Mission: Making lives better and creating jobs through healthy, sustainable, local agriculture.
Vision:Increase and diversify the production and distribution of local, wholesome, agricultural products.
Goal #1: Partner with existing farmers to build local markets for their existing crops while encouraging them to expand into local niche products.
Strategies:
1. Conduct research to find successful models in which farmers have financially benefitted by diversifying their production.
2. Develop strategies for educating farmers about the economic value of diversifying their agri-business.
3. Determine alternative products that have a good transferability of farmers’ knowledge, skills, and technology/equipment from their existing products to alternative products.
4. Develop support systems to help farmers develop business plans for diversifying their production.
Goal #2: Establish distribution strategies to get the product from farmer to consumer.
Strategies:
1. Research other regional distribution models to determine the feasibility of developing a system that matches the needs and capabilities of the local area.
2. Develop a communication strategy, including a website, which provides a connection between producers and consumers.
3. Develop a business plan for building a distribution system.
4. Explore storage facility possibilities to fulfill current production needs.
5. Develop strategies to stay informed about the work of area food preparation and processing groups.
Goal #3: Determine products with a potential local market niche.
Strategies:
1. Determine demand for products by engaging regional buyers (e.g., ethnic restaurants).
2. Develop a resource that shows feasibility of growing various agricultural products in this region.
Goal #4: Find and grow new farmers.
Strategies:
1. Conduct research to identify and learn from the best beginning farmer and mentoring programs.
2. Use local workforce, business development programs/organizations, educational institutions, government services, and mentoring organizations to assess the potential supply of people interested in agricultural business opportunities.
3. Market farming opportunities to potential new farmers.
4. Develop support systems for agricultural entrepreneurs as they develop business plans, including feasibility studies.
Goal #5: Identify parcels of land that are available and viable.
Strategies:
1. Develop a checklist of steps new farmers need to take to discover if particular land is viable for agriculture: zoning, soil, water, price, etc.
2. Explore and research feasibility of developing a farmer incubator program in which SEED or an entrepreneur/experienced farmer/educator rents land to new farmers and possibly coordinates a mentorship program.
3. Depending on results of feasibility study in 2, begin development of new farmer incubator program.
4. Identify parcels of land that are viable for agriculture using checklist developed in 1, working with farmers to ensure due diligence is done; or develop a resource or system to help farmers find land: newsletters, social agencies, social media, Farm Service Agency, etc.