Trainer education and capacity-building to support emerging farmers’ adoption of soil health practices

Commodities

Practices

• Crop Production: application rate management, cover crops, fertilizers, nutrient management, organic fertilizers
• Education and Training: decision support system, demonstration, extension, farmer to farmer, networking, technical assistance, workshop
• Production Systems: agroecosystems, organic agriculture
• Soil Management: composting, green manures, nutrient mineralization, organic matter, soil analysis, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: community development, local and regional food systems, partnerships

Immigrant and other emerging farmers constitute a vibrant and
growing sector of Minnesota’s local food systems, producing
vegetables on small to medium scale farms and generally using
organic practices. An active network of nonprofit organizations
works to serve these farmers, who face barriers to accessing
traditional programs of technical support and agricultural
extension. Farmers and organization personnel have identified
soil health and fertility management as areas where education and
hands-on training are needed to support the long-term goal of
enabling emerging farmers to independently carry out
research-supported soil health practices on their farms. This
project, led by an established partnership between the University
of Minnesota and the Food Group MN’s Big River Farms, will work
to build capacity for these organizations to extend soil health
knowledge and planning tools to emerging farmers. We will 1)
provide in-depth training, consulting, and network building for
organization staff and technical assistance providers through
workshops, field days, and virtual meetings on soil health topics
identified as knowledge gaps; 2) support collaborating incubator
farm organizations to implement 1:1 farmer assistance for soil
health planning; and 3) develop soil health education materials,
decision tools, and information sharing resources tailored to
emerging farmers producing diversified vegetable crops at small
scales using organic practices. Outcomes from this project will
include adoption of soil health practices such as cover cropping
and soil test-based nutrient application by emerging farmers, and
publicly available tools to facilitate technical assistance,
curriculum development, and peer-to-peer information sharing.

Soil health planning template and introductory
workshop. We will revise the presentation, handout, and
resource materials developed for our 2024 pilot workshop, and
deliver a one-day workshop attended by 25 staff and TAs serving
emerging farmers, including representatives of at least 4
organizations who did not have attendees at the previous pilot
workshop. We will provide the soil health planning template and
instruction for using it. All participants will receive a binder
of reference and resource materials and copies of the
presentation slides.

In-depth curriculum on key soil health
practices: We will develop and deliver curriculum
(including presentations, hands-on demonstrations, in-field
activities, and reference materials) on three priority topics
that technical assistance providers have identified as areas of
need (identifying plant problems and causes, applying inputs
based on soil tests, and using cover crops). Out of the 50
total organization personnel who will have attended the 2024 and
2025 introductory workshops, a target of  80% will
participate in ongoing training, with at least 30 attending each
of the workshop and field day events.

Consulting assistance for TA personnel: Through
monthly Zoom meetings, we will offer personalized assistance to
participants in the soil health train-the-trainer program, with a
target of 15 cohort members attending each Zoom session.
Consulting sessions will allow TA providers to draw on the
scientific and practical knowledge of Extension providers and
experienced colleagues, filling gaps in their knowledge as they
arise during their work to support farmers. The questions asked
during the consulting sessions will also highlight topics for
future curriculum development and educational programming, and
may spotlight areas where new research is needed to better
understand small-scale farming practices and their outcomes.

Hands-on farmer training: At least 24 emerging
farmers producing crops on incubator farms will receive 1:1
assistance with developing and carrying out a soil health plan.
Additionally, we will facilitate three field days for emerging
farmers, hosted by partner organizations and co-led by
participants in the staff/TA training cohort. At least 35 farmers
will participate in each field day.

Organizational network: Through the planned
educational sessions, staff/TA cohort members will have the
opportunity to regularly meet and share their knowledge and
experiences working with emerging farmers. This will build ties
among their respective organizations, leading to new and
strengthened partnerships for farmer support. Additionally, our
ongoing relationship with cohort members will help orient the UMN
team to the full range of programming provided by emerging farmer
support organizations, highlighting opportunities for future
collaboration.

Shared information resources: In addition to
reference materials developed for trainer workshops, this project
will develop three resources that will contribute to ongoing farm
success and professional development for farmers and trainers: 1)
an online tool for automated calculation of recommended
applications of organic nutrient inputs; 2) photos illustrating
key plant and soil issues in vegetable crops, available for use
in educational materials; and 3) a simple platform for
peer-to-peer sharing of sourcing information for organic inputs
at small to medium farm scales.