The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number Grant #2012-49400-19673 funded HMI’s 2015 Beginning Farmers & Ranchers: Women in the NE & Texas program. We recently completed evaluation of the Connecticut program which was coordinated by Deb Legge and Sherry Simpson through Connecticut Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA). Lead instructor for this program was Sherry Simpson. Mentors for the program were Allyson Angelini, Phoebe Browning, and Art Talmadge. There was 96% average satisfaction rating for all sessions and 100% of the participants noted they had increased their network as a result of the training. Thanks to the USDA/NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development program for their support of this program.
Here’s what we’ve learned from our 16 Connecticut participants, of which 13 graduated from the program:
Participant Demographic Information
Of the 12 participants responding
- 11 are currently farming
- The average years of farming was 3 years (range: 1 to 5 years)
- The average acres under production was 5 acres under production for a total of 55 acres influenced
- The total customers of all participants: Retail – Average 54 (total 324); Wholesale – Average 45 (total 45)
When asked about the effect of this program or what was helpful about the program, participants responded
I’m confident production will increase and my land will be healthier
Learning from other people’s experience it helps to avoid the mistakes, change and improve the way I did before.
Reinforced importance of community – I am actively seeking our community relationships.
New BWF friends have been supportive, sharing ideas & resources, providing expertise & guidance.
More effective in communication, this leads to easier approach to reading consensus and focus on implementation of the plans
I have loved the whole process – meeting fellow farmers, making my holistic goal, planning, and visiting.
Be prepared, making plans that helps to predict the outcome for the future year.
Confidence. A different way of looking at the land (holistically) & I can’t put enough value to creating my holistic goal
HMI has taught me how to ID, address and monitor problems in my farm business
I now have tools that will help me to evaluate & adapt/change/improve what I do & learn every year!
It has helped me focus on a future that will be fulfilling and recognize and realize all my goals, not just the financial ones. It has given me tools to really ground my decision making and ways to think about and frame issues & problems creatively.
It has helped to clarify my goals and reasons for them. It has provided me with a ton of useful information as well as clarified problem areas I had (such as time management issues). It has really boosted my self-confidence, especially because of going through this training with other women in my situation.
This training reinforces my belief in farming as a sustainable lifestyle that is beneficial not only to my immediate family but to the environment and the community as well. It relieves the anxiety of “fear of failure” as a beginning farmer and confidence and concrete business skills at the beginning stage.
Has been huge! Have gone from a pipe dream to actual production. I also feel several of the topics – especially holistic goal, weak link, & time management are life skill even if I’m not farming.
This was an incredible process!! The value of this goes beyond quantifying. It was well worth my time & effort & resources spent!
Very knowledgeable instructors who always have useful information and answers for beginner farmers’ questions.
It was very worthwhile. My approach to farming is changed in ways I would not have imagined. Excellent content.
I loved it! All the information covered was relevant and presented in an interesting way. The instructor, Sherry Simpson, was excellent and very supportive and cheerful. I’m so glad I took this course! Thank you!
PARTICIPANT BEHAVIOR CHANGE/COMPLETED PLANS | % of participants |
Holistic Goal/Whole Farm Plan | 100% |
Financial Plan | 100% |
Business Plan | 92% |
Marketing Plan | 90% |
Land Plan | 40% |
Biological Monitoring | 70% |
Grazing Plan (grazers in group) | 100% |
Forge Relationships That Positively Impacted You | 100% |
Key Post-Program Results | % Participants ExperiencingChange |
Satisfaction with Quality of Life | 73% |
Satisfaction with Communication | 70% |
Satisfaction with Time Management | 91% |
Session Satisfaction | Class Percent rated good or excellent |
Goalsetting | 100% |
On-Farm Decision Making | 93% |
Financial Planning Overview | 100% |
Enterprise Analysis | 100% |
Marketing Planning | 93% |
