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Strengthening farming in the Midwest by training the underserved and limited resource aspiring farmers
IAP Program Goals
- Provide Training and Technical Assistance to encourage and support newest immigrants and aspiring farmers in gardening, micro farming, production farming to include greenhouse production, livestock production, community supported agriculture, farmers market and value added production
- Provide marketing support by creating a branded identity and supply chain for value added products and farmer’s markets marketing.
- Create long term land use plan to include soil conservation and preservation and adequate training support for interested farmers
- Create access to information about sustainable farming for immigrant farmer
This program works with Minnesotans who choose farming as a family lifestyle and a means of earning income. A typical participant is a person who grew up in farming or gardening in another country. Often the participants are socially disadvantaged, have limited resources and are Southeast Asian/Hmong, Latino, women and occasionally African or Karen. Frequently, their parents or grandparents still live off the land and the participant has a thorough understanding of the challenges and frustrations of farming, and loves to grow food for people and celebrates the rewards in spite of the risks.
IAP has a three year training program that assists immigrant farmers and other limited resource farmers in learning about sustainable agriculture methods and farm business management including accessing markets for their products.
The three year program is designed to give farmers the ability to establish the requisite years of experience and farm records to enable them to apply for commercial and/or government loans to purchase their own farm land. Because farming is a trade learned through experience, there is continuous learning on pest management, soil and water conservation and plant management.
IAP currently works with immigrant farmers in Marine on the St. Croix, Dakota County,Minnesota and Dunn County, Wisconsin. We will serve farmers throughout the state of Minnesota and Western Wisconsin as resources permit.
History
Over the past seven years, the New Immigrant Agriculture Program has trained and educated over 250 immigrants on the principles and methods of sustainable farming, farm business management, and market development. In 1999 a former program participant made history when she became the first Hmong woman to be approved for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency funding to buy 60 acres of land to become a self-sufficient farmer. Recognizing its expertise in training new immigrants, the USDA contracted with MFA to develop a curriculum in farm business management for sustainable agriculture farmers and to conduct workshops in risk management for sustainable and organic farmers, particularly new immigrant farmers. The New Immigrant Agriculture Program is a direct result of MFA working closely with the Mutual Assistance Agencies (MAA’s) of a variety of cultures, ethnicities, and nationalities in the Community Food Program. Working collaboratively with the MAA’s led to discussions about alternative ways of ensuring that new immigrants would have access to the foods they need. The result of these conversations was the recognition that many new immigrants would love to return to living on the land and growing their own food.
Partners
 From the beginning we have been in partnership with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. We have worked closely with the University of Minnesota Outreach, Research and Education (UMORE) center in Rosemount. New Immigrant farmers have farmed at the University of Minnesota Arboretum, land in Chaska donated by the U of M Extension Service of Carver County, Cambridge, Worthington, Owatonna and Wilder Forest, and Marine on St. Croix.
Other key partners include: RMA-USDA, NCRS, GardenWorks, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Association for the Advancement of Hmong Women. Mexican Consulate, FLAG – Farmer’s Legal Action Group, Centro Compasino, Welcome Center, Korean Service Center, Midwest Food Alliance, Archdiocese of Minnesota, Land Stewardship Project: Farm Beginnings Program™, and Resource Center of the Americas
Media Reports on NIAP
A recent story broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio highlighted MFA's innovative work with immigrant farmers. Visit the MPR website to read the story first broadcast on Morning Edition on July 19, 2007. Or you can get a transcript in a PDF format by clicking here.
On September 15, 2006 the New Immigrant Agriculture Program was featured in a story by Ambar Espinoza on Minnesota Public Radio’s Morning Edition program. Focused on Latino immigrant farmers served by the program, the piece featured interviews with Juan Rodrigo and Juan Carlos Cala, participants in the project.
For the complete story visit the MPR website.
For More Information on Immigrant Farming Issues:
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center --- www.searac.org/maa
Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans --- www.state.mn.us/ebranch/capm
New Entry Sustainable Farming Project - Tufts University --- http://nutrition.tufts.edu/research/nesfp/ |
