Wisdom in the Land

Wisdom in the Land

Summary

Ohio launched its first mentor-based development program (15 months) for new and transitioning farmers, assigning a mentor, delivering educational events, and providing resources. Start up (7 mos.) focused on Advisory Council development, mentor recruitment, participant farmer outreach and selection, one-day training and program design.

Mentor recruitment required personal invitations. Farmer outreach, extensive and utilizing various tools, was compressed as revised (Sep 15 and Dec 15 deadlines). Enrollment met expectations only for Group 1. Training on mentoring relationships and holistic management were appropriate topics. Surveys (pre-and post-Session) and facilitated discussion accomplished a customized program design, planned for delivery in 2007.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Performance Targets

1. Establish a Leadership Council to assist with design, outreach, and accountability, whose members especially assist with mentor recruitment (Jun06).

2. Design a comprehensive evaluation plan that incorporates methods applied in mentoring programs of other States.

3. Recruit, select, and train 25-40 mentors, representative of different ethnic groups (begin Jul06 – at least 20 by Sep06).

4. Recruit and select 40 mentees (20 to start Nov06 and 20 to start Feb07).

5. Deliver two 15-month programs, including Orientation, 6 group sessions, individual mentoring sessions, and other individual professional development opportunities.

6. Collaboratively deliver six one-day experiential workshops within the growing seasons (July – October 07).

7. Write, publish, and distribute profiles of mentor/mentee relationships (by SEP08)
Define a program model worthy of replication in other Ohio regions.

Success Criteria

1. Program participants expand their knowledge of and skill to perform sustainable and regenerative farming practices, and to use appropriate technical and business tools.

2. Program participants have a renewed and realistic commitment to farming as a profession.

3. Program participants gain information and knowledge about resources available to support their continued development.

4. Farmers and education service providers increase their capacity to meet the development needs of beginning and transitioning farmers.

Accomplishments/Milestones

1. Establish a Leadership Council to assist with design, outreach, and accountability, whose members especially assist with mentor recruitment (Jun06).

Eight representatives of farmer educators, state and regional agricultural organizations, and regional economic development organizations were successfully recruited. Members represent Ohio Department of Agriculture, Division of Markets; Ohio Farmers Union, Family Farm Center; Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association; USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS); Ohio Farm Bureau, Policy Development; Ohio State University, Community Development and Sustainable Ag Team; Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, City Planning; Ohio State University, Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center (OARDC).

Council serves as an Advisory Council to the program. Members met in July 2006 to provide advice on program design, mentor training, Council membership, and mentor recruitment and participant outreach. Members met in September 2006 to provide advice on mentor recruitment, opening session design and location, program evaluation, participant outreach for second program, Council membership. Members consulted via telephone and email with Project Coordinator in December 2006 to provide advice on program design.

2. Design a comprehensive evaluation plan that incorporates methods applied in mentoring programs of other States.

After a review of evaluation plans documented in the approved Project Plan the Advisory Council recommended the following evaluation plan.

Participant-focused Evaluation
Slots filled
Participant diversity (gender and racial/cultural)
Increased knowledge of with business planning
Increased confidence in competence to do business planning
Increased knowledge of marketing planning
Increased confidence in competence to do marketing planning
Changes resulting from integrating sustainable ag production techniques
At program end, have an operational plan or definite progress toward the future
Increased sense of community
New relationships likely to be sustained
Positive attitude toward future in farming
Entry into or strategy to enter new local markets

Program Effectiveness Evaluation
Appropriate schedule
Appropriate diversity of subjects
Science-based research incorporated into whole farm systems

Evaluation Tools
Written surveys (applications, profiles, evaluations)
Personal interviews
Mentor reports
Participant reports

3. Recruit, select, and train 25-40 mentors, representative of different ethnic groups (begin Jul06 – at least 20 by Sep06).

General recruitment efforts began in July 2006 and two applications were received through this process.

