North Coast Coordinator, Molly Bloom explores her territory

As a statewide organization, we get calls from everywhere, some towns are familiar and some not, ... "Hayfork?" Bloom puzzled, searching Google Maps to pinpoint where the caller was from. "Ah, Trinity County" she exclaimed triumphantly, after finding his hometown on the map, "I've never been there".

Louis Ruud, the kind gentleman on phone, was calling about the Hayfork Growers' Alliance (HGA), a fledgling organization already making great strides in its community promoting local agriculture. Ruud invited Bloom to journey to Hayfork to explain FarmLink's programs and services and how our organization might help them reach their goals.

The HGA has an optimistic and achievable mission: the HGA "intends to restore, re-energize, and redevelop the agricultural base of the Hayfork Valley by providing educational advice and instruction, marketing assistance and business models for individuals interested in reviving agriculture by enhancing local food production." HGA members and Bloom met at the Hayfork Community Center, and talked about the various directions the HGA could go. Full of ideas, they're currently pursuing 501(c) 3 status and hoping to develop or revive a community kitchen, as well as cold storage, meat processing, and a small dairy/creamery. With some excellent ideas on how to market and help each other, Bloom hopes to help them secure funding to create their food distribution center. 

Mentorship Tips

As a new or beginning farmer, regular access to an experienced mentor-farmer can be a huge help. Farmers generally agree that the most useful information comes from other farmers.  This year FarmLink has been helping new farmers to structure peer-to-peer mentorships that include sharing of information on business aspects of farming ­such as financial planning, farm financing, land tenure, and crop insurance. FarmLink's role in setting up mentorships is to facilitate an initial meeting between a beginning farmer and a prospective mentor farmer to discuss mentorship structures, topics, learning and teaching styles and a mentorship contract. A typical FarmLink mentorship involves a new grower who is already farming independently, and a more experienced grower nearby. The mentorship would likely involve a quarterly on-farm meeting to troubleshoot issues the new farmer is facing and phone time in between. FarmLink is also creating and collaborating with other organizations on regional electronic mentorship networks in each of our three regions where new growers can ask questions and exchange information with experienced and beginning local growers on-line. Here are some tips for both farmer mentors and new farmer mentees: ·      Are you ready to mentor or be mentored? Decide if this is the right time for you, if your schedule permits, and if you are ready for the commitment. ·      Determine whether you can work together. Make sure your values; time constraints, and work styles align in ways that make you comfortable working side-by-side. ·      Establish expectations & ground rules: What do you want to gain from this experience? How much time should be devoted?  When will that time be?  Can the mentee call anytime? What topics do you need assistance with? How much detail will be shared?  Is that information confidential? ·      Create a Work Plan- Is a contract needed? How will things be taught?  What's the best way to harness the mentor's teaching skills? How often will you meet  - quarterly or more/less often?  Will there be phone consultations?  When will the mentor be available?  Set up times and try to stick to them, but be flexible. ·      Put yourself in each other's shoes. Mentors may forget what's it's like to be starting out and new farmers may not realize the effort their mentors are putting in to help out. Remember that as the Mentorship evolves your relationship will change. ·      Be patient and trusting. No matter how much you plan, things may not work out the way you thought.  Take it slow and keep lines of communication open. ·      What happens if problems arise?  Set up an agreement to work through problems. Other organizations that help to facilitate internships, mentorships and apprenticeships include California Certified Organic Farmers, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), Multi-National Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA), the North American Biodynamic Apprenticeship Program, and Sierra CRAFT.

For more Central Valley stories - On-line mentoring

On-line Mentoring for beginning farmers and ranchers in Sierra Foothills

An exciting learning opportunity awaits you if you're a beginning farmer or rancher. Under the auspices of UCCE's Foothill Farming program, the farmer led Sierra Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) has created an online listserv for producers in the Sierra foothills. http://ucanr.org/sites/placernevadasmallfarms/SierraCRAFT/Networking_with_Local_Farmers/

California FarmLink is collaborating with Sierra CRAFT on this project and invites its beginning farmers and ranchers to join.

Several experienced farmers and ranchers from the foothill region (including Alan Haight, Dan Macon, Allen Edwards, Jim Muck, Gary Romano, and Steve Bird) will field questions and lend their expertise.

If you're farming in Sierra, Plumas, Yuba, Placer, Nevada, Eldorado, Amador or Sutter counties you can contribute to this online farmer forum designed to address region specific questions about production, marketing, pest control, soil management, business planning, and more. Please sign up at:  http://ucanr.org/sites/placernevadasmallfarms/SierraCRAFT/Listserv/

The more participation we have, the more beneficial this forum will become.

To maintain a high quality and value of content, access to the listserv is limited to commercial farmers, ranchers, farm and ranch employees and interns within this eight county region in the Sierra Mountains.

Adding value for farmer and rancher products

After lunch catered by Local Fatt Chef Kevin Koebel, 50 participants headed north along the coast to Harley Farms Goat Dairy to tour the milking parlor, cheese making facility and retail cheese shop and hear owner Dee Harley talk about her 20+ years in operation.  After sampling fantastic goat cheeses, we headed to Half Moon Bay to see the Local FATT kitchen in action. Chef Koebel explained his exciting new business to the group: local farmers can use this certified kitchen free of charge in exchange for co-branding product from the kitchen, as part of Local FATT's outreach and educational mission.

FarmLink has been working with USDA Rural Development staff to help farmers apply for Value-Added Producer Grants.  These grants are one of the few federal grants that go directly to farmers. The program provides grants for both planning and working capital, to help farmers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and/or marketing of farm products. Eligibility requirements for producers and products are fairly broad and many small producers qualify.   Because there were no awards in California for the 2010 round, there will be more money available for 2011. 

FarmLink staff can assist clients interested in applying for Value-Added Producer Grants, or provide referrals to consultants who can help.  For more information, please visit: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_VAPG_Grants.html or contact your local California FarmLink Coordinator.