GNF Project Activities

In addition to the development of the Consortium and the website, GNF project activities were organized into four main areas:

1. Program and Resource Development
2. New Research
3. Policy Education
4. Professional Development

1. Program and Resource Development

Program and resource development activities focused on the four key challenges faced by new farmers:

a. Access to Knowledge, Training and Technical Assistance
b. Access to Financial Resources
c. Access to Land
d. Access to Markets

GNF sponsored the development of new tools, resources and programs to address these barriers through major efforts that addressed identified program gaps in each area and innovative "mini-grants" projects piloted by GNF Consortium members.

a. Access To Knowledge, Training and Technical Assistance.
The dramatic shifts in farm entry have disrupted the traditional inter-generational transfer of farming knowledge and skills. Many people who are considering a farming career lack the tools or experience to make effective decisions about farm entry. These projects focused on the development of decision-making tools for prospective and starting farmers.

Curriculum Framework, Decision Tools and Mentoring for New Farmers. Using an occupational profile framework, the New England Small Farm Institute developed curricula and tools for on-farm skills development. NESFI produced "Exploring the Small Farm Dream" a workbook and course for people considering a farming career. NESFI also produced a course delivery guide and decision tool for on-farm mentors.
Decision-Making Tools for Agriculture Business Development, Expansion, and Assessment. Cornell Cooperative Extension, Tompkins County expanded the popular Farming Alternatives: A Guide to Evaluating the Feasibility of New Farm-Based Enterprises to incorporate decision-making tools for prospective and start-up farmers.
Improving Whole Farm Planning Through Better Decision-Making. The Savory Center produced a publication with case study summaries of Holistic Farm Plans developed by new farmers in the Northeast.
Enhanced Decision-Making Through Workshops, Support, and Access to an Agricultural Lending Library. Cornell Cooperative Extension XXXXCounty partnered with the Southern Adirondack Library System to demonstrate the utility of local libraries - and librarians - as fact-finding resources for new farmers in the Hudson Valley (NY) region. to create and maintain a readily duplicable agriculture library section of materials and references focused on farm start-up.
Farming for Me. CT Farm Bureau designed and delivered an educational program for prospective farmers, using and adapting existing self-assessment tools. The delivery format was via innovative farmer-led study groups.

b. Access To Financial Resources
Access to appropriate financing is one of the biggest challenges facing new farmers who want to start, expand, or diversify farm operations. These projects focused on the development or improvement of lending programs for new farmers, exploring non-traditional partnerships among government, lending institutions, advocacy organizations, and farmer groups.

A Role for States in New Farmer Financing. Agricultural Community and Development Services, a Maryland-based consulting firm produced a report examining access to credit for beginning farmers. The purpose of the report was to stimulate state governments to play a role in helping help new farmers to obtain financial assistance.
New Farmer Revolving Loan Fund. The NYC Greenmarket's New Farmer Development Project launched a peer-monitored New Farmer Revolving Loan Fund for immigrants in the New York City area who are interested in reestablishing themselves as farmers in this region.
New Producer Milk Marketing Contract. NY FarmNet's project is pilot-tested a cooperative-financed milk marketing contract. The contract creates bridge-type financing by fixing a moderate, stable price during the critical "start-up" period.
New Farmer Enterprise Loan Program. Chester County (PA) Economic Development Council developed and promoted several new loan programs for new agricultural entrepreneurs, in part by directing existing state loan programs to non-traditional (new farmer) customers.
Facilitating New Farmers' Access to Financing Opportunities in Maine. Working with key collaborators from nonprofit and private lending institutions, the Maine Department of Agriculture explored new ways to provide operating loans to new farmers. They created and distributed a brochure detailing new financing options, and outlining how new farmers can become credit-worthy.

c. Access To Land
Many new farmers report that acquiring secure, affordable land tenure is a critical barrier. In many parts of the Northeast, land is too expensive to purchase outright, and rental arrangements do not offer adequate security. In addition, new farmers are often faced with difficult trade-offs between short-term economic realities and long-term land stewardship objectives. These activities addressed farmland tenure, economic viability and environmental sustainability.

