Fostering Local Foods-Based Economic Development Strategies: Developing New Resources and Networks

View the project final report

• 2012 annual report
• 2013 annual report
• 2014 annual report
• 2015 annual report

Commodities

Practices

• Crop Production: food product quality/safety
• Education and Training: extension, technical assistance
• Farm Business Management: new enterprise development, value added
• Sustainable Communities: infrastructure analysis, local and regional food systems, new business opportunities

Over the four years of the grant (2012-2015) we reached 262 individuals (205 community leaders and economic developers and 57 Extension educators) through regional workshops.  Participants gave the workshop an overall rating of 4.34 (on a 5pt scale) and learning increased by 1.35 points (from an understanding and knowledge self-rating of 2.58 before to 3.93 after attending the workshop).  79% said that the workshop fully met or exceeded their expectations and 95% of attendees said they would recommend the workshop to others. 

We sent out a six-month follow-up survey to participants following a workshop to determine impact and use of information.  

• Six-month survey highlight include:

• What where the most valuable aspects of the workshop?

• Learning about community food processing facilities (58%)

• Networking with other attendees (53%)

• Hearing from local growers and producers about their experience in starting and operating their business (58%)

• Introductory session on local food systems (42%)

• How have you or will you use the information and connections from the workshop to foster local foods in your area?

• Shared information from the workshop with other growers and producers (61%)

• Planning additional local foods workshops, meeting or conferences (42%)

• Fostering start up or expansion of food related businesses (31%)

• Offering programs for businesses, growers and producers (marketing, business planning, liability, production issues, etc.) 31%

Our SARE team partnered with a team of Extension and campus faculty to develop a website focused on meeting the information needs of farmers and producers, consumers and communities. http://extension.missouri.edu/foodsystems/home.aspx

• Seven regional workshops held (262 attendees with 57 Extension educators). Our grant proposal indicated that we would reach 125 participants through the statewide conference.

• We also targeted 75% of participants would indicate and “increase in their awareness of concepts, benefits and challenges” related to food-based economic development strategies.   To date, our evaluations indicate the following change in knowledge and understanding:

• Overall Program Rating: 4.4 on 5pt scale (1=Poor, 5=Great)

• 95% of attendees indicated that they would recommend the workshop to others

• 79% said that the workshop fully met or exceeded their expectations