a Grange Hall and is already hosting two processors and teaching monthly courses. Because of the course in Freezing and Vacuum Packaging, she will soon buy a flash freezer and vacuum packager to offer another processing option.
•Two meat farmers have added value from that course by adding “test” marketing, expanding to farmers markets and adding more animals at a better price.
•Three farmers gained marketing experience and have built profitable relationships with a local co-op. One made the decision to stop selling at festivals and has done much better with a farmstand.
•One meat farmer will continue focusing on meat marketing, but has teamed up with a co-packer to add value, making jam, pickles and salad dressing from her farm produce.
•Four attendees working with Small Business Development Centers and Extension have now gained special information to serve current and future meat farmers, have learned better what the Food Venture Center has to offer for beginning processors from the course there, and one, a gardening specialist, will now begin teaching canning. They all agreed the information gained can now easily be shared.
•Though the interviews took place before final annual accounting, six attendees expressed that they were sure they had become more profitable in this past year. One said “I used 5 sales books instead of 3”. Another said with the added animals and pricing, she estimated 50% more profit. Another didn’t add more product but felt the courses at least increased his profit by 10% this year. Another adding jam also estimates profits increased by 10%. Others didn’t estimate percent but feel they increased profit.
•We have had very favorable response to our offerings and now others in the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES) have offered to help instruct in any way.
•We have had interest in holding the VAI in the NYC Region with an offer to hold it in “Mi Kitchen Es Su Kitchen”, a commercial incubator run by Kathrine Gregory, a NYSSFPA member and consultant in forming commercial kitchen incubators. She has all the resources needed to teach new processors.
•As in the past, some of our instructors will be teaching an all-day intensive workshop on Processing Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs at the Annual Northeast Organic Farming Assn. of NY conference in late January, 2013. Another workshop led by our members will be called “Marketing Stories – What Worked and What Didn’t!”, and a third will focus on additional value added from all the energy efficiency added to their facility.
•Several of the VAI participants have taken out memberships in the NYSSFPA.
•We have built valuable partnerships such as the Adirondack Harvest, Adirondack Economic Development group, North Country Growers Cooperative and the Sustainable Living project. Two of the staff of the SL project took our courses and have increased their offerings of courses to their constituents.
•We have been invited to participate in the Central NY group working to add value to farmers’ products but within a larger project of building food enterprises and distribution channels.

Clearly, as a result of this SARE grant, the Value Added Institute work has become the “centerpiece” of the NYSSFPA’s agenda along with advocacy on issues of liability insurance and licensing fees.

Collaborators: