PREPARING A NEW GENERATIONOF ILLINOIS FRUIT AND VEGETABLE FARMERS

a USDANIFABEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHERDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PROJECT

GRANT #2012‐49400‐19565

Rick WeinzierlUniversity of Illinois

weinzier@illinois.edu

PreparingaNewGenerationofIllinoisFruit&VegetableFarmers

Why?

• TheaverageageoffarmersintheU.S.in2007was55.3years,andforfruitgrowerstheaverageageis57.7years.Tomeetthedemandsofconsumers,newfarmersareneeded.Thisneedextendstotraditionallyunderservedgroups.

• IncreaseddemandforlocallyproducedfoodsiswelldocumentednationallyandinIL,butonly1.1percentofallcropsalesrecordedinILfor2007werefruitsandvegetables.

• Startinganewfruitandvegetableenterpriseisamorerealisticfinancialendeavorthanstartinganewcommoditycropenterprise.Withlandpricesgreaterthan$10,000peracreinmuchofIllinois,thebuy‐incostfor500acresoftenexceeds$5millionforlandalone,excludingmostnewfarmers.Theminimumsizeforaviablefruitandvegetablefarmcanbe10acresorlessandcost$100,000orlessforland.Thisallowsmanymoreaspiringfarmersanopportunitytobeginfarming.

PreparingaNewGenerationofIllinoisFruit&VegetableFarmers(WEINZIERL,GONZALEZ,KINDHART,SHOEMAKER,CAVANAUGH‐GRANT,AND PIKE)

• Ourgoals

1. Increase the number of new farmers producing fruits and vegetables throughout Illinois and enhance the viability, profitability, and sustainability of new and beginning enterprises to meet increasing demand for local produce and contribute to local economies.

2. Assist a specific target audience – seasonal Hispanic farm workers – in beginning viable, profitable, and sustainable small produce farms.

3. Increase the expertise of university extension educators, high school and community college teachers, and educators in community organizations so they can better aid new farmers.

OurObjectives1. Provideyear‐longprogramsofclassroomandhands‐on/in‐fieldinstruction

onessentialskillsandinformationfor60ormorenewfarmersperyearforthreeyearssothatnewgrowershavetheinformationbasetobesuccessful.Providequalified(local)participantsaccesstolandasneededtoallowlow‐riskexperiencegrowingvegetableswithexpertoversight.

2. Provideyear‐longprogramsofclassroomandhands‐on/in‐fieldinstructiononessentialskillsandinformationfor30seasonalworkerswhowanttobecomeindependentfarmerssothattheyhavetheknowledgetobecomesuccessful.Provideinterestedparticipantsaccesstolandtoallowlow‐riskexperiencegrowingvegetableswithexpertoversight.

3. Develophumanandinformationalresourcesbyprovidingyear‐longclassroomandhands‐on/in‐fieldinstructiononessentialskillsandinformationtoExtensioneducators,alliededucators,andvocationalagricultureandFFAteacherssothattheseeducatorscancontinueprogramsfornewgrowersandbydevelopinganonlineresourcelibrary(EnglishandSpanish)ofeducationalmaterialsfornewandaspiringfruitandvegetablefarmers.

OurMethods• Classesofferedatthreelocations– St.CharlesHorticultureResearchCenter(andKaneCountyExtensionOffice)

– UrbanaResearchandEducationCenter

– DixonSpringsAgriculturalCenter…andCarbondale

• ThesearethelocationsofUIUCresearchcenterswithongoingfruitandvegetableresearchanddemonstrationprogramsandqualifiedstaff

• Allsessionsinvolvehands‐onopportunitiesandfirst‐handobservations

• Classesareofferedfreeofchargetoparticipants…applicationsarescreenedbasedonlikelihoodofsuccess

• ClassesareoneSaturdaypermonth,9:00a.m.– 4:00p.m.,ateachlocation…otheroptionsforHispanicworkers

• TheYear1classwillendinNovember,2013,andwearecurrentlymakingfinaladmissionsdecisionsforYear2(December,2013‐ November,2014)

• Content:Basicsofvegetableproduction,fruitproduction,andbusinessplanning,cultivarselection,FSAandNRCSprograms,croprotations,transplantproduction,successionplantings,hightunnelconstructionandoperation,pruningperennialfruits,soilsandsoiltests,organicandconventionalfertilizers,soilquality,equipmentforsmallfarms,foodsafetyandGAPs,irrigation,pesticides,OMRI‐approvedpesticides;organiccertification,IPM,moreoninsects,diseases,andweeds,moreonbusinessplanning,hydroponics,pollinators,beekeeping,harvestingandpostharvesthandling,insurance,labor,record‐keepingandtaxes,covercrops,aggregationandfoodhubs,FarmtoSchool,farmerpresentations,visitstoestablishedfarms…andmore

Somelogistics

• Pre‐classprimers– Webinarsandotherespeciallygoodonlineresources

• Lecturesandhands‐onopportunities• Follow‐ups

– Directemails– List‐serve(wikispace)

• Additionalopportunities– RelatedprogramsofferedbyExtensionorothergroups

ProgrammingforHispanicworkers

• Twoapproachesfor2013– AtUrbanaandSt.Charles

• ClassesofferedoneSaturdaypermonth,9:00a.m.– 4:00p.m.,incombinationwith“main”program…inEnglishforbi‐lingualstudentsandfuturetrainers

– AtCarbondaleinsouthernIL• ClassesofferedTuesdayandThursdayeveningseachweekfor12weeks,January– March…JerryJimenezandSonjaLallemand

• For2014and2015– Spanish‐languageinstructionatalllocations– Schedulingtobedetermined

Incubatorplots• Upto½acreperindividual• 1to2years• Primarytillageandaccesstoirrigationprovided,alongwithsomesimpleequipment

• Alllaborandmanagementsuppliedbytheparticipant

• Participantsmaysellproducegrownontheplots• Only6studentsusedincubatorplotsin2013

ForYear1…97participating“enterprises”• Participation: Enterprises

– St.Charles 28– Urbana 38– DixonSprings 18

• +Carbondale +5completedtheSpanish‐languageprogram• Demographics

– ~55%/~45%male/female– Agerange=24– 72(mean=47;28youngerthan35)– Organic=~20%;Sustainable=~80%

• Diversity:newfarmers,highschoolandcommunitycollegeinstructors,nonprofits,communitygardenmanagers,restaurateurs…andevenafewestablishedfarmerstransitioningfromrowcrops.

~ 13 are enrolled via IMC

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31

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44

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Approximate distribution of participants (enterprises) by county, “Preparing a New Generation of Illinois Fruit and Vegetable Growers,” 2012‐2013.  Blue circles indicate the primary training locations – St. Charles, Urbana, and Dixon Springs.  The red circle indicates the location of the southern IL IMC program at Carbondale.

John Gehrke, USDA Farm Service Agency, discussing FSA‘s loan programs,particularly the new microloan program, in January, 2013, at Dixon Springs.A participant wrote us one month later, thanking us for including thisinformation in the course … she had just received a USDA microloan.

Steve  Ericson of the Northern Illinois Food Bank, addressing the St. Charles class about possibilities for selling produce to the Food Bank.  

ForYear2…97participating“enterprises”acceptedtodatefortheEnglishprogram;IMCprogramstilltobecharacterized– aimingfor20‐30participantsstatewide

• DemographicssimilartoYear1• Organicagainabout20‐25percent;sustainable=~75‐80%

• Diversity:newfarmers,highschoolandcommunitycollegeinstructors,nonprofits,communitygardenmanagers,restaurateurs…andevenafewestablishedfarmerstransitioningfromrowcrops