Farmers and Ranchers Forum December 10, 2012 Notes from the day

Transcription

1 Farmers and Ranchers Forum December 10, 2012 Notes from the day Laura Cootsona and Joc Clark, Facilitators Jonathan "Joc" Clark, Ph.D., Facilitator Laura R. Cootsona, M.N.A., Facilitator office cell December 10, 2012 Growing Profitability Forum, Page 1

2 Northern California Farmers and Ranchers Forum Growing Profitability Purpose of Forum What can we (farmers, Northern California Land Trust, NoRTEC, & 3CORE) do to help make our small and mid-sized farms and ranches more profitable? On December 10, 2012, roughly 100 farmers, ranchers and related professionals joined in Corning, California, for four hours to explore ways to grow profitability for their operations and endeavors. Summary of Conclusions 8 Key Themes identified for growing profitability Education Infrastructure Farmers Market Development Ag Marketing Funding Labor Policy Access "How can we grow profits for small and mid-sized farmers and ranchers?" Themes 1: Education A. K through 12 education B. College/University/Higher Education C. Education of the consumers D. Education: Training/Development for Farmers/Ranchers 2. Infrastructure 3: Farmer's Market Development 4: Ag Marketing 5: Funding 6: Labor 7: Public Policy 8: Access December 10, 2012 Growing Profitability Forum, Page 2

3 The method and process: Answers and recommendations were identified and prioritized by the participants. Through a series of facilitated steps, the participants responded to a sequence of focus questions including: (1) What is inspiring to them about farming and ranching? (2) In three to five years, what future headlines do they envision about the successes in local small-mid sized farms and ranches? (3) Break-out groups named 5-8 ideas of what elements will be necessary to make their visions possible and successful. (4) The ideas for how the success of visions will succeed were clustered into themes or topics (5) Break out groups formed in each of the topics areas to make recommendations and a presentation of these to the larger group. (6) Group prioritization of the topics using the nominal group technique. The results/outcomes: Common themes that rise to the top are related to access: access to markets, access to consumers and consumers having access to healthy foods. As the day progressed, access was the underlying theme that led to more specific areas of need. 1. Education Teaching the public about good, healthy food choices and their benefits Training within the vocation to engage and produce young farmers and ranchers December 10, 2012 Growing Profitability Forum, Page 3

4 Teaching consumers about buying local and what that really means 2. Infrastructure 3. Funding 4. Marketing Next Steps Determine strategies for development of greater access around the themes of: Education o Teaching the public about good, healthy food choices and their benefits o Training within the vocation to engage and produce young farmers and ranchers o Teaching consumers about buying local and what that really means Infrastructure Funding Marketing Invitation by hosts to collaborate on each theme Sponsor Perspective Notes from "Lay of the Land" Presentations 1. Nortec Jocie Boyer and Stewart Knox A local workforce investment board that covers 11 rural counties. Consists of two boards 11 boards of supervisors/29 local business leaders. Sets policy and direction on training programs Funded by Department of Labor Goals are to strengthen business and industry through quality programs and assist in the creation of employment opportunities. Observations 20 years farming has experienced real economic growth due to growing population 1.4 billion up over 30% since December 10, 2012 Growing Profitability Forum, Page 4

5 76.6 million to the receipt total self-employed firms play a significant role in the natural resource industry (and more than half are self-employed) Key issues: production, distribution, value-added manufacturing 2. 3Core Marc Nemanic Snapshot of Butte County: 75% Butte County businesses with fewer than 5 employees 836 Butte County industries $1 million sales plus 10 staff 2,768 employees of these 836 businesses 75 Butte County industries $25 million sales plus 10 staff 2,119 employees of these 75% Where is the growth here? Manufacturing Agricultural and related business Healthcare Technology Food processing High employment growth Ag & niche processing Women s clothing and accessories Fabricated metal products Six pillars of entrepreneurial ecosystem: Identify, train, connect, fund, enable, and celebrate. Suggested Action Plan One-on-one Boots on the ground multiple doors and ways to establish Service provider coordination Tool box things useful for you Train entrepreneurs (webinars, colleges, etc.) Joint events and venues (networking & connecting) Expanding financing available for growth Track trends & attack problems continuously Reducing and eliminating barriers for entry by growing businesses Celebrate, recognize and share success stories 3. Northern California Regional Land Trust: Local Food Systems Program Noelle Ferdon Program includes Buy Fresh Buy Local, North Valley, a Beginning Farmer/Rancher Farmlink program and the Food Hub project BFBLNV works with 75 farmer, rancher, restaurant and retail members California Farm Link number 1 barrier to entering farming as an occupation is access to land; NCRLT is now the regional North Valley host for CA Farmlink to begin banking available lands and aspiring farmers December 10, 2012 Growing Profitability Forum, Page 5

