Western Growers’ Post

The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners designated Aug. 4-10, 2024, as National Farmers Market Week, which is celebrating its 25th year nationwide. Calvert County's citizens recognize the importance of expanding agricultural marketing opportunities to help generate income for farmers, ranchers and watermen and stimulate business development and job creation. Farmers markets serve as significant outlets for beginning and experienced agricultural producers to sell agricultural products, which generates revenue that supports the sustainability of family farms and the revitalization of rural communities nationwide. Farmers, ranchers and watermen, through farmers markets, provide Americans with access to healthy foods produced locally and regionally. These markets and other direct marketing outlets not only provide infrastructure for the distribution of farm and value-added products, but also significantly contribute to the U.S. economy. Farmers Markets are expanding and evolving to meet the demand for a diverse array of agricultural products, a testament to their positive impact on the local economy. Citizens are encouraged to recognize agriculture's significant role and contribution to the local economy, environment and quality of life. From left to right: Commissioner Mike Hart; Commissioner Catherine Grasso (Vice President); Commissioner Earl F. “Buddy” Hance (President); Julie Oberg; Stephanie Sperling; Caroline Trossbach; Amy Dowling; Lillian Nugent; Commissioner Mark Cox Sr.; Commissioner Todd Ireland.

I don't take pleasure in the breakdown of a successful business relationship, nor am I exploiting this unfortunate situation. However, in agricultural supply chains, the importance of having a strong network is evident. I learned a lesson from a Responsible Pledge nonprofit last year: don't rely solely on one source for income or donations. Diversify to avoid dependence on the generosity of a single entity. For instance, this business partnership [see article] that brought in nearly $200 million in a year may have been better positioned if they weren't so reliant upon each other for the product's success.s. I consistently emphasize the importance of a strong network when people inquire about Control Union's elevator pitch. When dealing with a third-party #certifyingbody, my advice is to ensure that the chosen team has a well-established global network. For instance, consider the case of David Tran and Craig Underwood when they established the means to supply peppers for #Sriracha. The success of the company relied on their mutual collaboration, but what if the #brand had alternative #agriculturalsupplychain Dealing with challenges from suppliers, such as environmental issues like climate change, political instability, or strained business relationships, becomes crucial. In these situations, a global certifying body should keep your operations running through their network of farms certified under a scheme you're a part of. This is when a #CONNECTED network is crucial. Working with global certifying bodies in an accredited agricultural scheme offers so many benefits, from helping attrition rates on the farm, to lowering the input costs of your crops because of monitoring of chemicals and fertilizers. But also, because producers are apart of a larger network, and buyers have that network to turn to in a worst-case scenario and it is TRUSTED. When your farm is globally recognized and validated for responsible land stewardship that meets today's market standards, it allows brands to label their products meaningfully, distinguishing them in competitive markets, and that's beneficial for the farms. Standing out in competitive markets is tough alone; networks serve a purpose by aiding in heavy lifting when necessary. Demonstrating dedication and responsibility becomes a valuable asset, contributing to success and resilience in the face of challenges in the #agrifoods sector. #GlobalAgCertification #AgriculturalSupplyChain #CertifiedAgNetwork #GlobalAgStandards #SustainableAgCertification #CertifiedSupplyChain #GlobalAgPartnership #ResponsibleAgNetwork #AgriCertification #ControlUnionConnected

💡 Getting farmers to share knowledge is a challenge to making cooperatives work. We found ourselves regularly in situations where a farmer had a great solution in the field but wasn’t willing to share this knowledge with others for fear of losing competitive edge. 🐝 A case in point were three elderly farmers who had a method of producing a cheap traditional beehive (grass woven) but with a twist. The hive could be opened from two sides, enabling the harvesting of honey without the destruction of the bee colony. 🚀 We thought that their design was brilliant and asked them if they could produce 2,000 of these beehives per year. The idea was to sell the hives to other farmers who would position them in the cashew plantations where they increase the cashew crop and provide additional revenues through the sale of beeswax and honey. 🤫 The answer of the three farmers was that their production was limited to 200 units per year and that they couldn’t meet our request. When we suggested that we help them set up a beehive production business with a workshop where they could hire others to help manufacture the hives, they said no. They were reluctant to share their knowledge for fear of “giving away” their trade secret and being made redundant. 🎓 In the case of these beehives, we were unable to convince the farmers of sharing their knowledge, but we learnt from that experience. We created a training platform for farmer leaders where we brought farmers from different cooperatives together for several weeks a year to undergo training in a wide variety of topics relevant to their cooperatives. 👉🏼 Most trainings were facilitated by other farmers. Going through such a process creates trust and builds relationships that facilitate the sharing of knowledge more easily. Instead of working bilaterally with cooperatives, we encouraged interaction among farmers of different cooperatives. This speeds up the spread and adoption of good ideas and best practices. #SourcingStrategy #SustainableValueChains #P3rsist

It's always great to see how agriculture can affect small towns and this article highlights a couple great examples. What about locally? Does your hometown have great farmer owned businesses? LET'S SHARE THEM HERE!!

Vertical Harvest Farms Closes $59.5M Project Financing For New Vertical Farm In Maine Vertical Harvest Farms, a pioneer in indoor farming and social inclusivity, announced the closure of $59.5 million in financing for a new hydroponic vertical farm in downtown Westbrook, Maine. This facility is poised to be a crucial part of Maine’s food system infrastructure, aligning with regional goals to increase local food production significantly. The new facility will produce approximately 2.5 million pounds of leafy greens, herbs, and other vegetables annually, focusing on delivering fresh produce within 24 hours of harvest. This initiative is expected to drastically reduce the loss of nutritional value when produce is shipped long distances and will help decrease food waste at the retail level. Nona Yehia, CEO of Vertical Harvest, expressed the company’s dedication to local and fair food production, stating, “We’re on a mission to grow food as local, fresh, and fair as possible, and ensure there’s a place at the table for everyone in the future of food.” Read more at https://lnkd.in/eKyZmZcc #indoorfarming #agtech #maine #usa #verticalharvest #growth #innovation #finance #financing #investments

I recently brokered a deal for my clients to purchase a 37-acre parcel of land. The current usage of the land is for agriculture, primarily for then harvesting for hay and I would like to applaud my clients for their intent to continue haying the property and permanently conserving the land moving forward. I wanted to take a moment and talk about supply chain for a moment and how this parcel of land impacts the local supply chain. In this case, the land owner is paid by a local farmer to come in and hay the field. The income from this transaction is used for the maintenance of the property which financially benefits many local businesses. The farmer that hays the field then sells the hay to another local dairy farmer. This creates income for the haying farmer and supply for the dairy farmer. The dairy farmer in turn feeds their cows who then produce milk. The milk is sold to a local artisan cheese maker again creating income and supply. This cheese maker sells the cheese to local markets and farm stands.   Again, creating income for the cheese maker and local supply for the markets. The market, you guessed it, sells the cheese to their consumers. Income and supply once again. So, what started off as a simple real estate transaction and a commitment to agriculture and conservation has impacted the livelihood and availability of local suppliers for many. Every action and decision have downstream impacts. Take the time to know your impact to your supply chain and those within in it. It does not take much to impact many.

Did you know 97% of U.S. farms are family owned? 🇺🇸 #NationalAgWeek Farms come in a huge range of shapes, sizes, and types. The U.S. agriculture community is very diverse with large farms, small farms, mid-sized, conventional, organic, farms owned by one family, and farms owned by many families. Important things to know about U.S. farms: 🐮Your food is raised by families. 97% of the U.S.'s almost 2 million farms are family farms, who produce 90% of food production. 🐮Small family farms are important- making up nearly 90% of farms, operate nearly half of the farm land, and account for 19% of production value 🐮Large family farms account for the largest portion of total farm production per category at 52% and a quarter of farm land 🌾 🐮36% of farmers are women and women are decision makers on 58% of farms. Women play many crucial roles in agriculture 🌱 Most U.S. farms are family farms. Not every farm is the same, just like not every family is the same. How boring would it be if all farms were the same? I personally love learning about different types of farms, big or small. They each play an important role. #Sponsored #Ad #DairyEngaged American Dairy Association North East Source: https://lnkd.in/d--PFN4H

Second Harvest Heartland’s work with The Good Acre supports farmers of color in establishing and growing their farming operations. In 2023, the food bank purchased over 300,000 pounds of produce from 48 different BIPOC growers. The three-year partnership established in 2021 was such a big success that it has been extended to cover the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons. Robert Lor of My Little Garden is one of the hard-working farmers that Second Harvest Heartland purchases nutritious, high-quality produce from through The Good Acre nonprofit food hub. The Good Acre is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect and strengthen farmers, food makers and communities through good food. These contracted sales reduce the time and energy farmers like Robert spend on growing crops without a guaranteed market, leaving more time for just about everything else—like his daughter’s wedding in Mexico. Stable, multi-season opportunities like this are needed to address the historic and structural inaccessibility of land, credit and markets for farmers of color. By strengthening the economic power of farmers of color, this partnership also addresses hunger as it exists today while building generational wealth for longer-term stability.

Luckey Farmers, a key agricultural cooperative in Northwest Ohio, recently faced productivity challenges. Recognizing the need for a more efficient process, they turned to CIFT for a solution. Through the implementation of Lean Principles and hands-on shop floor experience, we helped Luckey Farmers streamline their operations, leading to: $100,000 in new investments Creation and retention of 4 jobs $10,000 in cost savings This partnership underscores our commitment to empowering Northwest Ohio manufacturers and agribusinesses to achieve sustainable success. Read the full story to learn how we can help your business thrive: https://ow.ly/3bsU50SWc5a #ManufacturingTuesday #LeanManufacturing #Agribusiness #ProcessImprovement #NorthwestOhio

Farmers don’t have to farm every acre every year. Quantity doesn’t matter. You can have a large operation, sell everything and still record a net loss. Regenerating the land and cover cropping and spend the natural resources at a slower rate is more profitable all around. A glut depresses market price. Econ 101. It’s self goal when farmers grow and find no market to sell or sell for cheap. Scarcity creates value. Sorry. This is how markets work. Farmers should seize their autonomy back from these control structures by state or banks or the market forces. We need farmers to survive and for that they need to thrive. This 👇🏼 [..] They want billions more to help transfer land from retiring farmers to small operators rather than corporations, and for the Agriculture Department to set up an Office of Small Farms to oversee it all.[..] 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Small farms (this can be anywhere from 1-1000 acres depending on region) are where economies of scale fails and true profits kick in. We will never see the full potential of our Ag unless we see how the smallest unit is optimized for profits and study that.