Project Grant 20214940035605

THE NORTHERN FRONT RANGE OF COLORADO, WHICH INCLUDES THE CITIES OF FORT COLLINS AND LOVELAND, IS ONE OF THE MOST RAPIDLY GROWING AND ECONOMICALLY DYNAMIC REGIONS IN THE COUNTRY. FOR EXAMPLE, ACCORDING TO THE US CENSUS BUREAU, THE POPULATION OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED SINCE 1990, WITH APPROXIMATELY 30,000 PEOPLE MOVING TO THE CITY SINCE 2010. THE REGION ALSO FREQUENTLY LANDS HIGH ON LISTS SUCH AS MARKET WATCH'S BEST PLACES TO LIVE IN AMERICA. HOWEVER, THIS RAPID GROWTH HAS GENERATED TREMENDOUS CHALLENGES FOR AGRICULTURAL LAND ACCESS IN THE REGION. ACCORDING TO ZILLOW, THE MEDIAN HOME PRICE HAS DOUBLED SINCE 2012 AND GREW BY 7.1% IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS ALONE. THE PRICE OF IRRIGATION WATER HAS GROWN EVEN MORE QUICKLY, WITH A PROJECT PARTNER INDICATING THAT THEIR WATER SHARES HAVE DOUBLED IN PRICE SINCE 2018. AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL ROOM FOR GROWTH IN THE LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY, WITH THE 2017 USDA NASS CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE INDICATING THAT ONLY 1.0% OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN LARIMER COUNTY WAS MARKETED LOCALLY. MANY COMPARABLE COUNTIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE LOCAL MARKETS THAT RANGE FROM 5% TO >20% OF LOCAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION.A KEY CHALLENGE TO GROWING THE LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY IN NORTHERN COLORADO IS RECRUITING AND RETAINING SKILLED FARMERS. MANY WELL-ESTABLISHED SPECIALTY CROP FARMS IN THE REGION CURRENTLY HAVE APPRENTICE PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE ENTRY-LEVEL TRAINING TO ASPIRING FARMERS WITH LITTLE TO NO EXPERIENCE. HOWEVER, AT THEIR NEXT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT, WHEN THEY HAVE THE IDEAS, SKILLS, AND INITIATIVE TO CREATE THEIR OWN BUSINESS, THESE STARTUP FARMERS (BENSON ET AL. 2014) OFTEN LEAVE IN SEARCH OF MORE AFFORDABLE LAND AND WATER TO ESTABLISH THEIR BUSINESSES. THIS IS A TREMENDOUS LOST OPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH THE FARMERS THEMSELVES AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY. THE NORTHERN COLORADO FOODSHED PROJECT (NCFP) FARM BUSINESS ACCELERATOR (ACCELERATOR) PROGRAM WILL ADDRESS THIS CRITICAL GAP BY PROVIDING BEGINNING FARMERS WITH SUPPORT IN ESTABLISHING A SUCCESSFUL FARM BUSINESS. THE ACCELERATORWILL BUILD A BRIDGE BETWEEN INITIAL TRAINING AND BUSINESS VIABILITY BY PROVIDING LAND AND WATER ACCESS, BUSINESS EDUCATION, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, MENTORSHIP, AND MARKET ACCESS. WE WILL TARGET BEGINNING SPECIALTY CROP FARMERS WITH FARMING EXPERIENCE AND AN INTEREST IN ESTABLISHING THEIR OWN FARMING ENTERPRISE BUT WITHOUT THE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS OR FINANCIAL WHEREWITHAL TO IMMEDIATELY LAUNCH A VIABLE BUSINESS.WE WILL WORK WITH PROJECT PARTNERS COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY (CSU) EXTENSION AND LARIMER COUNTY FARMERS ALLIANCE TO DESIGN A SUSTAINABLE, LOCALLY ADAPTED, ANDINTEGRATED THREE-YEAR BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SUPPORT PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES AFFORDABLE LAND, WATER, AND INFRASTRUCTURE ACCESS ALONGSIDETRAINING IN BUSINESS AND FARMING SKILLS. PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO LAND AND WATER THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH POUDRE VALLEY COMMUNITY FARMS, A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER COOPERATIVE WITH A LONG-TERM FARMLAND LEASE TO A 150-ACRE IRRIGATED PROPERTY OWNED BY THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS. THE ACCELERATOR PROGRAMWILL BE APPLIED ON 15 ACRES OF THIS LAND, AIMING FOR COHORTS OF THREE STUDENTS IN 2022, FOUR IN 2023, AND FIVE IN 2024, WITH A TARGET OF 12 STUDENTS IN THREE COHORTS BY 2024. ACCELERATOR FARMERS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO PLOTS STARTING AT ½ ACRE ANDINFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS IRRIGATION, FARMING TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT, ELECTRICITY, AND STORAGE SPACE.PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE EDUCATION AND SUPPORT IN ACCESSING ESTABLISHED AND EMERGING MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS CONNECTIONSTOESTABLISHED LOCAL FARMERS WHO WILL SERVE AS MENTORS AND ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL ADVISORS.WE WILL ENSURE ALL PROGRAM GRADUATES HAVE CONTINUED AFFORDABLE, LONG-TERM ACCESS TO LAND AND WATER AND CONNECTIONS TO POTENTIAL FUNDING AND INVESTORS FOR THE LONG-TERM SUCCESS OF THEIR BUSINESS. PARTICIPANTS WILL GRADUATE WITH THE SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND RESOURCES NEEDEDTO SUSTAIN A SUCCESSFUL, PROFITABLE FARM BUSINESS IN NORTHERN COLORADO.BY WORKING IN A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT WITH ESTABLISHED AND BEGINNING FARMERS, SURROUNDED BY ACTIVITIES SUCH AS PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY GARDENS, AND WITH ACCESS TO A STRONG NETWORK OF POTENTIAL INVESTORS, PARTICIPANTS IN THE ACCELERATOR WILL BE MEMBERS OF A UNIQUE AND GROWING COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECT AIMED AT SUPPORTING A VIBRANT LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY.