heifer usa


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heifer usa

Poverty is closer to home than you think Our mission is to create good jobs and wealth through socially driven, farmer-owned enterprises to end poverty in rural America.

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eifer’s work in the United States is centered on building and reviving local food systems so farmers and families in the USA are making a difference in their own lives and the lives of their neighbors.

Despite having one of the most advanced economies and agricultural systems in the world, poverty persists in some of the richest agricultural areas of the United States. In rural areas of Arkansas, hunger and poverty rates are higher than the national average, and unemployment rates are double that of the rest of the nation. The power of Heifer USA lies in the belief that small-scale farmers can feed the world and revive their local economies using the impact of locally produced food. We are empowering food entrepreneurs and building food enterprises to address every link in the food value chain — from farm to table.

FARMER PROFILE

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Possess a strong work ethic Be willing to take some level of risk and work hard to better their own lives, and eventually assist others in improving theirs Have an entrepreneurial spirit Embody, or be willing to learn and embody, Heifer’s values, as represented in Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development Agree to participate in Passing on the Gift®

program life 2015-2018

Where Arkansas THIS Program WILL TRANSFORM LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS A food system is all the processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population: growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing, consumption and disposal of food. Heifer USA focuses its programming in six key areas: „„ „„

We will work with unemployed, underemployed, veterans, youth and women, including beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers

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Production Infrastructure Markets Entrepreneurship Financial Capital Social Capital

same heifer model, new heifer approach Heifer’s model promotes sustainable agriculture interventions through a valuesbased community approach. In the USA, we use a farmer-owned business model as our development approach, while providing resources and technical support coordinated with local partners to: Create and support Community Supported Agriculture Programs (CSAs) „„ Develop farmer-owned businesses (horticulture and livestock) „„ Boost market access for farmers „„ Train farmers in sustainable farming practices „„ Invest in local food-related enterprises „„ Provide strategic business planning tools to farmers „„ Create local markets and connect our farmers to them „„

farmer-owned business model Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

agriculture and livestock businesses

Heifer is connecting farmers to profitable urban and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) markets by focusing on three areas of the agricultural value chain: producers, the CSA hub, and market stimulation and development.

Heifer USA is building a statewide livestock business with anchor farms, markets and agricultural infrastructure. We will recruit, organize and support a group of sustainable livestock producers using a values-based cooperative approach to connect farmers to profitable markets, strengthen markets and recruit new farmers.

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Producers receive training and technical assistance in sustainable, small-scale agri-production; entrepreneurial and farm-business management; food safety and postharvest practices; and produce aggregation. The CSA hub is at the center of the local food approach and is the final aggregation point of products to inspect product quality, pay farmers for their supply, provide any needed technical support, and distribute produce. Market stimulation is focused at three levels: community, workplace, and congregations. In the first year, 150 subscription shares were purchased. The workplace model was developed through the 2014 growing season. In 2015, the program sold 400 shares to the broader community with projections to double that in 2016. We will encourage businesses and local congregations to arrange regular purchases from the CSA for themselves or as donations for their own outreach.

To do this, we are: „„

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Identifying farmer leadership and organizing a network of new and established livestock producers to build the business model Making connections with existing, successful business leadership to refine technical support within the current Heifer network Developing business capacity including by-laws, criteria for membership, brand development, legal business structure and marketing Fostering collaborative relationships between farmers to improve recruitment, vetting, training, mentoring and overall support of producers

Heifer USA will play the lead role in supporting The early stages of development with expectations that the farmer-owned businesses will become financially viable and self-sustaining.

Heifer usa is mobilizing a critical mass of smallscale farmers, supporting them through cooperative development and building a replicable farmerowned enterprise model for pastured livestock and sustainably grown vegetable value chains by 2018.

For more information or to find out how you can join us in this initiative, visit www.heifer.org/usa, or email [email protected]