Fairshare Csa Coalition Inc

AS DEMAND FOR ORGANIC PRODUCE REMAINS STRONG AND CONSUMER INTEREST IN CSA AND OTHER DIRECT MARKETS CONTINUES TO RISE,FARMERS-ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED-NEED SUPPORT IN KEY AREAS IN ORDER TO MORE FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THESE MARKETS,FORTIFY THEIR BUSINESSES,AND BUILD RESILIENCY. HOWEVER,MANY MIDWESTERN PRODUCERS ARE SPREAD OUT GEOGRAPHICALLY AND OFTEN LACK ACCESS TO THE COMMUNITY AND CRITICAL SUPPORT SERVICES THEY REQUIRE LOCALLY. THE MIDWEST VEGETABLE GROWER SUPPORT NETWORK AIMS TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS. A PARTNERSHIP THAT CONSISTS OF TA AND FARMER PARTNERS AND FOCUSES ON SUPPORTING ORGANIC PRODUCTION PRACTICES,THIS NETWORK WILL OPERATE AS A TRAINING ANDCOMMUNITY-BUILDING HUB SUPPORTING DIVERSIFIED VEGETABLE GROWERS IN 8 MIDWESTERN STATES: WI,MN,IA,MO,IL,MI,OH,AND IN. BY LEVERAGING PARTNERS' UNIQUE STRENGTHS,THE NETWORK WILL DELIVER LANGUAGE ACCESSIBLE TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN PRIORITY AREAS,INCLUDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE,BUSINESS PLANNING AND MARKETING SUPPORT FOR CSA AND OTHER DIRECT MARKETS,AND ASSISTANCE WITH NAVIGATING CERTIFICATION AND ENDORSEMENT PROCESSES-ALL WHILE CREATING A PEER TO PEER COMMUNITY THAT GROWERS WANT AND VALUE.

FAIRSHARE CSA COALITION INC. WILL DEVELOP MARKETING STRATEGIES THROUGH THE NATIONAL CSA INNOVATION NETWORK CSAIN PLATFORM. THIS INCLUDES ASSESSING INNOVATIVE CSA MODELS PRIORITIZING ACCESS TO FRESH PRODUCE CONDUCTING A NATIONAL SURVEY TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUES AND PREFERENCES OF VARIOUS STAKEHOLDER GROUPS AND ESTABLISHING A FARMER ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO GATHER INPUT. THE RESULTS OF THIS RESEARCH WILL DIRECTLY INFORM THE CREATION OF NATIONAL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS AND MATERIALS DESIGNED TO HIGHLIGHT THE BENEFITS OF CSA PARTICIPATION FOR A WIDER RANGE OF CONSUMERS AND PRODUCERS. THE GOAL IS TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE SUPPORT FOR LOCAL FARMS AND ENHANCE THE CSA COMMUNITY. THE ANTICIPATED OUTCOME IS A MEASURABLE EXPANSION OF CSA PARTICIPATION WITH A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON REACHING NEW AUDIENCES. THE FAIRSHARE CSA COALITION INC. WILL ALSO UTILIZE THE CSAIN PLATFORM TO SHARE SUCCESSES AND RESOURCES FURTHERING THE PROJECTS REACH AND IMPACTBENEFITTING BOTH THE FARMERS SUPPLYING THE PRODUCE AND THE CONSUMERS RECEIVING IT.

DEVELOPING A CSA NETWORK COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE AND SHARED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RESOURCES.

THE PANDEMIC UNDERSCORED THE NEED FOR ALTERNATIVE MARKETS-ESPECIALLY ON THE PART OF BEGINNING AND HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED GROWERS-THAT CAN BE MORE RESILIENT TO UNEXPECTED DISRUPTIONS AND ONGOING FLUCTUATIONS IN DEMAND. YET,GROWERS HAVE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL OBSTACLES THAT LIMIT THEIR ABILITY TO PREPARE FOR AND PARTICIPATE IN MORE COMPLEX DIRECT MARKETS LIKE CSA,RESTAURANTS,AND GROCERY STORES. CONNECTING PRODUCERS TO THESE MARKETS THROUGH AN AGGREGATION MODEL CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF LOWERING THESE BARRIERS. THROUGH THIS PLANNING PROJECT,FAIRSHARE CSA COALITION-IN CONJUNCTION WITH PROJECT PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS,INCLUDING THREE AGGREGATORS-WILL ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING AGGREGATED VEGETABLE SALES THROUGH DIRECT MARKETS,FOCUSING ESPECIALLY ON CSA AND WORKING CLOSELY WITH HMONG GROWERS WITHIN THE STATE. IN ADDITION TO DETERMINING WHETHER AN AGGREGATED MODEL CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF BOTH PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS,WE ANTICIPATE A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL OUTCOMES FOR PARTICIPATINGGROWERS,INCLUDING EXPANDED ACCESS TO MARKETS AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE,STRENGTHENED SKILLS RELEVANT TO SELLING INTO CSA AND OTHER DIRECT MARKETS,AND INCREASED REVENUE STREAMS.

FAIRSHARE CSA COALITION INC

FAIRSHARE CSA COALITION, INC. FMPP GRANT PROGRAM