Project Overview
ASAP’s (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) project: “Innovative Marketing, Production and Financial Training for Southern Appalachian Farmers” supported more than 297 small, limited resource, and beginning/new farmers in planning and implementation of marketing, financial, and production risk management strategies. Project activities served Southern Appalachia, and particularly Western North Carolina, through four half-day trainings, one full-day conference, two grower-buyer meetings, and 95 one-on-one assessment/coaching sessions. Trainings and workshops covered topics ranging from farm financials and direct marketing to vegetable disease and farm succession planning. Pairing trainings with grower-buyer meetings helped farmers better manage marketing risk, build connections with area buyers, and understand opportunities to expand into new markets. Addressing multiple aspects of risk management for small farm businesses with a variety of group training/networking, market connections and one-on-ones gave this project a unique holistic approach. The combined expertise and partnerships of ASAP, NC Cooperative Extension, and Mountain BizWorks succeeded in building the capacity of farmers to assess and manage farm risks and access new and existing resources. The project was well received, as illustrated by participant surveys. Tools and resources were shared with 1020 farms across the region and are available on the ASAP website.
Number of Participants: 297
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
There are no promotional materials available for this project.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
There are no educational materials available for this project.
REPORTS & EVALUATIONS
There are no reports or evaluations available for this project.