While beginning agricultural producers often have strong production and technology skills, they may be less proficient in business assessment and relationship skills. This leads to increased risks to the success of the operation and to frustration for the individuals involved. Cole Ehmke Extension Specialist, and his team at the University of Wyoming created the project Developing Young Producers Through A Challenge Group which was designed to teach financial, legal, risk management and strategic skills to new and beginning producers to better equip them to manage their operations as they grow.

Challenge Group 2008 consisted of eleven ag producer participants from eight farming operations in the Powell area of Northeast Wyoming who attended this one-year multi-session program. “We focused on newer and younger producers because we felt they would get the most dramatic use from top-level management training,” says Ehmke. “We wanted to challenge them to be the best managers they could be.”

The program was delivered in an interactive environment. “We tried to keep the class topics actionable and participatory,” says Ehmke. Each session began with an educational segment, followed by additional time to work on strategic, marketing and financial plans. Ehmke shares, “We wanted to see people apply the information taught during the sessions to ensure the information was being internalized and applied in a way that improved risk management.” To make sure participants came away with something tangible each session was directly linked to a portion of the business plan. In addition, an economist from the University of Wyoming performed an evaluation of each participant’s financial records and/or made suggestions for improved risk management and cost control for every operation.

The first session of the program was on personality style and how it affects communication. “Realizing that personality influences communication is a powerful insight,” shares Ehmke. “This session was a great icebreaker to bring people together fast.” Ehmke goes on to say, “Throughout the program, participants talked freely among each other and discussed issues from their operations, which helped them apply the information they learned and built peer relationships.”

The group was encouraged to be creative and open to trying things that were nontraditional and entrepreneurial. “Our participants all started thinking about new ventures,” recalls Ehmke. “In the class, we helped them to take the next step.” To facilitate the peer support, producers toured other participants’ operations while each host discussed the operation’s production performance and methods for improvement. This activity enabled participants to gain insights on increasing production efficiency.

As a result of this program nine of the eleven participants reported improved interpersonal, family, and business relationships; as well as, improved understanding of the components for a good business plan. Nine participants developed a vision statement and eleven developed a marketing plan. Eleven participants developed a list of goals and began the evaluation process of both the financial and legal impacts of meeting those goals, and all eleven completed a written business plan.

“The feedback we received was great,” Ehmke says. “The participants got a lot out of the class, and they’ve improved their higher level farm management and risk management skills.” Ehmke goes on, “Many producers were inspired to begin new enterprises that were not only new to their families, but new to the region as well.” In the end of class evaluations, all 11 participants claimed the course topics were relevant, the course content was easy to understand and they learned tools and information that they were able to use in their own operations.

As part of the evaluation process, participants’ replied to the question, “As a result of this class, what actions do you plan to take in the future to improve your personal finances?” Producer participants replied:

“I plan on looking at risks more and deciding if they are worth the reward.”

“Keep budgets.”

“We are so new to it that this class has helped us start off right.”

“More in depth analysis of various enterprises.”

“Plot a more solid business plan on paper so it can be acted on easily.”

“More organized and be up to date.”

“Use the record keeping and time management skills learned and incorporate those in my plan.”

“Personal finances were the biggest issue for me to address.”

“This class showed me how to get started and how to read and interpret the bottom lines – Big Help.”

“Look closer at our ratios and see what needs to improve there.”

All participants said they intended to use business planning concepts from the class in their operations. Another participant comments:

“This is the best class I’ve ever taken!”

Due to the success of this program, the UW Extension has since hosted several more classes – one each year in Powell alone. In the most recent Powell class, February and March of 2012, there were twelve more new and beginning farmers who participated. In recent classes, farmers report that they are more willing to explore diverse enterprises (like specialty crops), develop and follow business plans, conscientiously use farm records, and critically evaluate existing enterprises.

CO Building Farmer Program Workshop

Adrian Card and his team at Colorado State University Extension, Boulder County, developed the Colorado Building Farmers Program to educate producers on building capacity and opportunities through business development and management training.  The 2010 program targeted producers in five regions of Colorado, (Northern and Southern Front Range, Golden Plains, Western Slope, Southwest), who were either beginning market-farmers, or farmers seeking to expand to new markets by evaluating changes in tenure, production practices, marketing outlets or business planning.

Through the success and momentum of this Colorado based program, a seven state collaborative project –Building Farmers in the West grew. Reaching new and beginning specialty producers from Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Washington, this program taught producers to build economically viable small farm operations through business planning, regional direct marketing strategies and networking efforts with farm colleagues.

To read more about both projects, view our November 2011 Newsletter. To view videos featuring an overview of the Colorado project and producer participant testimonials click here.