6 Local food baseline we conducted a consumer survey, growers survey, research estimating the region s capacity to eat local and gathered data from different market channels to put together a general baseline for how much locally grown food is being redistributed in the region. o Likely less than 1% of what we grow o More than ½ said yes to the need for cold-storage Local Food Distribution/Consumption Capacity: Based on research we did, theoretically we have opportunity to provide up to 38% in Butte, 84% in Glenn and in Tehama of the food we consume (based on consumption and crop production patterns) Local foodshed map about the farm another tool for raising visibility increase access Food hub feasibility study conducted by Morrison & Co. was completed two weeks ago o 2012 USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program grant; o Connecting growers with buyers; o Creating new market opportunities; o Expanding business; o Third party logistics get product from farm to restaurant; o Food and farm assessment done in five northern counties - $5 a week on a locally grown = $81 million annually in that region. Group Introductions We are inspired by Learning and Education (eg. Farmer of the Month ) Organic pork Looking for the value added Health benefits Improve marketing and profitability Trying to figure out how to stay in the farming business Second career Sense of community Access to good and healthy food Healthy food production Local food Getting organic with our market connections Access to Farmers markets for new farmers Developing Farmers Markets Developing Companies Buy fresh. Buy Local Ability to have our own local food Abundance Possibility to develop local processing capacity Understanding the market in filling the gap Connecting with people, resources and increasing profitability December 10, 2012 Growing Profitability Forum, Page 6

7 Headlines Imagine where we will be in three years Mountain Growers Achieves Goal of Nonprofit Status Local Growers Get Involved in Politics 20% of Food Consumed Locally is Locally Produced (by 2020) Ag Tourism brings Record Visitors Berkeley Olive Grove Ag Tourism Challenges Sierra Nevada Brewery in terms of Popularity Tri-County Food Hub Fully Funded Ready to Serve the North State Successful Retail/Profits Establishment Created for Farm Products Nor Cal Beef/Pork: Its What s For Dinner Farmers Markets Now in Every Town and Village in North State Conservation Easement Through NCRLT Supports Local Business Ability to Grow Public Finally Understands Where Food Comes From Increase Biodiesel Replaces Need for Expensive New Equipment Sacramento Valley is National Education Training Hub for Direct Market Famers and Ranchers SoCal Gives up Water Demand and Buys Food from Northern California December 10, 2012 Growing Profitability Forum, Page 7

8 Keep eating. Buy Local. WalMart Joins Local Food Hub California Backs off Onerous Regulation to Increase Business Among Farmers Idea Generation Symbols to Titles What might we do to make these headlines a reality? 1. Education A. Education: K-12 Small farm food into school kitchens Expand AG education in K-12 education Educate the consumers Grow school farms B. Education: University Expand local C.C. Ag programs Educate consumers about food sources Applied AG Ed Connect institutions with farms C. Education: The Consumers Mindset: changing habits Ag Day for local areas Look to Oregon s successful local grow program Community involvement and empowerment December 10, 2012 Growing Profitability Forum, Page 8

9 Food without farmers: (known program) Cooking demos at farmers markets Educate food value over price Educate the consumer o About eating local and seasonal o Producing and feeding oneself o How to cook with fresh ingredients Farm exchange different professions run a farm for a day Health benefits forum D. Education: Training and development for Farmers/Ranchers Consulting and mentoring new farmers Habitat friendly farming One Stop Farmer resource directory Farm Internship 2. Infrastructure Develop CSA Coops Create mobile farmers markets Create new food processing facilities Funding for local food infrastructure Promote online food hub participation Find 2-3 catalyst projects Cold storage facility 3. Farmers Markets Development Provide business utilities at farmers markets Improve accessibility to farmer markets for working folks Tax deduction: excess produce donate to food banks and gleaner groups Identify a liaison for farmers markets Integrate local farmers market with community programs Grow your EBT with local growers 4. AG Marketing Sell an experience Work through grower/business Co-op Expand marketing power Develop appellations for different ag commodities Develop producer co-ops 5. Funding Create local foods revolving loan fund Financing $: creative, alternative, available 6. Labor Create and develop farm labor 7. Policy Private/public partnerships for advocacy Ease of state regulations through incentives for attaining community goals 8. Access December 10, 2012 Growing Profitability Forum, Page 9

