- 1. Building Farmer Capacity and Regional Food Systems in the
Deep South Devona Bell Sherwood Program Officer Wallace Center at
Winrock International Southern SAWG Presentation Mobile, AL January
18, 2014
2. OVERVIEW Wallace Center Overview Project Overview Goals &
Activities Grantees New North Florida Cooperative Deep South Food
Alliance Tuskegee University Food Bank of North Alabama Results and
Success 3. THE WALLACE CENTER The Wallace Center supports
entrepreneurs and communities as they build a new, 21st century
food system that is healthier for people, the environment, and the
economy. We do this by: Cultivating learning networks and
communities of practiceBringing lessons to a broader
audienceIdentifying and piloting emerging modelsLinking good food
partners & funders to on the ground workBuilding food systems
capacity through technical assistanceWe leverage these strategies
across all of our work, drawing on market-based approaches to bring
more healthy, affordable, sustainably-produced food to all
communities, by strengthening farmers capacity selling direct, and
scaling up to wholesale, retail, and institutional outlets. 4.
INCREASING FARMER SUCCESS PROJECT STRENGTHEN the capacities of
limited resource and historically disadvantaged farmers and farmer
groups so that they can meet the supply needs of wholesale markets
FACILITATE their success in accessing these markets by developing
linkages across the supply chain Target area: Alabama and
Mississippi Working with local partners Timeline: Nov 2011 Jan 2014
Funded by the Walmart Foundation 5. PROJECT ACTIVITIES 1. Value
chain analysis: Strengths, constraints, needs and opportunities 2.
Technical assistance, capacity building, and strengthening of
regional partnerships 3. Development and support of a Southern
learning network 4. Grants to innovative farmers, farmer groups and
local farmer support organizations 6. VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS RESULTS
Many MS and AL farmers Are limited resource (making less than
$10k/year) Are historically marginalized Lack basic infrastructure
including aggregation points, cooling/packing/processing facilities
Lack skills in post-harvest handling, food safety, risk management,
and other buyer requirements Lack access to credit, capital,
resources, technology Farmers lack equal access to burgeoning local
food markets, especially institutions and wholesale 7. OUR APPROACH
Build Capacity via: Technical assistance Trainings Peer-to-peer
learning and networking Work with and grant to local partners Main
Local Partners: ASAN: Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network MSAN:
Mississippi Sustainable Agriculture Network DSFA: Deep South Food
Alliance FBNA: Food Bank of North Alabama Tuskegee University
NNFC-MS: New North Florida Cooperative in Holmes, MS 8. TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE Wholesale Success workshops in MS and AL for 200 farmers
Integrated Pest Management training with Alabama Cooperative
Extension Service Research on MS farm and food economy and policy
with MS Food Policy Council Meet the Buyers event in Birmingham, AL
for 100 farmers and farmer groups Jack and Jakes Food Hub (New
Orleans market)support for internal operations 9. ALABAMA
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE NETWORK Training/workdays (Crop Mobs) Four
Regional Food & Farm Forums High-tunnel trainings: Market
assessment, crop production planning, pest management, harvest,
handling, and food safetyProducer needs surveys Organizational
capacity buildingMahalah Farm Crop Mob 10. MISSISSIPPI SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE NETWORK Launched with project support Farmer trainings:
sustainable agriculture, business planning, marketing, and other
topicsFarmer field days to farms in MS and AL Database of
sustainable farms in MS, Innovative farmers in a video series
Capacity building & support to 3 model farms that are
organic/sustainable and 3 transitioning farms Farm consultations
& assistance in developing a personalized farm plan Mississippi
Food Summit 11. DEEP SOUTH GRANTEES New North Florida Cooperative,
Holmes County, MS Deep South Food Alliance, Alabamas Black Belt
Andrew Williams (DSFA) and Daniel Doyle (MSAN) Tuskegee University,
Alabama Food Bank of North Alabama 12. NEW NORTH FLORIDA
COOPERATIVE Holmes County MS Food Hub & mobile processing unit
Training for farmers: crop production & food safety Distribute
fresh, processed produce from MS & Deep South farmers to local
schools 13. NNFC ACCOMPLISHMENTS: NEW FOOD HUB Launch of Holmes
County Food Hub in summer 2013; created 12 jobs Training on product
development, crop production, marketing, value-added production,
distribution, and financial and business management practices
Established a facility for product development, value-added
processing, and marketing Staff and supporters at the launch of the
new food hub Mobile processing unit for leafy greens and sweet
potatoes 14. NNFC ACCOMPLISHMENTS Working with 40 farmers Sales of
value-added products to MS schools, Memphis City schools, a state
prison, and retailers 243,115 students served in AL and MS Total
sales: $323k, 186k pounds of food sold 15. NNFC: CHALLENGES
Challenges starting food hub included lack of business expertise