Business Planning | 100% |
Leadership & Communication | 100% |
Land Planning | 100% |
Grazing Planning | 100% |
Biological Monitoring/Soil Fertility | 73% |
Post-Program Impacts | Percent of Participants |
Human Resources | |
Clearer sense of what your farm is managing towards | 100% |
Better Ability to Determine Resources Available to You | 75% |
More Efficient Use of Resources | 75% |
Improved Communications on the Farm | 67% |
Improved Decision Making | 92% |
New Policies and Systems Implemented | 75% |
Better Relationships | 75% |
Financial Resources | |
Ability to Identify Business Challenges from Previous Years | 75% |
New or Improved Record Keeping Systems | 92% |
Enhanced Understanding of Your Farm Finances | 83% |
Changes in Farm Enterprises | 67% |
Changes in How Your Prioritize Expenses | 75% |
Clearer Sense of How Your Business Is Projected to Grow in Future Years | 75% |
Improved Ability to Articulate Goals and Objectives of Business to Others | 83% |
Improved Understanding of your Market and How Your Business Fits In | 83% |
New Business Systems (Improved Understanding of your Market and How Your Business Fits into These) | 50% |
Prioritized investments | 42% |
Greater efficiencies realized | 50% |
Improved ability to determine most effective enterprises | 100% |
New enterprises or products (including value-added) you are selling | 58% |
New ways of displaying or packaging product | 58% |
Improved ability to discern most appropriate market channels | 83% |
New markets you have entered | 50% |
Improved ability to effectively market products | 75% |
New marketing methods you have employed | 58% |
Natural Resources | |
Improved Ability to Incorporate Social, Environmental, and Financial into Your Land Plan | 58% |
Achievement of Environmental Goals in Your Land Plan | 50% |
Increased Forage Production | 50% |
Reduction in Feed Costs | 50% |
Improved Environmental Conditions | 75% |
Improved Herd Health | 25% |
Improved Ability to Manage Animals | 50% |
Less Stress for Farmers | 75% |
Less Stress for Animals | 75% |
Longer Grazing Seasons | 50% |
Reduction of Overgrazed Plants | 50% |
Improved Understanding of Your Farm’s Eco-System | 75% |
Improved Environmental Conditions on Your Farm | 42% |
Desired Change in Species Composition | 42% |
Knowledge Change Experienced by Participants | % Participants ExperiencingKnowledge Change |
Session One – Goal Setting | |
Defining Effective Management Team | 73% |
Inventory Farm Resources | 100% |
Develop a Whole Farm Goal | 100% |
Define What You Are Managing Towards | 100% |
Identify Needed Farm Systems and Protocols | 93% |
Integrate Social, Economic, and Environmental Factors into Decision-Making | 100% |
Session Summary | 100% |
Session Two – Time Management | |
Ability to Make Complex On-Farm Decisions | 100% |
Assess How Time is Spent on Farm | 100% |
Understanding Seasonal Time Demands/Flows | 100% |
Effectively Manage Time on Your Farm | 100% |
Session Summary | 100% |
Session Three – Financial Planning I | |
Attitude Toward Financial Planning | 100% |
Ability to Develop Balance Sheet | 100% |
How to Increase Farm Net Worth | 100% |
Determining Viable Profitable Enterprises for Your Farm | 90% |
Determining Your Farm’s Projected Revenue | 100% |
Identifying Logjams and Adverse Factors on Farm | 100% |
Session Summary | 100% |
Session Four – Financial Planning II | |
Skills in Developing Whole Farm Financial Plan | 100% |
Getting Profit You Need from Your Farm | 91% |
Delineating Farm Expense Categories | 100% |
Prioritizing and Cutting Farm Expenses to Guide Reinvestment | 100% |
Assessing Farm Cash Flow | 100% |
Monitoring Your Financial Plan | 91% |
Session Summary | 100% |
Session Five – Marketing | |
Using Whole Farm Goal and Financial Plan to Develop Marketing Plan | 86% |
Profitably Price Products and Services | 79% |
Effectively Promote Products and Services | 100% |
Understanding Your Competition | 79% |
Marketing Outreach Towards Your Whole Farm Goal | 85% |
How to Develop a Marketing Plan | 93% |
Session Summary | 100% |
Session Six – Business Planning | |
Knowledge of Resources for Developing Strategic Plan for Farm | 100% |
Attitudes Towards Value of Having a Business Plan to Guide Farm | 90% |
Ability to Develop a Business Plan for Farm | 100% |
Ability to Use Holistic Goal to Guide Business Strategic Plan | 100% |
Ability to Use Financial Plan to Determine Viable Markets for Farm | 100% |
Ability to Implement Systems and Projects to Move Towards Whole Farm Goal | 100% |
Session Summary | 100% |
Session Seven – Leadership and Communication | |
Awareness of Communication Patterns on Farm | 82% |
Effective Communication Tools for Farm | 100% |
