Protecting the Great Lakes Through a Farm Navigator Network

Commodities

Practices

• Education and Training: decision support system, demonstration, farmer to farmer, mentoring, networking, participatory research, technical assistance, workshop
• Farm Business Management: agricultural finance, business planning, financial management, land access
• Natural Resources/Environment: drift/runoff buffers, soil stabilization
• Sustainable Communities: community development, community services

The two-year project Protecting the Great Lakes Through a Farm Navigator Network will deliver a train-the-trainer program and connect 12 service providers in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio to support farmland transfer and access while advancing adoption of conservation practices, protecting ecological health while sustaining a viable farm economy.  These service providers will advance knowledge and develop core skills to be able to coach and support farmers and landowners as a Navigator. Not only will the activities focus on training, but they will also seek to catalyze the Navigators to grow and sustain their organizational investment by expanding connections and building a peer-learning community.

Products to be developed

The routine products that will be developed through this project include a total of four in-person meetings, a series of 10 virtual trainings and networking sessions, and supplementary state-based virtual meetings. Training content adapted or created for these trainings along with supplemental materials will be available to the Navigators through a password protected community platform. Where relevant, AFT will also update and add complementary material to the existing curricula used for this project and available publicly on the Farmland Information Center, a free clearinghouse of information on research and materials supporting agricultural land conservation, access, transfer and practices.

Priority Participants: Great Lakes Farm Navigators

Ultimately, the training components of this project will establish a strong foundation for continued network development and scale up beyond the life of the grant. By working closely with Navigators during in-person annual trainings and periodic virtual trainings, we will help them to clarify their personnel and organizational goals. We will also solidify the comprehensive skillsets needed by Navigators to empower them to advance their continued investment and encourage them to rcruit of future Navigators and build the capacity of partner organizations. In-person trainings will feature group break-out sessions based on regional locations to not only address specific regional concerns and challenges but also encourage networking amongst peers who will be future leaders and trainers in their state’s Navigator networks.