among city leaders to understand the development of the hub and its
economic benefits Weather challenges such as heavy rain led to loss
of some crops Land usage for project participants/farmers was
challenging. Needed to lease land for use as a demonstration farm
16. NNFC: PLAN FOR THE FUTURE Develop transportation to facilitate
Farm to School markets Expand facility by 2,400-2,800 sq ft. and
establish cold storage, room for processing equipment Establish 1-2
acre demo sites for 20-40 farmers for trainings in production and
post-harvest handling for Farm to School markets Address food
safety protocols and offer training/assistance in production,
product development for small-scale farmers.Glyen Holmes with fresh
collard greens 17. DEEP SOUTH FOOD ALLIANCE Project Goals Local
aggregation Connect farmers to identified markets to increase
availability of fresh vegetables 12 demonstration farms 18. DSFA:
ACCOMPLISHMENTS New food hub Aggregating for 15-20 farmers Produce
is processed, provided cold storage, and prepared for marketing to
various buyers Created 4-6 part time jobs Sales of more than $41k
and over 71,000 pounds of food Training farmers to meet growing
demand and extend their market reachAndrew Williams harvesting
collards 19. DSFA: CHALLENGES Farmers production abilities for
wholesale markets and need for TA/agriculture services Weather
challenges (heavy rain) led to delays in planting Completion of
some of the infrastructure to bring the distribution site (new food
hub) to full capacity Fund raising for the new food hub 20. DSFA:
PLAN FOR THE FUTURE Renovate portions of the food hub facility to
develop a food processing division that continues to meet food
safety requirements Purchase and install vegetable processing
equipment such as pea shellers, leafy green cutters, baggers, etc
Purchase and install coolers, flash freezers, and an ice machine
Train part-time employees on food safety practices Purchase
packaging supplies needed to market produce 21. TUSKEGEE
UNIVERSITYCooler at the Shipman Farm, Ariton, ALProject Goals
Facilitate the development of a new farmers cooperative Purchase 6
cold storage units to enhance regional cold chain capacity for
Alabama farms Provide Tuskegee a longterm agreement with farm
leaders to increase watermelon, peas, and collard production 22.
TUSKEGEE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: NEW COOP Formed Small Farmers
Agricultural Cooperative, Inc. with 34 members. Hosted training
sessions focused on: Food safety Irrigation Soils Pest management
Pollination Financial management 23. TUSKEGEE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: FOOD
SAFETY CERTIFICATIONSWith support from the coop, 10 farmers have
received food safety certifications for watermelon, purple hull
peas, and greens. 24. TUSKEGEE: CHALLENGES Heavy rain created
delays in installing coolers and a loss of crops Extensive site
preparation at farms caused delays in utilizing coolers in 2013
Final installment of coolers taking place in winter/spring 2014 25.
TUSKEGEE: PLAN FOR THE FUTURE Six coolers will serve approximately
300 small, limited-resource farmers Opportunity for marketing
23,000 cases of greens and 7,500 cases of peas, primarily to
Walmart Farmer coop will focus on expanding markets and minimizing
risks Continue working with 24 farmers on food safety
certifications 26. FOOD BANK OF NORTH ALABAMA Project Goals Match
farmers with appropriate markets Build efficiencies within the food
system to benefit target producers Strengthen farmer capacity to
meet buyer needs 27. FOOD BANK: CHALLENGES / STRATEGIES
Challenges/IssuesFarm Food Collaborative StrategiesPrice: Farmers
with diversified small farms have expressed the need for retail
markets and retail prices in order to remain viableSupports the
development of additional retail market opportunities on multiple
days of the weekFew Alabama farmers have attained Food Safety
Certifications that are required by a growing number of
institutional buyersHosting Good Agriculture Practices (GAP)
trainings for Alabama farmers 28. FOOD BANK: ACCOMPLISHMENTS Helped
launch 5 new neighborhood run farmers markets Connected 13 farmers
to markets earning an estimated $500 per market per farmer in
retail sales plus wholesale sales 29. FOOD BANK: ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Outreach to 115 producers; 18 producers and 20 buyers built the
Farm Food Collaborative Leveraged community resources to make
wholesales sales happen Farmers gave back 30. FOOD BANK: PLAN FOR
THE FUTURE Continue to support the work of the Farm Food
Collaborative and sales of local food Address lack of
certifications among farmers (i.e. GAP) 31. OVERALL PROJECT RESULTS
AND SUCCESS Between Fall 2012 through Summer 2013, a total of about
782,600 pounds of produce sold for a value of more than $561,600
220+ historically disadvantaged/limited resource farmers reached 36
organizations with greater capacity 76 buyers with access to local
foods 319,054 consumers with increased access to fresh, locally
produced food 816 farmers and families impacted 32. QUESTIONS?Thank
you!Devona Sherwood, Program Officer [email protected] Deep
South Project Site: Wallacecenter.org/increasingfarmersuccess
