CRAFT Farmers: Guidelines on Starting a CRAFT Program

The Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training

Welcome to CRAFT - the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training – where farmers are training the next generation of farmers.

The Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led coalition organized by sustainable agriculture farmers in a self-selected geographic region. Participating farmers offer up their time, talents and experience to help prepare the next generation of farmers. The secret to CRAFT’s success is simple - farmers learn most effectively from other farmers. CRAFT provides farmer-to-farmer learning and access to the social network and culture of local farmers.

CRAFT programs are as diverse as the farmers who shape them and emerge from the character of the region. Farmers in CRAFT follow organic, Biodynamic, or other sustainable farming principles. They grow vegetables, livestock, and grains. They run community supported agriculture farms and sell to other local direct markets. They sell to restaurants and to wholesale markets. They host social and educational programs on their farms.

Depending on the region, CRAFT programs focus on farm interns/apprentices, farm employees, local beginning farmers or all of the above. CRAFT programs may include internships, employment, mentoring, field days, technical assistance, workshops, conferences, social gatherings, strategic business planning courses, farm incubators, and more.

The first CRAFT program was founded in upstate New York in 1994. In 1997, ten farmers from northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin founded a second CRAFT program in the Upper Midwest. Since then, many more local farmer-led CRAFT alliances have sprouted up across the US and Canada. This farmer-led alliance is growing! See links in the sidebar for more info on a CRAFT in your area.

If you are part of a CRAFT program that is not on the list and would like to add your CRAFT name and link, please contact CRAFT@learngrowconnect.org.

If you’d like to organize a CRAFT program in your area, scroll down to the postings below for more information on how to start a CRAFT program.

If you want to learn to farm or are a farmer who would like to get involved as a mentor, click on the regional CRAFT programs in the sidebar to get more information in your area. This website was created as a landing pad by Angelic Organics Learning Center and the Upper Midwest CRAFT to encourage the growth of CRAFT farmer-led alliances that train the next generation of farmers. We hope this site will become an active CRAFT Blog in the future. If you have any suggestions for format, functions or content, please send us a note at CRAFT@learngrowconnect.org.

October 11, 2009

Guidelines on Starting a CRAFT Program

Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training

Upper Midwest (Region 1)

Starting a CRAFT Program

. Gather farmers
   establish need for a program
   secure commitment of farmers to guide the program (a board or advisory group)
   secure commitment to allow interns to attend all events
   secure commitment to lead training events

. Outline a mission statement
   expose interns to diversity of approaches in farming
   provide a peer group for interns
   build cooperation among regional farmers

. Define the components of the program
   workshops
   orientation
   transition sessions at season end
   exchanges
   other

. Divide up responsibilities for the components
   who will organize each part?
   who will lead each activity?
   who will facilitate the evaluations?
   who will guide the overall program?
   who will handle administrative functions (mailings, printing, calls, finances, etc.)?

. Map out how to handle expenses
   coordinating the annual planning meetings
   organizing the training activities
   leading the training activities
   transportation and food for the activities
   sending out the mailings (postage, paper, envelopes, cards)
   making phone calls to farmers and interns
   printing the annual CRAFT packets
   fundraising for the program
   decide on if/how much membership dues

. Develop communications materials
   a brochure
   an annual CRAFT handbook (w/ calendar, opps, farms, advanced internships)

. Publicize your CRAFT
   on the web (ATTRA, Biodynamic Assoc., etc.)
   through all member farms
   with colleges and universities
   at regional events and conferences
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This outline for starting a CRAFT was developed by the Upper Midwest CRAFT and Angelic Organics Learning Center. For more information on how to start a CRAFT program, contact the Angelic Organics Learning Center at CRAFT@learngrowconnect.org or 815-389-8455.