Conflict Resolution Skills for Farm | 100% |
Incorporating Diverse Learning Styles toward More Effective Leadership and Communication | 100% |
Sense of Yourself as a Leader | 91% |
Understanding Diverse Ways People Seek Recognition and Affirmation | 82% |
Using Whole Farm Goal to Guide Communication on Farm | 82% |
Session Summary | 100% |
Session Eight – Land Planning | |
Prioritize Land and Infrastructure Development/Investments | 100% |
Design Strategies to Build Resilient, Diversified Farms | 100% |
Assess Management Considerations to Guide Land Planning | 100% |
How to Incorporate Natural Resource Issues into Land Planning | 100% |
How to Incorporate Social/Legal/Contractual into Land Planning | 100% |
How Permaculture Fits into Holistic Land Planning | 89% |
Session Summary | 100% |
Session Nine – Grazing | |
Value of Grazing Planning | 100% |
How to Assess Recovery Periods | 100% |
How to Assess Quantity of Forage in Pasture | 100% |
How to Improve Land Health with Livestock | 100% |
How to Determine Number of Animals Your Pasture Can Support | 100% |
How to Determine the Number of Paddocks | 100% |
How to Determine Grazing Periods | 100% |
Session Summary | 100% |
Session Ten – Soil Fertility | |
Importance of Improving Soil Fertility Sustainably | 55% |
Value of Organic Matter in Soils | 45% |
Benefits of a Covered Soil | 64% |
Benefits of Biodiversity | 55% |
Understanding Eco-system Processes on Your Farm | 73% |
Indicators of a Healthy Farm Eco-System | 91% |
Ability to Monitor Farm Eco-System Health | 82% |
Session Summary | 91% |
Increased Confidence In: | % of participants |
Developing Written Whole Farm Goal | 100% |
Delineating Farm Resources for Management | 80% |
Building an Effective Management Team | 67% |
Identifying Systems and Protocols for your Farm | 80% |
Manage Your Time on Your Farm | 100% |
Make Complex Decisions on Your Farm | 93% |
Using Testing Questions | 86% |
Determine Your Farm’s Net Worth | 100% |
Increase Your Farm’s Net Worth | 70% |
Determine Viable Profitable Enterprises | 100% |
Determine Your Farm’s Projected Revenue | 90% |
Ability to Identify Logjam/Adverse Factors | 100% |
Getting Profit You Need From Your Farm | 100% |
Prioritizing Cutting Farm Expenses to Guide Re-investment | 100% |
Determining Weak Link in Farm Enterprises | 91% |
Identifying Cash Flow Issues on Farm | 91% |
Monitoring Your Farm Financial Plan | 100% |
Pricing Your Farm Products | 71% |
Promoting Your Farm Products | 100% |
Developing a Marketing Plan that Meets Your Farm’s Needs and Goals | 100% |
Assessing Your Competition to Understand Your Farm’s Strengths | 79% |
Developing a Business/Strategic Plan | 100% |
Identifying Resources to Assist You in Developing a Business/Strategic Plan | 100% |
Implementing Important Strategic Systems and Projects | 90% |
Communicating with Decision Makers | 91% |
Communicating with Farm Workers | 91% |
Providing Recognition for Farm Workers | 100% |
Providing Leadership on Your Farm | 73% |
Ability to Prioritize Land/Infrastructure Improvements on Farm | 100% |
Ability to Incorporate Natural Resource Issues into Land Planning | 100% |
Ability to Incorporate Social/Legal Considerations into Land Planning | 100% |
Ability as a Grazer | 88% |
Assessing Recovery Periods | 100% |
Assessing Quantity of Forage and Pasture | 88% |
Determining the Number of Animals Your Land Can Support for Grazing | 88% |
Calculating the Number of Paddocks for your System | 75% |
Determining How Long Animals Will Stay in Each Paddock | 88% |
Monitoring Your Farm’s Eco-System Health | 91% |
Improving Eco-System Health on Your Farm | 73% |
Building Organic Matter in Your Soils | 73% |
Intended Behavior | % of participants |
Develop a Whole Farm Goal | 100% |
Change Management Practices | 100% |
Implement Time Management Tools or Processes | 100% |
Using Testing Questions | 100% |
Change Record-Keeping | 80% |
Change Enterprise Assessment | 70% |
Determine Profit Up Front and Cap Expenses | 70% |
Complete or Modify a Financial Plan | 100% |
Enter Financial Data Regularly | 73% |
Monitor Financial Plan | 64% |
Prioritize and Cut Expenses | 82% |
Complete or Modify a Marketing Plan | 100% |
Change Marketing Practices | 93% |
Complete or Modify a Business Plan | 90% |
Change Business Planning Practices | 88% |
Change Leadership Practices | 82% |
Complete or Modify Written Land Plan | 78% |
Change Land Management Practices | 88% |
Complete or Modify Written Grazing Plan | 71% |
Change Grazing Practices | 88% |
Conduct Biological Monitoring on Farm | 100% |
Change Eco-System Health Practices | 70% |
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