EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FOOD LEADERS

CURRENT AND DEVELOPING PROGRAMMING AT MICHAEL FIELDS AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE * Student Intern & Apprentice Program ~ Christine Welcher * Growing Urban Leaders in Food Systems Initiative ~ George Reistad

ROOM SURVEY  Why are you here today?  Who in the room is a student?  Who in the room is an educator?  Who in the room is a farmer or producer?  Are there any “others?”

INTERN AND APPRENTICE STUDENT PROGRAMS  4+ acre organic, educational farm  Students come from around the world  Focus on intensive, hands-on learning to build knowledge, confidence, passion and physical strength  Season starts in March and goes through the October  Spans everything from seed starting to harvest & marketing  Farmers’ Markets, Wholesale, and Farm Stand Sales  Visit and Volunteer time at neighboring farms to increase exposure of farming systems  Room & Board at the East Troy Campus

THE GARDENS’ INTERN PROGRAM  Curriculum for Interns includes:  Classes on various topics  Field Days and Farm Tours  Workshops  Volunteer time at other farms  Independent Study Projects Crop Families Soil Health Cover Crops & Fertility Greenhouse Managemen t Pests, Weeds and Disease Marketing Harvest and Post- Harvest Handling Planning and Rotations

THE GARDENS’ APPRENTICE PROGRAM  Curriculum for Apprentices includes:  Classes focused on business planning with guest speakers  Field Days and Farm Tours  Workshops  Management Responsibilities  A completed Farm Plan & Business Plan Marketing Plan Planting Schedule Seed Order Budget SWOT Analysis Pricing Strategies Legal Requirem ents & Licensing Balance Sheets, P&L, Cash Flow Financing Options

GROWING URBAN LEADERS IN FOOD SYSTEMS INITIATIVE  MFAI staff recognized the need to develop programming aimed at educating, mobilizing, and eventually employing urban youth in the field of sustainable agriculture, particularly civic engagement around urban food systems work  Very few young Leaders of Color in the sustainable agriculture and local foods world  3 steps:  Education  Engagement  Employment

GULFS – WHY?  Food systems is a large sphere and food is a universal part of life for all people and communities  There needs to be full representation and participation in the decisions being made and conversations being had around food access, resource development, health and nutrition strategies, etc in these communities  By and large, young people of color are missing from that conversation

GULFS – HOW?  Partnerships  We believe that diverse partnerships with NGOs/CBOs, schools, and institutions is a strategic way to reach our target student audiences in different capacities  Meeting DPI standards is a plus for school teachers and provides structure for developed lessons in an NGO/CBO setting Off the Block Salsa

GULFS – HOW?  Partnerships  Have contacted interested organizations in the Madison and Milwaukee area  Mentoring Positives  Urban Ecology Center  Growing Power  MPS, MMSD  UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee UW Madison PEOPLE Program Urban Ag Interns

GULFS – CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT  What types of topics to cover?  Want a curriculum that educates but also mobilizes and allows students to think critically about food-based issues in their communities and neighborhoods  Lesson Example: Food, Nutrition, and Health  What is “healthy food”?  ID healthy options in their neighborhood (residence, org or school)  Activity: Compile a suite of “healthy meals” using what’s available in a 1-mile radius on a budget of $5/day

GULFS - CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT  Other lesson plan ideas  Intro to local gov’t  City hall tour; city council meeting(s); practice legislative/advocacy meetings  Basics of public speaking and presenting  Food system topic-based presentations – short (3-5 mins) but with an objective and a point to argue; debate style  Racial, food, economic, and social justice  Exploring these concepts and looking at historical trends, especially using urban centers as case studies – Detroit, Milwaukee, Chicago, etc. Will Green – Mentoring Positives Urban Ecology Center – High School Outdoor Leaders

GULFS - CHALLENGES  Removal of formalized education on Civics and Government and citizen interaction with those systems  Current political climate  Challenges of long-term interaction with and monitoring of students to ensure:  Successful Education  Engagement  Employment outcomes

FARMING IS HARD WORK! Many beginning farmers face difficult hurdles when they begin.  Student loan debt  High land prices  60% of beginning farmers in Wisconsin are 1 st generation  Off farm jobs plus farming responsibilities leaves little time for training and workshops or conferences  31% of farmers in Wisconsin are women  Traditionally aren’t taught financial and business skills required

SUSTAINABLE FARMING ASSOCIATION REPORT W/ SUPPORT FROM RENEWING THE COUNTRYSIDE AND UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA  Released in August of 2015  71% of respondents planned to get a majority of their income from farming  54% of those reported less than 25% coming from farming  33% reported less than 10% coming from farming  63% did not have a business plan when they started  75% of those who did reported their business plan did not accurately predict their experiences  18% rated their plans “not accurate at all”  Respondents indicated a significant difference between the life & livelihood expected and the reality of farming  Many found farming more complicated, more stressful and just plain harder than expected and with slower progress towards goals  “Did not know this would challenge every facet of our brains, emotions, intelligence and body strength.”

PREPARING BEGINNING FARMERS FOR REALITY Classes are taught as discussions vs. lectures Farm Plan, planting schedules, and my notes are available Financial bookkeeping and records are open and transparent Students have personal investment in markets and sales Living on the farm gives them a true picture of the time and commitment involved Students have the opportunity to make mistakes, fail and learn from them Apprentices research and develop a complete farm & business plan

MAIN GOALS FOR OUR PROGRAMMING Student Garden Program Mentoring opportunities for Apprentice Program Graduates Grow & improve our Business Planning Course Expand Internship and Apprenticeship opportunities in our area through partnerships GULFS Initiative Creating opportunities for young, urban leaders to engage and work in the fields of sustainable agriculture and food systems Teaching the basics of civic engagement and citizen advocacy

CALL TO ACTION  What work are you all doing to empower the next generation of food leaders?  How can we make our programs impactful?

George Reistad Associate Policy Director 16 N Carroll St – Ste 810 Madison, WI PH: Christine Welcher Garden & Student Program Manager W2493 Cty Rd ES East Troy, WI PH: ext 127