Angelic Organics Learning Center Inc

COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL FARMER-TO-FARMER TRAINING AND SUPPORT PROJECT

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FINANCES, ADVANCED PLANNING, WEATHER, FAMILY CONCERNS, AND HEALTH CARE ARE LARGE DRIVERS OF FARMER DISTRESS, WHILE EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS CREATE AN ADDED STRESS THAT IMPACTS AGRICULTURALISTS MORE DEEPLY THAN OTHER ECONOMIC SECTORS. INCREASING DAY AND NIGHT TIME TEMPERATURES, ALTERED PRECIPITATION PATTERNS, UNPREDICTABLE SOIL MOISTURE LEVELS, AND NEW PEST AND DISEASE PRESSURES DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE ARE IMPACTING FARMERS AND LANDOWNERS IN OUR REGION IN UNPREDICTABLE WAYS. NEW AND BEGINNING FARMERS FACE STEEP ENTRY COSTS, A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE MARKETING AND FINANCIAL LANDSCAPE, AND PRODUCTION-SPECIFIC CHALLENGES AS THEY TRY TO ESTABLISH FARM BUSINESSES. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR INDIVIDUALS FROM SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. THEREFORE, FINANCIAL RESILIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MITIGATION ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WITH EVERY PRODUCTION AND BUSINESS-RELATED DECISION PARTICULARLY FOR NEW AND BEGINNING FARMERS.IN 2022, ANGELIC ORGANICS LEARNING CENTER AND CLOSE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THIS OLD FARM, CONDUCTED A QUALITATIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS WHICH FOUND SIMILAR RESULTS. THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH INTERVIEWS AND SURVEYS OF 52 FARMERS IN IL, IN, AND WI, MADE UP OF ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY NEW AND BEGINNING FARMERS. THESE INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFIED THEIR TOP BARRIERS TO FARM SUCCESS AS A LACK OF FUNDING, ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY, PRICING DIFFICULTY, CLIMATE CHANGE AND PERSONAL HEALTH CONCERNS. THEY IDENTIFIED THEIR TOP LEARNING NEEDS TO BE IMPROVING PRODUCTION PROCESSES, INCREASING LAND HEALTH, FINDING THE RIGHT PRODUCTS (ENTERPRISES) FOR THEIR FARM BUSINESS, AND EXPLORING NEW MARKETING CHANNELS.REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, DEFINED AS AN ECOLOGICAL APPROACH TO GROWING FOOD THAT SEEKS TO IMITATE NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS, MERGES THE GOALS OF PROFITABILITY WITH ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, THEREFORE PRESENTING BOTH A STRONG CLIMATE RISK MITIGATION TOOL AND MARKETING STRATEGY FOR NEW AND BEGINNING FARMERS. REGENERATIVE STRATEGIES INCLUDEINCREASED USE OF COVER CROPPING, PERENNIAL-BASED AGRICULTURE INCLUDING PASTURED LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION, ROTATIONAL GRAZING, DIVERSIFIED CROPPING SYSTEMS AND ROTATIONS, AND MORE. INCORPORATING THESE STRATEGIES INTO NEW AND EXISTING FARM SYSTEMS DECREASES RISK RELATED TO MARKET VOLATILITY WHILE BENEFITING NATURAL SYSTEMS AND IMPROVING FARMER RESILIENCE. AND YET, EMBRACING REGENERATIVE FARM PRACTICES IS BOTH AN OPPORTUNITY AND CHALLENGE. REGENERATIVE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS REQUIRE TARGETED AND TAILORED ENTERPRISE DESIGN, FINANCIAL PLANNING, AND ESPECIALLY LONG-TERM ACCESS TO LAND TO BE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE. MARKETING PLANS MUST BE ALSO ADJUSTED AS REGENERATIVE PRODUCTS OFTEN REQUIRE FLEXIBLE, MORE DIRECT MARKET CHAINS FROM FARM TO CONSUMER.?WEATHERING CHANGE: HOLISTIC FARM TRAINING FOR FINANCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE WILL PROVIDE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TRAINING, CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION, AND LAND-BASED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO NEW AND BEGINNING FARMERS IN THE CENTRAL AND UPPER MIDWEST. THIS,PROJECT WILL SERVE PRIMARILY FARMERS WHO IMPLEMENT OR PLAN TO IMPLEMENT REGENERATIVE PRACTICES INCLUDING PASTURE-BASED LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION, DIVERSIFIED VEGETABLE PRODUCTION, OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. AS A RESULT OF THIS PROJECT, BEGINNING FARMERS AND RANCHERS WILL MANAGE VIABLE AND ECONOMICALLY STABLE FARM BUSINESSES, BE RESILIENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE-INDUCED WEATHER CHANGES, AND PRODUCE HIGH QUALITY FOOD USING REGENERATIVE FARMING PRACTICES.THIS PROJECT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED BY ANGELIC ORGANICS LEARNING CENTER AND THIS OLD FARM, INC., TWO ORGANIZATIONS WHICH HAVE WORKED TOGETHER AS PART OF THE ROUTES TO FARM ALLIANCE OF FARMER TRAINING ORGANIZATIONS FOR OVER 6 YEARS. THIS INNOVATIVE COLLABORATION EXPANDS OUR COLLECTIVE REACH TO BENEFIT NEW AND BEGINNING FARMERS IN N. ILLINOIS, S. WISCONSIN, INDIANA, W. OHIO AND N. KENTUCKY, AND COMBINES THE SUCCESSES OF A LONG-TERM NON-PROFIT FARMER TRAINING PROGRAM BASED IN FARMER-LED, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE EDUCATION WITH A BUSINESS SAVVY, MARKET-INFORMED FOR-PROFIT MEAT PROCESSING FACILITY WITH FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE OF THE DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCT QUALITY. TOGETHER, WE WILL PROVIDE CUTTING-EDGE SUPPORT FOR REGENERATIVE INNOVATION IN OUR REGION.*BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SOURCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

FARMER-TO-FARMER ADVANCED TRAINING PROJECT

OPEN BOOKS: OPEN FARMLAND INCREASING FARM ECONOMIC VIABILITY IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHERN WISCONSIN.

THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THE STRENGTHENING FARMER ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROJECT IS TO HELP ALL BEGINNING FARMERS TO DEVELOP VIABLE, FINANCIALLY ROBUST FARM BUSINESSES IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. THE PROJECT WIDENS PROVEN STRATEGIES IN FARMER TRAINING BY ADDRESSING THREE SPECIFIC PAIN POINTS IN THE PATH TO SUCCESSFUL FARM OPERATIONS: 1) ACCESS TO TRAINING AND MENTORSHIP, 2) LAND ACQUISITION, AND 3) PREPARATION TO SELL INTO WHOLESALE MARKETS. OUR PRIMARY APPROACH IS TO ANALYZE AND UPDATE FARMER-LED TRAINING PROGRAMS TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO STRUCTURAL BARRIERS THAT AFFECT WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, IMMIGRANT, AND VETERAN BEGINNING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FARMERS ON THEIR PATH TO SUCCESSFUL FARM BUSINESSES. IN THIS WAY, THE PROJECT CREATES A MORE ROBUST AND EQUITABLE FOOD SYSTEM WHICH IS BETTER EQUIPPED TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE LOCAL FOODSHED.FARMERS HAVE IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING PRIORITIES AS THEIR TOP NEEDS THROUGH A NEEDS ASSESSMENT,SURVEYS AND FARMER ALLIANCE MEETINGS:FARM ECONOMIC VIABILITY AND PROFITABILITY. SPECIFICALLY, FARMERS IDENTIFIED ENTREPRENEURSHIP, BUSINESS TRAINING, FINANCIAL AND RISK MANAGEMENT TRAINING - INCLUDING HOW TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES AND INVEST WISELY IN THEIR FARMSHELP TO ADDRESS LAND AND LAND TENURE, AND ACQUIRING CAPITAL FOR INFRASTRUCTUREGUIDANCE DIRECTLY FROM OTHER FARMERS WHO HAVE NEGOTIATED SIMILAR OBSTACLES (MENTORING) AND ACCESS TO EFFICIENT AND INFORMATIVE SOURCES FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (RESOURCES ARE REFERRAL).WITH THESE PRIORITIES IN MIND, THE STRENGTHENING FARMER ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROJECT WILL PROVIDEMORE RESOURCES TO ATTRACT AND SUPPORT BEGINNING FARMERS FROM DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. AT EACH STEP IN THE PATH TO ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS, THE PROJECT WILL ADDRESS STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES THAT POSE A BARRIER TO SOME BEGINNING FARMERSIN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:TRANSLATING TRAINING MATERIALS AND COMMUNICATIONSENSURING THAT LEADERS, MENTORS, AND HOST FARMS REPRESENT WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, IMMIGRANTS, AND VETERANSCOLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS (SUCH AS ADVOCATES FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE) WHO HAVE DEEP ROOTS IN DIVERSE COMMUNITIESCREATING A PIPELINE OF PARTICIPANTS THAT FEEDS INTO LAND ACCESS AND WHOLESALE MARKET SUCCESSTHE PROJECT BUILDS OFF OF THE SUCCESS AND INNOVATION OF DECADES OF FARMING TRAINING EXPERTISE HELD BY BOTH ANGELIC ORGANICS LEARNING CENTER AND LIBERTY PRAIRIE FOUNDATION. ALL ACTIVITIES IN THIS PROJECT HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO CAPITALIZE ON THE FARMER-TO-FARMER, LOCAL KNOWLEDGE MODEL, WHICH IS CRITICAL WHEN ADDRESSING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THE KEY POINT OF THIS PROJECT IS THAT IT NOT ONLY CUSTOMIZES THE TRAINING AND MENTORSHIP TO THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL FARMER BUT ALSO INCORPORATES A MORE DIVERSE GROUP OF FARMERS INTO THE LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE OF THE STRUCTURES THAT PROVIDE THAT TRAINING.

ROCKFORD URBAN TRAINING FARM AND ENTERPRISE CENTER

THE FAIR FOOD PROJECT: YOUTH & ADULT NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS CREATE COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY IN ROCKFORD ILLINOIS

EAT TO LIVE FARM AND GARDEN: A COMPREHENSIVE HEALTHY FOOD INITIATIVE OF CHICAGO`S ENGLEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD

TO HELP LATINO AND WOMEN PRODUCERS UNDERSTAND THE VARIETY OF RISK MANAGEMENT TOOLS AVAILABLE TO HELP MAKE RISK MANAGEMENT CHOICES TO BETTER MANAGE T

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THE NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET EXPANSION PROJECT: FOOD DESERT TO FOOD OASIS IN ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS

TO HELP LATINO AND WOMEN PRODUCERS UNDERSTAND THE VARIETY OF RISK MANAGEMENT TOOLS AVAILABLE TO HELP MAKE RISK MANAGEMENT CHOICES TO BETTER MANAGE T

ASSET FOR INDEPENDENCE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM

THIS PROJECT WILL TEACH SKILLS IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION TO 40 YOUTH PEER EDUCATORS AND THEIR TEACHERS THROUGH HANDS ON FOOD AND FARMING ACTIVITIES