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

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

Summary

2014 was ‘the year of the workshop’ for the grant implementation team. Regional delivery of the “Food Entrepreneurship: A New Way of Thinking about Local Food and Jobs” workshops proved to be very popular and we conducted an additional three workshops during the year for a total of five to-date and have requests for the additional delivery of workshops in 2015.

We continue to work on the guide sheets although there are institutional parameters that have proved to be a challenge in getting these documents produced. We have hired a graduate student to help with editing the documents and assist in getting the peer reviews of the documents completed. The website has been developed but continues to await the needed internal approval to “go live.”

Follow-up surveys to attendees at our earlier workshops were conducted and results of those surveys as well as workshop evaluates are provided.

With some funding remaining and workshop requests continuing, as well as work on the guide sheets and website, we requested and received a 1 year extension on this grant. Our ending date is now December 31, 2015.

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Objectives/Performance Targets

One of the key objectives of our original proposal had been to hold a statewide conference focused on local foods entrepreneurship. After discussions with partners and stakeholders we determined that regional workshops were more desirable. Since the beginning of the grant we have presented five “Food Entrepreneurship: A New Way of Thinking about Local Food and Jobs” workshops (two workshops in 2013 and three workshops in 2014) and are considering holding additional workshops in 2015.

• Local producers, growers and economic developers learn about the impact of local food system on the economy
• Dr. Mary Hendrickson defines “local food systems” during a regional workshop

Accomplishments/Milestones

Based on input from our target audience and Extension educators, we shifted from the originally proposed multi-day single statewide conference to a series of regional workshops. Partnering with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (for the first three workshops) and with USDA-Rural Development Missouri, we constructed an agenda that focused on utilizing local food production and processing and marketing as an opportunity for job and business creation. To date, we have presented five workshops, titled “Food Entrepreneurship: A New Way of Thinking about Local Food and Jobs,” and have interest in presenting one or two more during 2015.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Jefferson County (12 December 2014):

• 45 attendees (9 Extension Educators)
• Overall rating 4.7 on 5pt scale
• Change in skills, knowledge and understanding before/after workshop on 5 pt scale:
  • Entrepreneurship Potential 3.0/4.1
  • How local foods stimulate economic development 3.2/4.1
  • Food Hubs 2.6/4.1
  • Incubators and Kitchens (shared, commercial, etc.) 2.3/3.9

Nevada (19 September 2014):

• 25 attendees (3 Extension Educators)
• Overall rating 4.7 on 5pt scale
• Change in skills, knowledge and understanding before/after workshop on 5 pt scale:
  • Entrepreneurship Potential 3.1/4.2
  • How local foods stimulate economic development 3.1/4.3
  • Food Hubs 2.6/4.3
  • Incubators and Kitchens (shared, commercial, etc.) 2.8/4.1

Lebanon (14 April 2014):

• 37 attendees (12 Extension Educators)
• Overall rating 4.2 on 5pt scale
• Change in skills, knowledge and understanding before/after workshop on 5 pt scale:
  • Entrepreneurship Potential 2.6/4.1
  • How local foods stimulate economic development 2.9/4.0
  • Food Hubs 2.1/3.6
  • Incubators and Kitchens (shared, commercial, etc.) 1.9/3.2

Macon (December 12, 2013):

• 44 attendees (16 Extension Educators)
• Overall rating 4.3 on 5pt scale
• Change in skills, knowledge and understanding before/after workshop on 5 pt scale:
  • Entrepreneurship Potential 3.0/3.84
  • How local foods stimulate economic development 3.0/3.81
  • Food Hubs 2.4/3.81
  • Incubators and Kitchens (shared, commercial, etc.) 2.2/3.75

Cape Girardeau (November 14, 2013):

• 35 attendees (3 Extension Educators)
• Overall rating 4.2 on 5pt scale
• Change in skills, knowledge and understanding before/after workshop on 5 pt scale:
  • Entrepreneurship Potential 3.1/4.0
  • How local foods stimulate economic development 3.5/4.1
  • Food Hubs 2.5/3.8
  • Incubators and Kitchens (shared, commercial, etc.) 2.2/3.9

Each workshop agenda included presentations on local food systems; a definition of and discussion about the appropriate role for incubator kitchens, shared-use kitchens, commercial kitchens in developing and supporting the local food system; presentations from local growers/producers on their operations, challenges and successes; presentation by local Extension Educators on programming and outreach in the region; and, a World Café session that asked participants to discuss steps that need to be taken in the region to foster the further development of a localized food system.   Each workshop developed extensive lists of ideas which were shared with the Extension faculty from the region for programming and support.

The Cape Girardeau workshop included attendees from Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and they will be looking at holding a regional multi-state conference focused on local foods.

A similar idea surfaced at the Macon workshop and it was decided to present the idea to the Tri-State Summit (an existing multi-state regional groups that includes 35 counties in NW Missouri, SE Iowa and Western Illinois) about co-sponsoring a workshop.

Outcomes to date:

• Five regional workshops held (186 attendees with 43 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)
• 94.5% of attendees indicated that they would recommend the workshop to others
• 75.8% said that the workshop fully met or exceeded their expectations

We continue to send out a six-month follow-up survey to participants following a workshop to determine impact and use of information. We will begin sending the 12-month survey to participants in late February, 2015.

• 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%

Outcomes from the workshops include:

• As a result of the Macon workshop, Truman State University and the Kirksville (MO) Regional Economic Development office have contacted a member of the team about assistance in development and coordination of a more in-depth educational program to assist food vendors (farmers market and food trucks) in understanding the opportunities that could come from using a shared-use facility for processing and retail preparation of food.
• The Cape Girardeau workshop saw the most outcomes. One of the significant outcomes was Bootheel Local Foods Project (note: “Bootheel” refers to the extreme southeastern portion of Missouri), led by Van Ayers, University of Missouri Extension. Mr. Ayers was one of the Extension Educators that attended the Cape Girardeau workshop.   Among the Project’s accomplishments:
• The Bootheel Local Foods project was completed in December 2014. Within the project over 500 people attending meetings, in which information was distributed related to the development of local foods systems in the Bootheel. 
• Steve McKaskle and McKaskle Family Farms, Pemiscot County, constructed 44 kW photovoltaic systems; and a 3 ton per hour rice mill. This facility is processing organic rice, sold to numerous stores, groceries and restaurants throughout the United States. Assistance was given to the McKaskle family in the development of this enterprise, including assistance with grant applications, feasibility study and business plan. McKaskle Farms received a grant from USDA-Rural Development in 2014. Congressman Jason Smith, 8^th Missouri Congressional District, visited the McKaskle Farm in August 2014 as part of his farm tour.
• Steve Hamra, Hamra Farms, now Amanzi Farms, completed a business plan for his hydroponic greenhouse enterprise, with a grant funded in early 2014. An additional grant to Missouri Department of Agriculture for a local foods enterprise was written, submitted and funded.  Plans are for Amanzi Farms to develop a new facility in the Sikeston, MO industrial park.
• Heckemeyer Farms and Matt Heckemeyer began the second year of processing sweet sorghum.  Dr. Gillian Eggleston, USDA- Agricutlural Research Service, New Orleans, LA; conducted research at the processing facility during the 2014. Data was collected, and analyzed, and a new process was developed for settling starch from recently crushed sweet sorghum. This project may be the precursor to larger efforts to develop the sweet sorghum industry.

Collaborators: