Rural Action Inc

Awards Issued Prior to January 20, 2025, Were Funded Under Previous Administrations and May Not Reflect the Priorities and Policies of the Current Administration. the Appalachian Region of Ohio and West Virginia Presents Unique Challenges and Opportunities for Beginning Farmers. This Region Contains Some of the Most Biodiverse and Productive Forestland in the World and Is Home to a Diversity of Cultivable Field and Forest Crops (loucks Et Al, 2016). Yet in Spite of This Natural Resource Abundance, the Counties of Southeastern Ohio and Northern West Virginia Are Among the Poorest in the Region, Many of Which Are Usda Strikeforce Counties. the Strikeforce Counties in Ohio (guernsey, Morgan, Athens, Meigs, Vinton, Pike, Jackson, Scioto, Adams) and West Virginia (wirt, Ritchie, Pleasants, Doddridge, Tyler, Mason) Will Be the Geographic Focus of This Proposal. Hilly Terrain, a Legacy of Extractive Industries, Geographically Dispersed Populations, and a Lack of Financial Capital Help to Tell Part of This REGION'S Past and Challenging Future (appalachian Regional Commission, 2010), and Can Be Further Underscored by National Trends Within the Agricultural Sector. Research Shows That in the United States Both Farm Size and the Scale of Crop Production Has Continued to Increase Since the 1980S, Resulting in Farms That Are Increasingly Consolidated and Specialized (mcdonald Et Al., 2018). Contrary to These National Trends, the Number of Small Farms in the Appalachian Region Has Increased Over the Past Two Decades, and Continue to Maintain Their Size and Disbursement. One Example of This Shift Can Be Seen in Morgan County Where the Number of Farms Under 10 Acres Has Tripled in the Past Fifteen Years (to 22) While Those With 10 - 50 Acres Have Doubled (to 134) in That Same Period (usda Census of Agriculture, 2017). With Relatively Affordable Land, Access to Both Metropolitan and Micropolitan Markets, and Access to Direct and Wholesale Market Opportunities, This Region Provides an Opportunity for Beginning Farmers to Prosper.the Key to Successful Farm Businesses in Appalachia Is Income Diversification Through Whole Farm Planning. Whole Farm Planning Is a Holistic Approach to Farm Management That Helps Beginning Farmers Inventory the Natural Assets Available on Their Farm, Develop Sustainable Production and Management Goals Based on Identified Assets, and Then Implement Production and Marketing Activities (kloetzli Et Al., 2014). Profitable Beginning Farms in the Region Utilize Their On-farm Assets to Develop Multiple Year-round Income Streams to Increase Profitability, Farm Resiliency, and Reduce Risks to External Factors (climatic, Market-based, Pandemic, and Otherwise). Asset-based Whole Farm Planning Enables Beginning Farmers to Identify and Evaluate Multiple Business Opportunities and Income Streams, Then Implement Those That Are Best Suited to Their Farm. Regionally-suited and Diversified Farm Businesses May Include a Combination of Production Systems, Such as Specialty Crops Using Lean Farming Methodology, Grass-based Livestock, High-value Non-timber Forest Products (ntfps), Custom Milling and Furniture, Value,-added Products, Specialty Marketing (e.g. Csas), and Agritourism. Within These Production Systems There Are Many Valuable Crops That Are Well Suited to the Forests and Farms of Appalachia, Including Native Berries, Fruit and Nut Trees (pawpaw, Walnuts), Microgreens and Vegetable Crops, and Numerous Specialty Ntfps, Such as Maple Syrup, Gourmet Mushrooms, and More Than 15 Species of High-value Medicinal Herbs. Many of These Ntfps Represent New and Potentially Significant Sources of Income for Local Farmers: Wild and Wild-simulated American Ginseng Sells for $600-$800/LB (persons, 2018), Ramps (a Native Perennial Culinary Herb Related to Garlic) Retails for $10-$28/LB Depending on the Market Outlet, and Gourmet Log-grown Shiitake Mushrooms Retail for $10-$12/LB. (prices Based on Historical Trends, and Current Buyer and Seller Communications). While Timber Is Often Thought of as the Only Means of Income From Appalachian Forests, Ntfps That Grow in the Forest Understory Can Provide Farmers With a Diversified Income Stream to Supplement Earnings From Field-based Crops and Livestock, While Also Incentivizing Forest Retention. as the Market Demand for Ntfps Has Grown, So Has Farmer Interest in How to Integrate Specialty Forest Crops Into Their Farming Operations. Our Region Is Particularly Suited for the Integration of Ntfps in Whole Farm Production as 40 - 60% of All Land Is Forested (appalachian Regional Commission, 2014). Similarly, Specialty Products Like Grass-based Livestock, Custom Furniture, and Other On-farm Income Streams Present Profitable Opportunities Year-round for Appalachian Farmers. Retail Pricing for Grass-fed Meat Alone Is Telling: Grass-fed Beef Retails for Twice the Amount ($7.26/LB, Carcass Weight) as Commodity Beef, Pastured Chicken Averages $5.87/LB, and Pastured Pork Averages $4.77/LB (usda Ams, 2019). Custom Furniture Has Opened Channels for Multi-generational Farming Craftspersons to Reach High End Urban Markets Through Milling and Fabrication of Pieces From Un-marketable Character Wood. Other Opportunities Like Agritourism Provide Off-season Income Streams for Farms. Currently Lacking in Appalachian Ohio and West Virginia Is a Coordinated Support Network to Help Beginning Farmers Start Their Business and Pursue Diversified Whole Farm Production.rural ACTION'S Proposal Whole Farm Planning, Peer Learning & Income Diversification for Appalachian Beginning Farmers Is to Address Current Knowledge and Technical Assistance Gaps Among Beginning Farmers in Southeast Ohio and Northern West Virginia. We Will Achieve This by Recruiting Beginning Farmers Into a Coordinated Whole Farmplanning Network to Develop Actionable Business Plans Based on Their Goals and On-farm Assets.participants Will Be Brought Into a Support Network of Peer Beginning Farmers, as Well Asestablished Farmers in Order to Set Individual Goals and Develop Their Whole Farm Plans. Over Athree Year Period These Beginning Farmers Will Receive Ongoing and Responsi,ve Technicalassistance From This Network of Peer Mentors, Rural Action Staff, and Regional Experts Focused on Financial and Legal Guidance. This Project Structure Is Guided in Its Entirety by the Self-identified Needs of Beginning Farmers. These Stakeholders Are at the Core of Rural ACTION'S Asset-based Approach to Community Development in the Agriculture and Forestry Sectors. Farmers Are the Catalyst for New Resource Delivery in Our Work, Are Directly Involved in Planning, and Are at the Forefront of Education and Technical Assistance Delivery. in This New Proposal for Beginning Farmers, Peer Educators Will Be Those Most Involved, Including Woodland Ridge Farm, Solid Ground Farm, Blue Rock Station, Lucky Penny Farm, and Pastured Providence, Among Others.