Targeted recruitment efforts, customized to the specific development requirements of accepted participants began in September 2006 (application deadline was September 15, 2006) and continued through December 2006.

Fourteen mentors were successfully recruited and 12 were selected. Initial training occurred at the program’s Opening Session (November 21, 2006). In four cases, spouses and partners of the primary mentor agreed to be involved in the mentoring relationship, two of whom attended the Opening Session.

Additional training needs were identified through a self-assessment on the mentor profile and recommendations from the Advisory Council and to be addressed in 2007 through a various development tools.

4. Recruit and select 40 mentees (20 to start Nov06 and 20 to start Feb07).

Recruitment began in July 2006 with a deadline of September 15, 2006 for a November 2006 start and a deadline of December 15, 2006 for a February 2006 start.

Operators of 13 farms were selected to start in November 2006, anticipating that 19 people would participate (as some spouses and partners would participate as much as possible). Accepted participants represent six of 13 targeted counties and one non-targeted county (however, applicant had intention to relocate into a targeted county).

Two operators withdrew for personal and family reasons prior to the November Opening Session, reducing the number of anticipated participants to 16.

One applicant was not accepted (farm owner seeking a farm manager/partner).

By December 15, 2006 operators of 4 farms were selected to start in February 2007. One applicant was not accepted (self-proclaimed hobby farmer). Applications continued to be accepted.

5. Deliver two 15-month programs, including Orientation, 6 group sessions, individual mentoring sessions, and other individual professional development opportunities.

In 2006 only the Opening Session of the first of two programs was planned and did occur on November 21 (10 am – 4pm). It was attended by 14 participant farmers; 9 assigned mentors; four guests: a mentor, a daughter of a mentor, a friend of a participant farmer, and an Advisory Council member; two presenters and two staff. One assigned mentor was unable to attend. Two other mentors had not yet been recruited.

Content focus was on relationship building, reflection, and planning. This included introductions of participants, mentors, presenters, facilitator, staff, and two guests including an Advisory Council member; presentation on Introduction to Holistic Goals, Decision Making, Testing, and Planning Procedures; Training on developmental role of the mentor and setting expectations for the mentoring relationship; facilitated group decision making on priorities for group learning through seminars and workshops; overview of resources and support for independent and group learning; and verbal evaluation and recommendations for improvement.

Fourteen participants, with guidance from 10 attending mentors and one guest, preliminarily decided that, in addition to the mentoring relationship and independent learning, their program would comprise 2-4 seminars (to gain knowledge and understanding) and 8-10 experiential workshops (to gain skills). The Project Coordinator was to survey participants during December 2006 to get additional guidance for use in 2007 program planning and design.

The preliminary decisions are reported below.

Definite Seminars
Organic insect and weed control methods and processes.
The Political Environment of Agriculture and Regulations Affecting My Farm

Possible Other Seminar
Selling My Product
Improving (building) and Maintaining High-quality Soils

Additional seminar topics proposed but not selected for group learning
Practical advice to benefit from farm workers
Grant writing for farmers
Developing a farm calendar
Fruit growing
Farming with wild things
Liability insurance
Certification

Definite Experiential Workshop
Improving (building) and Maintaining High-quality Soils

To-be-selected Other Experiential Workshops (up to eight)
Balancing time use
Bookkeeping and record keeping
Chicken production
Composting (including compost tea)
Greenhouse (high tunnel)
Irrigation
Livestock management
On-farm marketing of produce
Pest control
Post-harvest product handling
Troubleshooting mechanical things
Additional workshop topics proposed but not selected for group learning
Commercial kitchen
Marketing meat
Pruning
Rotational grazing

Four participant farmers visited the farms of three mentors during December 2006

6. Collaboratively deliver six one-day experiential workshops within the growing seasons (July – October 07).

Topic selection being finalized through participant surveys conducted during December 2006.