10 Convenience o Access from buyer to seller o Available everywhere Incubate mini stores that sell local food in food deserts Reliable food chains Create mobile farmers markets Roundtable Discussion Ideas: Titles to Themes 8 ways to grow profit The following 8 themes identified for growing the profitability of small and midsize farms in Northern California. Theme #1: Education A. K through 12 education Recommendations: (This cohort was small and joined with the "educate the consumers" cohort. Some recommendations for K-12 are listed within the educate the consumer section). B. College/University/Higher Education Recommendations: Regional Ag day at the community colleges to educate students on the colleges programs C. Education of the consumers Recommendations: i. Collaboration/networking a. Community action agency's b. Use of Food stamps c. Local growers with local programs FFA, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts etc. ii. National campaign a. Mass media (Financing from health insurance) iii. iv. Introducing local healthy and seasonal aspects home at classes Use of community access TV radio stations a. Cooking shows v. Common brand/logo December 10, 2012 Growing Profitability Forum, Page 10

11 vi. Economic relationship and economics Saving cost via health, transportation etc. Combination of marketing/education On farm experience to educate for ag-tourism Higher frequency of Farmtrail type events D. Education (training and development) for farmers and ranchers: i. Internships develop workable policy to make realistic ii. Train farmers to set up internship programs iii. Network of farmers offering internships iv. Training geared to "older" farmers and ranchers v. Training geared towards "newer" farmers and ranchers vi. Create a "clearinghouse" Of resources offered by government agencies/nonprofits vii. Free webinars viii. Mentoring veteran farmer/rancher paired with new farmer (find through ag associations) ix. Define what training is needed x. Create a Small Farmers and Ranchers Association Theme #2: Infrastructure i. Online food hub...building sustainability ii. Physical food hub is the big vision iii. Meat processing facilities Regulations Feasibility study Use 3Core as a resource and Superior CA iv. Value added processing a. Hot packing b. Dried fruit processing c. Commercial kitchens v. Cold storage vi. Distribution Are iv, v, & vi all potential the services of a food hub? 2 markets: Wholesale Consumer vii. Funding a. PPP Identify private partners that are able to leverage public funding Private infrastructure projects that are more ready to go with the phone funding December 10, 2012 Growing Profitability Forum, Page 11

12 Theme #3: Farmer's Market Development i. Educate the consumer ii. Permanent sites with utilities iii. Integrate markets with community programs (i.e. food banks, sponsorship by local nonprofits, fundraisers for local needs wildfires, etc.) iv. Advertising/communication in community v. Receipts from farmer to community using local fresh produce vi. Info on website vii. Word-of-mouth viii. Communication with vendors from a Growing Association or Farmers Association Theme 4: Ag Marketing i. Selling the experience a. Know your Farmer ii. Value added products a. Farm ID iii. "Face" certification a. BFBL Theme #5: Funding i. Start small validate need ii. Production 18 months/3 core iii. (FSA) R/P equals $300 K iv. Co-Lending/MOU v. Bridge Loans vi. Gatekeepers WRAP vii. T/A into front end Theme #6: Labor i. When/where is the shortage? Location? Crop? ii. What are the small farm needs? iii. Better awareness of farm as career, make it attractive job (Use student volunteer hours at small farms) iv. Work with farm labor contractors about labor shortage related to Northern California crops December 10, 2012 Growing Profitability Forum, Page 12

13 Theme #7: Public Policy i. Reach goals by incentives, not rules and regulations. ii. Admin rules Buy-in iii. Interest based bargaining iv. EBT goals/sustainability Rating v. School rating for wellness vi. Applied Ed: Course credit for Farm Internships vii. Student Loan Credits for farm work viii. Nonprofits could replace many government functions. Last resort ix. Leverage communication resources x. Farmers market for student and youth to sell xi. The market economy Buyer beware Theme #8: Access Goals: A. To improve access/logistics of local products and services to consumers B. To increase access of consumers to grower/services, employ a third-party mediator to organize acquisition, distribution, contracting, administration, etc. regionally for a wide group of small businesses i. Getting access to growers/services for consumers and access to consumers for growers/services ii. Challenges Limits for growers: seasonality, scale Limits for consumers: Availability iii. Solutions/benefits Pick up from growers while distributing to consumers Reducing transportation/carbon footprint by bringing products/services to consumers Regionally Managed/interaction December 10, 2012 Growing Profitability Forum, Page 13