Strengthening Northeast Land Link Programs. Pennsylvania Farm Link strengthened the NE network of "land linking" programs—programs that focus on farm succession and transfer by providing professional training and improving referrals.
Non-Traditional Farmland Tenure and Stewardship. The Intervale Foundation produced a guidebook detailing alternative tenure—especially non-ownership—models combined with land stewardship standards.
Connecticut Sustainable Farming Initiative. Hartford Food System
brought together CT land conservation groups, USDA, farming groups and Farm Credit to connect three new farmers with protected farmland.
Preserving Farmers and Farmland. Pennsylvania Farm Link offered workshops on farm succession planning, contributed a regular column on farm transfer issues in Lancaster Farming, and created several information sheets on farm transfer issues.

d. Access To Markets
New farmers, who often lack the economies of scale, sufficient product volume or quality, and network contacts, face considerable challenges breaking into new markets. They may not have enough information to assess their market options. With new tools and collective strategies, new farmers can improve market access, increase efficiency, and help manage risks.

Selecting Market Options. Rutgers University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics produced an electronic and hardcopy decision tool for new farmers to select appropriate market outlets. It addresses various market options and examines risk and time management.
Group Marketing Strategies. Beginner Farmers of New Hampshire increased market access for new farmers by fostering group approaches such as a common table at area farmers markets for new farmers' products and investigating outlets for pooled product, including CSAs, natural food stores, specialty markets, and existing farm stands.
Centro Agricola Project. Nuestras Raices got produce grown by beginning urban farmers into four local markets and negotiated a produce-buying contract for these farmers with the Centro's restaurant.
Direct Market Opportunities in Vermont Through CSA. NOFA-VT fostered cooperative marketing through new farmers becoming a part of a cooperative Community Supported Agriculture venture.

2. Research Projects

Three new research projects studied factors that contribute to successful farm entry and development. Through these research studies, GNF generated findings that are valuable to new farmers, service providers, policy-makers and others.

Evaluating "Learning Systems" for New Farmer Training. Researchers at the University of Connecticut's Adult Learning Program studied and compared six types of structured learning systems for new farmers. They evaluated them using a framework that considered how adults learn best, and how learning is transferred to new farmers.
Decision-Making in Farm Start-ups. Researchers at the New England Small Farm Institute and Cornell University's Department of Development Sociology
employed surveys and interviews to chart over one hundred start-up farmers' evolution and major decision points from their beginnings through the three years of the study.
Farm Succession Strategies. The researcher, a doctoral student at Temple University, was contracted to examine recent farm transfers in several cultural contexts. The research was not completed.

3. Policy Education

GNF's policy education component raised awareness about policy barriers and opportunities that impact new farmers' entry and success. The GNF Policy Tool Kit identifies and analyzes state-level policies that directly impact new farmers in each of the 12 Northeast states. It contains a set of recommendations for policy reform and innovation directed at Northeast new farmer service providers as well as policy makers. The information gathered helps GNF Consortium members advocate on behalf of the region's new farmers.

During the project, policy-related information was disseminated through the GNF Consortium list serve and quarterly newsletter, Postings. Many Consortium members were active in promoting legislative, administrative and programmatic policy innovations and reforms.

4. Professional Development

GNF offered professional development activities to Consortium members to build their capacity to serve new farmers. Regional trainings, fact sheets, and conferences were complemented by peer-matched technical assistance, web-based discussion groups, and opportunities for on-line learning. Consortium members provided much of the training. Topics included: developing new farmer curriculum; copyright and sharing resources; designing on-line courses; and facilitating farmer-to-farmer learning. See the Tools Resources page of this website for many new professional training resources developed by GNF.