Testimonials from Colorado Building Farmers Program:

Jason Griffith - Aspen Moon Farm

One participant has this to say of his experience with the program: “I came away from the program with a better understanding of record keeping, business planning, and the importance of treating a farm like a business. Most farmers like to grow, but turning that passion into profits is the real challenge. As a result of this program, we were connected with many resources that benefit the small farm. We were connected with the FSA office and were able to obtain an FSA loan to install hoophouses, greenhouses, and purchase a new tractor. We have also participated in the mentorship program for two years in a row and have learned valuable skills in direct-marketing, soil and farm health, and production. Now at the end of our third year farming, we have developed a viable business that soon will be our sole source of income for our family of five.”

Successful outcome from 2010 evaluations: -A winter market in Fort Collins, Colorado, benefits greatly from the program as many of their off-season vendors are graduates of the Boulder program. This winter market sees thousands of visitors and has become a key driver of traffic to their Old Town region. Moreover, it allows local-minded customers to get access to more year-round produce, meats and value-added products.

Comments from the 2009 class participants, one year following the program:

CO Building Farmer Program 2009 Class

“We had not really taken a good look at our original plans in the couple years since we started. When we took the class, we revised those plans in light of our experience and the various considerations brought up in class and found it useful both for strategic and practical application the following year.”

“I have been working away at developing a viable business plan and financial profitability study while building business infrastructure.”

“An excellent program that has given me the tools needed to have my own farm and run my own business.”

“Creating a business plan helped me learn what size and type of operation I could realistically run.”

“It was really wonderful to share ideas and learn of triumphs and pit falls from other farmers before us. It gave us examples as to how to measure the success of our business and put our operation in perspective.”

“Getting to see actual numbers and hearing real methods and stories was great. Without being around all the other folks (just being at the farm I´m at) I would have a really skewed vision of farming. Exposure and encouragement was key.”

In order for a ranch business to be sustainable, producers must foster positive working relationships and maintain effective management of the business. The High Plains Ranch Practicum School introduced producer participants to a holistic perspective that integrated livestock, natural resources, range and economics into their decision making. The six-month program consisted of eight full-day seminars delivered in Nebraska and Wyoming and was developed jointly by Dallas Mount, University of Wyoming Extension and Aaron Berger, University of Nebraska Extension. The school introduced in-depth ranch management strategies to 22 producer participants and included sessions on writing business and livestock marketing plans, range and livestock price insurance and detailed individual consulting on calculating unit cost of production. “We saw a need for an Extension program that focused on ranch systems,” says Mount. “Many programs focus on one aspect or another of the production system, but we wanted to bring it all together in one package and help ranchers make decisions from a systems mindset.”

Site visits for individual producers were conducted both during and after the program to assist them in gathering, interpreting, and applying the information presented. “The sites visits were key to the program’s success,” says Mount.  “We were able to give producers individual guidance on implementing the strategies we taught in class.” Mount goes on, “In addition, we gained a better understanding of the individual situation each producer was facing and better understood what knowledge they could bring to the class.”

Participants reported that some of the most beneficial aspects of the course were the caliber of instructors used, the focus on system-wide implications of management decisions, using unit cost of production as a financial analysis method, and the hands-on approach to learning. “We used about a dozen Extension specialists and educators from Wyoming and Nebraska, as well as industry experts and producers with expertise in a particular area relevant to each class,” reports Mount.

As a result of this innovative practicum school, 21 producers met all the requirements for the class and completed both the unit cost of production exercise and the business planning exercise. Additionally, results showed an overall impact that influenced over 117 people, which included the management and decision-making for 7,800 beef cattle, and 170,000 acres of native range, planted pasture and hay land. Results of a survey given one year after the project revealed that participants gained knowledge that would account for, on average, an increase net return of $25 per head of cattle managed. The total net estimated impact for producer participants was $195,000.

Rancher participant success stories:

More information can be found at http://HPRanchPracticum.com
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Shellfish growing on pole, photo by PCSGA

Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, a naturally occurring marine bacteria, has been the cause of increasing illnesses associated with consumption of raw oysters harvested during warm weather events in areas prone to the bacteria. Washington is the largest producer of farmed oysters in the U.S. and is identified as one of the largest contributors to illness rates. The Washington State Board of Health instituted mandatory Vibrio control rules, effective June 2008, requiring growers to implement new stricter time-to-temperature controls at harvest. These new requirements brought on significant logistical challenges for many growers. Parallel to Washington State’s efforts, the FDA, working through the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference, had also developed new time-to-temperature control requirements at a national level.

With the support of collaborators including growers, tribal representatives, state and federal agencies, and Vibrio researchers, Robin Downey, past Executive Director of the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers’ Association (PCSGA), designed the program Reducing Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Illnesses through Appropriate Oyster Harvest Protocols.  The goal of the program was to inform growers of new regulatory requirements as well as, research findings and potential management methods to eliminate or reduce the growth of the bacteria. Through workshops, educational materials, and technical assistance producers were educated on new requirements to get the product under temperature control as quickly as possible, with the added benefits of improving product quality and potentially increasing consumer confidence.

Hand harvesting oysters Samish WA, photo by PCSGA

Downey and her team collected ideas from growers, regulators and researchers to develop a series of brochures designed to address every aspect of handling oysters, from the initial harvest all the way to the final consumer.  “We obtained a list of the restaurants and seafood stores our growers sell to, then sent a letter and sample brochures to all these locations as well as, to every licensed shellfish harvester and dealer in the state.  We also made them available in PDF format on our website www.pcsga.org ,” says Downey.  In addition, the Washington Department of Health distributed the brochures to county public health departments throughout the state and asked that they be distributed to restaurants that handle oysters.

As a result of this program, participants are better informed about the new laws and the options available to them to apply to their product to keep it safe.

Producer Testimonials:

“This program has helped me understand the harvest regulation requirements so I can explain to the harvesters.”

“We recommend this training to all retail markets, truckers, restaurants, and county health people.”

“Very informative and useful information was clearly presented. Good Job.”

Recent produce outbreaks have highlighted the importance of diligent food safety practices at the grower level to reduce food-borne pathogen risks. It has become critical that producers be educated on the urgency to adopt food safety practices to assist them in managing risk and regulatory changes. Karen Killinger, from Washington State University’s School of Food Science and Human Nutrition, and her team, created a Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) workshop series targeting producers who direct market to local and regional food systems. The workshops provided information about on-farm food safety practices to participants representing a broad range of experience levels, acreage and distribution scales.

Grower commitments were a key factor in the GAPs implementation. Additionally, developing a culture of food safety among all farm employees was also identified as an important factor; therefore employee training, education and communication was often mentioned as a result of workshop participation. “Adopting food safety practices and a GAPs program typically involves increased documentation of food safety practices,” shares Killinger. Because of this she says, “Producers must be prepared to enhance their record keeping practices.”

Another strength of the program was in the delivery method. The content was presented to producers in an atmosphere that allowed them to feel secure and comfortable with the speakers and the information being presented. “One of the greatest gains from the workshops was bringing producers together and presenting them with the opportunity to discuss some of the more challenging issues involved with GAPs implementation,” recalls Killinger. Participants indicated that the discussion based format of Session II was very helpful in that, specific topics were addressed and producers were able to hear solutions from other growers as well as WSU faculty. Additionally, conducting Session II several months after the initial workshop provided producers with the opportunity to reflect on the information provided in Session I and how they were currently addressing GAPs in their operations.

“A key to verifying producer results for this program was getting participants’ contact information at the time of registration,” says Killinger. Some participants made changes to their food safety practices after attending the first session, but did not attend Session II. Therefore, follow-up, online evaluations were important to capture program impacts for these participants. Producers identified employee training and worker health and hygiene to be important areas for food safety mitigation and indicated that they needed further assistance with water quality and manure management. “The project gained momentum as the education helped producers to move from acceptance of recommended practices to adoption with a long-term goal of GAPs implementation and appropriate food safety practices,” states Killinger. “Recent food illness outbreaks also helped to motivate producer participation.”

Collaborator expertise was critical to the success of the project due, in part, to the multidisciplinary team that addressed all aspects of food safety risk. WSU faculty, and Washington State Department of Health and Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Food Safety Programs and other partnering organizations offered expertise and perspective.

Indicators of success and evidence of producer knowledge gain from Session I evaluations, included comments on implementation, further sharing of information and training as well as education:

“It will give me a jump start towards implementing the program in my business. The harvester hygiene portion will really help with training my workers.”

“Gave me a starting point to implement/document practices.”

“I have a better understanding of the scientific aspects of microorganisms. Helpful in identifying effective controls (or reviewing existing program effectiveness).”

Comments from Session II evaluations on education, and feedback on the discussion-based format:

“I liked the fact the instruction was about why GAPs are necessary, rather than using an auditing agency document and instructing how to meet a certain qualifier. The information on why it is essential to reduce the risks associated with the microbes and what you can do to reduce risk was great.”

“I liked hearing other peoples side of their food safety programs and struggles.”

“I liked the participant participation level. It is always good to hear about how things work or don’t work for others. We can always learn from others on how to get our farm food safety program even better.”

“I liked hearing from other producers about specific ways they are implementing GAP procedures.”

“Group was small (3 moderators, 7 participants), which was good, as it made for easy discussion; however, more participants might have provided more discussion.”

“Good environment for people to voice questions/concerns; good, knowledgeable presenters.”

Evidence of producer outcomes and examples of goals for GAPs implementation:

“Develop and implement farm food safety manual in the next 3 months. Develop and implement worker hygiene procedures in the next 3 months.”

“Develop written procedures for the following in the next 3 mo: trace back container sanitation, personal hygiene, product storage/sanitation. Monitor irrigation water quality, next 3 months. Third party audit in 1 year.”

“We are improving our traceability program and it should be completely updated by the end of the season.”

One-year follow-up evaluations:

“All factors leading to our up-scaling food safety practices came about because we attended your workshop. You made a good impression on us to pay attention and do what we can to protect our customers and protect ourselves.”