7. Write, publish, and distribute profiles of mentor/mentee relationships (by SEP08)
Future activity – no report.

8. Define a program model worthy of replication in other Ohio regions.
The results of the verbal evaluation of the November 2006 Opening Session were documented and will impact the second Opening Session and the final program model recommendations.

Participant farmer evaluations of the Opening Session are reported below.

Given the objectives, what worked well today to help us meet those objectives?

Participatory exercises
1-to-1 time, including during lunch
Structure of the day

Recommendations about what to do next time instead of what was done today.

Holistic farm management presentation offers a good structure but people need more time to assimilate so much information. Pre-reading might be offered.
Provide a reading list for follow-up to overview of holistic farm management.
Allow more 1-to-1 time between mentor and mentee.

Recommendations about what to do better next time:

Either present more on holistic farm management, allocating more time, or present less, providing a more in-depth presentation on some aspect of the approach.
Describe the scope of Wisdom in the Land, perhaps through an itinerary of the program.
Emphasize that the results of the pre-session surveys will become the foundation for group course design.
Provide more information about mentees to mentors.
Prior to the session, provide email and phone number contact information (participants and mentors).
Stress the role of financial viability – marketing, a required financial return – as central to sustainability.

Success Criteria

1. Program participants expand their knowledge of and skill to perform sustainable and regenerative farming practices, and to use appropriate technical and business tools.
To be reported at program end

2. Program participants have a renewed and realistic commitment to farming as a profession.
To be reported at program end

3. Program participants gain information and knowledge about resources available to support their continued development.
To be reported at program end

4. Farmers and education service providers increase their capacity to meet the development needs of beginning and transitioning farmers.
To be reported at program end

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

To be reported at program end, however, essential information is being gathered to measures outcomes and communicate impacts and contributions, as follows.

The product lines and number of acres farmers by participant farmers of the November 2006 Opening Session are reported below.

Market garden
3A intensive vegetable
5A rotational pasture, 50A hay, 50A mature forest
CSA

Grass fed cattle
Owns 50A.
Niche markets

Raspberries (U-pick/Produce/herbs)
2.5A farmed.
CSA ; Educational farm

2A market garden and poultry
~40 acres pasture for Miniature Hereford;
Pasture and woodland
Exploring flowers, produce, goats.

Heirloom and cherry tomatoes
Farms 5A
Strawberries, blueberry and asparagus production.

Poultry and herbs
Berkshire/Tamworth pigs
11A

Lambs (wool production)
56A (not all farmed)

Vegetable and fruit farming
(starting an orchard)
80A owned

Grass-fed beef
Organic crops (grain, hay)
158A certified organic

Additionally, information gathered through pre-participation documents which will be contrasted with information gathered upon completion is reported below.

Descriptive Data
Acreage farmed, owned and leased
# of others with whom farming
Annual ag sales level
# years farming experience
# years farm owned
Degree of engagement in farming
Degree of significance of farm income to household income
Age group
Sex
Race/ethnicity self description

Most important successes and satisfactions of farming experiences during past 5 years
Desired changes in farm or farming practices to become profitable and sustainable
Development priorities (knowledge, skills)
Development practices and resources used
Mentor preferences

Self-assessment of knowledge, practice and confidence
Farm business planning
Farm operational planning
Science-based research

Farming and business skills (52 specific)

Prior experience and Degree of satisfaction
Direct marketing practices (9 specific)
Intermediary marking practices (4 specific)
Value-add practices (7 specific)

Prior experience
Current distribution region
Marketing strategies (34 specific)

Adopted production practices
To enhance environment quality and natural resources
To make efficient use of nonrenewable and on-farm resources
To integrate natural biological cycles and controls

Community involvement
Group/organization memberships for purpose of developing as a farmer/producer
Contact with specific persons and organizations

Thoughts and attitudes
Future of Ohio agriculture
Future as a farmer

Collaborators: