The Farm Micro-Enterprise Development Program in the mid-Ohio Valley: Can extended season high tunnel production increase agricultural self-employment?

The Farm Micro-Enterprise Development Program in the mid-Ohio Valley: Can extended season high tunnel production increase agricultural self-employment?

Summary

Although local buying gained momentum in metropolitan areas across the country as early as 2005, local food in West Virginia is just blooming as a trend in eating and economics. Unlimited Future, Inc. a business incubator and resource center for small businesses; seeks to help farmers capitalize on this economic opportunity. With over one billion dollars in yearly food sales in the Mid-Ohio Valley, even a small percentage of dollars redirected to local farmers could make a significant impact. 

Unlimited Future, Inc. has created, in partnership with Coalfield Development Corporation, an on-the-job-training program for agricultural entrepreneurship called Refresh Appalachia. We have successfully leveraged a significant amount of federal and private foundation funding to launch this program, which now employs 12 low resource beginner farmers. These new farmers have been working in the high tunnel supported by this SARE Grant to produce a variety of winter greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes- over the course of one year. The Program Staff and Crews also grew GAP certified hard squash at a field site and sold it wholesale to a grocery chain.

The Farm Micro-Enterprise Development Program’s focus on hands on high tunnel production experience accompanied by a business management and marketing training has grown into a collaborative network of other new farmer training programs. These training programs want to promote the hands on skill based learning, rather than classroom focused curriculum. This collaborative is called the WV Farm Incubator Network. Together this network is working to create a statewide apprenticeship program, expand the business development training and services available to farmers, and create a set of lesson plans for each incubation or training program. The focus of the lesson plans are both production and entrepreneurial based, they will be presented in weekly topic sessions followed by hands-on applied learning. This program will start in mid-year 2017.  

Unlimited Future has learned a lot through the opportunity NE SARE provided to work with farmers on their business competitiveness and profitability. Our initial research questions about high tunnels and on farm income have contributed to the development of a training program and network of training programs. Unlimited Future has gained legitimacy as an organization able to serve the needs of local food and farming businesses. 

Objectives/Performance Targets

1. Complete seasonal data collection to show management practices, weather condition and market sales.

We have gathered information from the high tunnel about the yield and sales. Data about the weather was inconsistently collected and therefore was not useable in comparison study. Two established farmers grew in the high tunnel cooperatively over the 2014-2015 winter season and earned more than $3,000 in market Sales through the Wild Ramp. In 2016, the high tunnel produced about 1,300 in sales through the Wild Ramp and about $2,000 in sales to other markets. In 2016, the Refresh Appalachia Wayne County Crew moved the tunnel and added raised beds, which impacted the time available for production. The tunnel is now fully equipped with irrigation and is expected to increase yield in 2017. 

2. Develop farm vendor business training to introduce business management principles and promote financial sustainability. 

Unlimited Future provided two business planning workshops to 20 farmers in the Huntington and Williamson, WV. The course Farming for Profit uses the same building blocks of our Planning for Profit course. Participants are asked to think about why they want to start a business and how they will manage a business. Unlimited Future has invested in training for a local accountant to increase knowledge of farm specific tax and business accounting questions. Unlimited Future’s Instructor and Program Director Ursulette Huntley presents different marketing strategies that are better geared to farmers, specifically CSA, Food Hubs, and Farmers’ Markets. Also, discussing help from family and family relationships as part of the management strategy has also been added to create a more farm focused course. Through developing relationships with the Value Chain Cluster Initiative and the WV Incubator Farm Network Unlimited Future hopes to offer the Farming for Profit course across West Virginia. 

Accomplishments/Milestones

Unlimited Future, Inc. has created, in partnership with Coalfield Development Corporation, an on-the-job-training program for agricultural entrepreneurship called Refresh Appalachia. These crew members have grown approximately 1,000 pounds of produce and 1,000 dozen eggs. USDA Beginner Farmer and Rancher funds sent four of the Crew Members to the WVU Small Farms Center Annual Conference and spent three days learning from local and regional experts. The program employs 12 low resource young adults and  has created a total of 17 FTE in agriculture.

