Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:1/2/2023 For this reporting period (year two) September 1st, 2022, through August 31st, 2023, the GA Farm Link platform generated a significant increase in awareness and engagement. The opening up of the community after Covid certainly increased website traffic as did the desire for healthier food and a desire to be less dependence on of the supply chain and the realization that farmers need to prepare for the future through transition planning. During this reporting period 243 Farm Seekers signed up along with 26 New landowners, this generated more than 311 on-going conversations among GAFarmLink.org, users. At least three properties entered the transitioning process through GA Farm Link, while seven others used it as part of their estate planning but did not directly transition using GA FarmLink. While person-to-person interaction in the community opened up, there was less willingness amongst agencies and organizations to hold in-person training and events, especially in the early part of the reporting period. Two events did, however, stand out during the early part of the reporting period. The National Heirs property Conference, December 1-3, 2022 (Atlanta), which drew significant attention to GA Farm Link and the GA Organics Conference (Perry GA) in February 16-17. These events, we believe, helped generate eight on-farm visits and subsequent outreach, conversations, additional follow-up, and educational support. Unfortunately, internal staff changes meant we were without full-time support during the spring and summer of 2023. However, In August 2023 a new manager for GA Farm Link was hired and has already put in place several measures to help grow awareness, engagement, and operations. These include a new website design and functionality that will come on stream in the summer of 2024. (the current platform and design have been in place since 2018 and will become un-supported technologically by the end of 2024). GA Farm Link will launch a Social Media campaign using various ALT and GA Farm Link assets. An advertising campaign utilizing statewide media including GA's Farmer and Consumers Market Bulletin and the GA Farm Bureau suit of publications. This will be combined with more in-person attendance and support for USDA and Extension events statewide and other agricultural focused Non-Profit organizations. ALT's on-going collaborations with non-profits in Southern Georgia whose mission focuses primarily on Historically Underserved farmers, will grow with the inclusion of the USDA/NRCS WREP program under ALTs guidance. Additionally, the Athens Land Trust is in the final stages of creating and launching the GA FarmLink Business Education program. This project will create a cohort of farmers with the training and support to establish successful farming enterprises within the GA FarmLink family. Changes/Problems:Covid continued to play a role from both a staffing perspective and more importantly a reluctance to host one-one events. Many of our target audience were not open to on-line training and discussion, however,as the year went on more in persdon events and interaction commenced. ALT staff changes also meant there were was a stop-start-stop situation where projects and goals were delayed. In August a new manager was hired and tasked with implementing long-term objectives. After a through review a series of projects have been put in place that include a statewide advertising campaign, social media outreach using new and existing ALT media, andevents callendar. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During this reporting period 243 Farm Seekers signed up along with 26 New landowners, this generated more than 311 on-going conversations among GAFarmLink.org, users. At least three properties entered the transitioning process through GA Farm Link, while seven others used it as part of their estate planning but did not directly transition using GA FarmLink. While person-to-person interaction in the community opened up, there was less willingness amongst agencies and organizations to hold in-person training and events, especially in the early part of the reporting period. Two events did, however, stand out during the early part of the reporting period. The National Heirs property Conference, December 1-3, 2022 (Atlanta), which drew significant attention to GA Farm Link and the GA Organics Conference (Perry GA) in February 16-17. These events, we believe, helped generate eight on-farm visits and subsequent outreach, conversations, additional follow-up, and educational support. From a personal proffesional development stand point GA Farm Link is part of a nationwide farm "Transitional" training delevopment scheme, which during the next few years will provided extensive training in this area of farm preservation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? These include a new website design and functionality that will come on stream in the summer of 2024. (the current platform and design have been in place since 2018 and will become un-supported technologically by the end of 2024). GA Farm Link will launch a Social Media campaign using various ALT and GA Farm Link assets. An advertising campaign utilizing statewide media including GA's Farmer and Consumers Market Bulletin and the GA Farm Bureau suit of publications. This will be combined with more in-person attendance and support for USDA and Extension events statewide and other agricultural focused Non-Profit organizations. ALT's on-going collaborations with non-profits in Southern Georgia whose mission focuses primarily on Historically Underserved farmers, will grow with the inclusion of the USDA/NRCS WREP program under ALTs guidance. Additionally, the Athens Land Trust is in the final stages of creating and launching the GA FarmLink Business Education program. This project will create a cohort of farmers with the training and support to establish successful farming enterprises within the GA FarmLink family.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Unfortunately, internal staff changes meant we were without full-time support during the spring and summer of 2023. However, In August 2023 a new manager for GA Farm Link was hired and has already put in place several measures to help grow awareness, engagement, and operations. However, during this reporting period 243 Farm Seekers signed up along with 26 New landowners, this generated more than 311 on-going conversations among GAFarmLink.org, users. At least three properties entered the transitioning process through GA Farm Link, while seven others used it as part of their estate planning but did not directly transition using GA FarmLink. While person-to-person interaction in the community opened up, there was less willingness amongst agencies and organizations to hold in-person training and events, especially in the early part of the reporting period. Two events did, however, stand out during the early part of the reporting period. The National Heirs property Conference, December 1-3, 2022 (Atlanta), which drew significant attention to GA Farm Link and the GA Organics Conference (Perry GA) in February 16-17. These events, we believe, helped generate eight on-farm visits and subsequent outreach, conversations, additional follow-up, and educational support. These include a new website design and functionality that will come on stream in the summer of 2024. (the current platform and design have been in place since 2018 and will become un-supported technologically by the end of 2024). Social media and Print/On-line advertising campaign which launches first quarter 2024.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project has been and will continue to be new and beginning farmers who are seeking land as a means to increase their agriculture production. A secondary audience are elderly farmers who are seeking ways to protect and transition their land to ensure it continues to be used for agriculture. The project's goal is to increase our opportunities to connect these two groups and facitlitate farmland transition between them. Within these target audience, Athens Land Trust will continue to pay special focus to Historically Underserved producers who have been traditionally excluded from land and transition resources. Changes/Problems:There was significant difficulty attracting and retaining staff for the position in the first year of the project, which reduced the amount that we were able to accomplish in year one as compared to our proposal. However, the staffing issues have been overcome and we do not anticipate any further issues in years two or three. We also do not feel that the year one setbacks will impact the overall project goals or deliverables, as a significant amount of groundwork has been laid that will allow for increased program accomplishments over the remainder of the project timeline. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During the reporting period, the project has focused on planning, preparationand 1:1 technical assistance to producers. Group training and professional development has been planned and scheduled for year 2 of the project, with the first of these opportunities already having been executed. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Initial dissemination of results and acitvities have been done through quarterly newsletters and social media posts. ALT's newsletter has reached 2,720 constituents. ALT is in the middle of an overhaul of our social media coordination, so current social dissemination tracking has been inconsistent. We anticpate a more coordinated effort across all social media platforms in year 2. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During year two of the project, we anticipate a dramatic increase in outreach and deliverables for the program. Year 1 was highlighted by difficulty in hiring for the GA Farmlink manager position as well as staff turnover. Starting in mid-2022 these inconsistencies have been fixed and the current manager has overhauled the project outreach plan and scheduled a significant number of activities for year 2. In addition to 1:1 consultations and ongoing outreach, there are five workshops organized for January and February 2023 that will focus on land tranisiton methods and recruitment for the project. ALT also has plans to expand the GA Farmlink social media presence. Additionally, ALT plans to return the farmer's market it operates to a full-time in-person market for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began. GA Farmlink is working on putting together an outreach plan to be present at each market as way to reach producers and work to make landowner/landseeker connections around the Athens-Clarke County area. ALT is also working on growing collaborations with non-profits in Southern Goergia whose mission focuses primarily on Historically Underserved farmers. We are excited about the opportunities to reach this constituency and grow our outreach footprint and partners within this region, which has the highest concentration of HU producers within the state.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In the reporting period, 148 new profiles were created on the GA Farmlink Platform. Of these, 5 were landowners looking to make connections for their land, while 67 were producers seeking farmland. The remainder are signups who didn't create either an owner or seeker profile. The disparity between owners and seekers has existed throughout the life of the platform, and ALT will continue to work to find landowners who are willing to transition their land to producers through sale or lease. ALT provided technical or business assistance to 20 prodcuers during the project period. Additionally, ALT offereced outreach and assistance to an additional 32 producers interested in ALT farm service programs including farmland access and transition. ALT has worked to make connections with partners to support the goals of GA Farmlink. In the first year of the program, ALT has met with 20 key partners to grow outreach and resources for GA Farmlink and increase the reach of our land transition activities.
Publications
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