Project Grant 20217003335712

GEORGIA ORGANICS HAS PROVIDED DIRECT SERVICES TO FARMERS FOR ALMOST 25 YEARS. WE'VE IMPACTED THOUSANDS OF GEORGIA FARMERS. BUT THEY NEED DEEPER SUPPORT. BEGINNING FARMERS COME IN OUR DOORS EAGER TO LEARN AND TO MAKE A CAREER FROM AGRICULTURE. THEY WANT TO FEED THEIR NEIGHBORS, CONTINUE A FAMILY TRADITION OF FARMING, STEWARD THE LAND, AND CARE FOR THEIR RURAL COMMUNITIES. WE'VE SEEN MANY OF THESE FARMERS SUCCEED-- THEY'VE GONE ON TO OPERATE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES, TEACH OTHER FARMERS AT OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE, SERVE ON OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, PARTNER WITH US IN PROJECTS, FORM THEIR OWN GROWER COOPERATIVES, AND SERVE AS MODELS OF SUCCESS. BUT WE'VE SEEN HUNDREDS BEGIN FARMING JUST TO QUIT AFTER A FEW YEARS. WHY? BEGINNING FARMERS REACH A POINT IN WHICH THEY NEED POINTED INVESTMENT TO SCALE THEIR BUSINESS. THEY EACH NEED PERSONALIZED, FOCUSED SERVICES TO TRANSFORM THEIR OPERATION FROM WEEKTO-WEEK SURVIVAL TO GENUINE SUSTAINABILITY AND SECURITY. THEY NEED INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE, PERSONALIZED EDUCATION TO DEVELOP A BUSINESS OR MARKETING PLAN, AND TRAINING TO ACCESS NEW MARKETS--NOT THE ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH THAT IS THE CURRENT NORM IN BEGINNING FARMER EDUCATION AND SUPPORT. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS CRITICAL SERVICE DOESN'T EXIST. CURRENTLY, GEORGIA HAS PROGRAMS SUCH AS UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA EXTENSION JOURNEYMAN FARMER PROGRAM IN LAWRENCEVILLE AND CARROLLTON GEORGIA, TRULY LIVING WELL'S URBAN GROWER TRAINING PROGRAM IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA, AND GLOBAL GROWER'S TRAINING PROGRAM IN DECATUR, GEORGIA. THESE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED FOR ASPIRING GROWERS WITH LITTLE OR NO FARMING EXPERIENCE, OR IN THE CASE OF GLOBAL GROWERS, HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN THE UNITED STATES. ONCE GROWERS GRADUATE FROM THESE PROGRAMS AND BEGIN THEIR OWN BUSINESSES, SUPPORT SERVICES FALL OFF. WHEN A FARMER HAS A FEW YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND NEEDS ASSISTANCE TO GROW THEIR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL, THEY HAVE NOWHERE TO TURN. OUR FARMER ACCELERATOR PROGRAM FILLS THIS GAP. WE'VE DESIGNED THIS PROPOSAL TO ENSURE THAT BEGINNING FARMERS RECEIVE EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED TO THRIVE. WE'VE CREATED OUR ACCELERATOR PROGRAM BASED ON THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH SMALL TO MID-SCALE BEGINNING GROWERS AND LIMITED RESOURCE GROWERS--THROUGH OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE ATTENDED BY HUNDREDS OF FARMERS, OUR EXPERIENCES WITH TWO BEGINNING FARMER RANCHER GRANTS, AN OAO GRANT, AND A 2018 LFPP GRANT THAT SERVES AS A PILOT FOR OUR ACCELERATOR MODEL. OUR ACCELERATOR WAS DEVELOPED WITH YEARS OF INTENSIVE INPUT FROM THE FARMERS ON OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND PROGRAM COMMITTEE, WHO REPRESENT DIVERSE FARMERS IN TERMS OF RACE, GENDER, AND URBAN AND RURAL FARMERS. OUR PARTNERS ON THIS PROJECT--THE MIDDLE GEORGIA GROWERS COOPERATIVE, THE SOUTHWEST ATLANTA GROWERS COOPERATIVE, AND THE WEST GEORGIA GROWERS COOPERATIVE HAVE PROVIDED KEY INPUT IN DESIGNING THIS PROGRAM