I just went to sign up for the Poultney meeting on the 25th and did not see 
it on the survey monkey.  Has it been canceled?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Beth Holtzman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 4:05 PM
Subject: Beginning Farmer Focus Groups


> Hello New Farmer Network members,
>
> I'm writing to invite you and colleagues at your organization to 
> participate in one of four upcoming focus groups on beginning farmer 
> needs.
>
> These focus groups are part of a SARE-funded project is designed to 
> educate agricultural professionals about the challenges that beginning 
> farmers face; stimulate changes in service delivery to make it more 
> responsive to beginning farmers’ needs; and develop a corps of service 
> providers better skilled at assessing stakeholder needs and using that 
> information to develop programs. An unofficial goal of this project is to 
> engage key stakeholders in defining what an effective, statewide, 
> beginning farmer program would look like, and which would help inform 
> Vermont proposals to the new Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development 
> Program.
>
> Additionally, any agricultural service providers who participate in a 
> focus group will be eligible to apply for a $1000 mini grant to conduct 
> beginning farmer programming in the next year.
>
> The focus groups will use a fishbowl approach (in which farmers serve as 
> educators) to explore the interconnected challenges that beginning farmers 
> face in terms of access to land, capital and credit, and building 
> production, marketing, business planning, and financial management 
> knowledge and skills. The focus groups will be held on farms and will 
> include lunch and a farm tour. Last January, we conducted a pilot focus 
> group which was very well received by both service providers and farmers. 
> All of the service providers reported learning something new, and all the 
> farmers reported feeling comfortable and respected during the process. "I 
> liked the opportunity to brainstorm and connect with other farmers," one 
> producer said afterwards."The conversation from the group of farmers was 
> quite different than talking to each one individually," observed a service 
> provider. "I enjoyed the dynamic."
>
> The four focus groups will be held at the following dates and locations:
>
> -- March 25 at Cerridwen Farm in Poultney at Green Mountain College;
> -- March 27 at The Center for an Agricultural Economy in Hardwick;
> -- April 2 at the Harlow Farm in Westminster
> -- April 9 at Applecheek Farm in Hyde Park.
>
> You can this link:
>
> https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=pphoQR5U7JNEDnGaKS3v3Q_3d_3d
>
> to sign up for one of the focus groups. Please forward this message both 
> to farmers and service providers you think might be interested in 
> participating.
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Beth
>
>
>
> -- 
> ********************************
> Beth Holtzman
> Outreach Education Coordinator
> Women's Agricultural Network
> University of Vermont Extension
> 617 Comstock Rd.
> Berlin, VT 05602
> 617 Comstock Rd.
> Berlin, VT 05602
>
> [log in to unmask]
> 802-223-2389x15
> www.uvm.edu/wagn
> ********************************
>