Employees Breakdown

• Wayne: 4 crew members; 1 crew chief
• Lincoln: 4 crew members; 1 crew chief 
• Mingo: 4 crew members; 1 crew chief
• Food Hub Manager
• Program Director/President

The program has experienced tremendous growth in the first year of operation. Currently four sites are in production and two under construction. 

Refresh Appalachia Growing Sites

• Wayne County (NE SARE / BFRDP Supported): 1 high tunnel and indoor growing at abandoned factory. This site has produced winter leafy greens, onion sets, tomatoes, and pepper varieties. Indoor production of Microgreens.
• Lincoln County (BFRDP Supported): 2 High tunnels (built), 2 heated greenhouses (existing), aquaponics, and 20 acres for livestock located at Lincoln County High School. This site has produced flower and food plant starters, winter greens, tomato and pepper varieties, and rotational grazing chickens.
• Mingo County (ARC/EDA POWER+ Supported): (1) 300 acres of reclaimed mine lands- 30 fenced for livestock, rotational grazing chickens, pigs, and goats –Orchard with Fruits and Nuts established by Mingo Redevelopment Authority, (2) 3 high tunnels located in Williamson, and (3) installing hydroponic growing system in abandoned building. These sites have mainly produced eggs, summer squash, corn, tomatoes, and pepper varieties.
• Cabell County: 15 Acres, 3 Acres for production of winter squash for wholesale markets and was GAP certified for wholesale marketing.

Food Hub Launch

In July 2016, program staff began sourcing product from over 10 producers, including 2 high schools. Products are distributed in a cool-bot trailer (borrowed) to more than 15 different buyers including restaurants, schools, retail outlets, direct to consumer, mobile food market for low-income communities. Refresh has also donated products to food banks and church food pantries when it could not be sold. The program’s recent hire of Savannah Lyons as the food hub manager will greatly expand the marketing opportunities for Refresh and partner farms. The Food Hub Manager will maintain relationships with buyers and work with the growers group to meet needs. Savannah also brings a vast amount of knowledge about the financial viability of food hub models, especially in rural areas. Refresh hopes that her expertise will help the food hub grow and create opportunities to partner with more farmers.

Partnerships

Refresh Appalachia is a true collaboration between the partners shown on this slide and is supported by many more organizations and agencies. Coalfield Development brings its on-the-job training model, Unlimited Future brings entrepreneurship and training experience, the Mingo and Wayne EDA’s have land and buildings without productive uses, the Value Chain Cluster Initiative provides technical assistance to support farmers, the Wild Ramp sells Refresh grown products, etc. The strengths of each partner have provided a strong foundation for Refresh Appalachia to grow exponentially.

Refresh Appalachia’s partnership with Lincoln County High School expands the capacity of career and technical (CTE) programming through year-round site management. The High School allows Refresh to use the greenhouses, heavy equipment, aquaculture room, and acreage for their farm enterprises and split the proceeds from the sale of products. Year-round management means that CTE students get a larger variety of more authentic experiences with the crops and livestock. The students in the agriculture CTE program helped build the two high tunnels at the sites and raise egg layers from chicks to pullets. This partnership has attracted attention from the WV Dept. of Education and WV Dept. of Agriculture to expand this type of partnership to other CTE Agriculture programs.

Refresh Contributions

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Refresh Appalachia employs 12 low resource young adults and  has created a total of 17 FTE in agriculture.

Unlimited Future is part of a statewide network of hands on training and farm incubation programs developing an apprenticeship curriculum for West Virginia. 

Unlimited Future has launched a Farming for Profit business planning course that address specific financial, management, and marketing concerns for farm businesses. 

Collaborators: