Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** farm labor is among the most…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** farm labor is among the most significant challenges beginning farmers encounter as they seek to establish financially viable businesses. Through this project, 360 beginning farmers, including 240 from socially disadvantaged/limited resource audiences, will increase labor management skills and confidence, and adopt employee recruitment, supervision and retention practices that improve farm business performance and/or farmer satisfaction with quality of life. Informed by recent research and direct farmer input, activities will target producers from regions in the midwest and northeast where labor challenges constrain post start-up farmers' ability to scale up their farm businesses. The project will build labor management competencies among all beginning farmer participants and is specifically designed to meet the needs of women. Female operators, an historically under-served farm audience that now represent 41% of all US beginning farmers, frequently have different content needs anddelivery preferences than their male counterparts. Project objectives are: 1) assemble curricula geared to our target audiences; 2) conduct outreach to 3,600 beginning farmers, including 2,400 women; 3) deliver small-group workshops that build labor management competency; 4) develop and maintain online decision support resources; 5) facilitate women-centered peer learning circles to support farm-level changes; and 6) conduct monitoring and evaluation activities throughout the project. Partners include: farm commons, the midwest organic and sustainable education service, northeast organic farming association of vermont; renewing the countryside, university of new hampshire, university of wisconsin, vermont grass farmers association. The budget allocates 24% to ngos. Sixty-five percent (65%) of funds are allocated to serving socially disadvantaged/limited resource audiences.