IROQUOIS FARM EVENTS
2011 events
Robert & Georgia Cox donation of Chaumont House to CARI
On Saturday May 14, 2011, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Cox donated an 1877 Sea Captains residence located at 11932 Main St. in Chaumont, NY, to Clements Agricultural Research Institute in support of their Iroquois Farm Project. Mahlon T. Clements , President of CARI accepted the gift with great appreciation on behalf of CARI, a 501(c)(3) not for profit corporation.
CARI owns and operates Iroquois Farm, a diversified Certified Organic Garden and Farm located in the Town of Lisbon about 6 miles West of Waddington and directly across the St. Lawrence River from the Iroquois Control Dam.
CARI, with the support of the Rodale Institute of Kutztown, Pa.,and the Farmer Veteran Coalition, and many other collaborators, (Support letters attached) intends to expand the farm and offer “Hands On” training for returning veterans and others who are interested in a career in farming, with emphasis on Organic and Sustainable Agriculture.
At present there are very few opportunities for Veterans to receive information and instruction about Sustainable farming. There is one program operated by the Farmer-Veteran Coalition (www.farmvetco.org) which offers retreats and seminars around the US. It is based in Davis, California. CARI has been in contact with the Executive Director of this organization and will be working with them to develop comprehensive programs. The Farmer-Veteran Coalition has been preliminarily funded by the US Department of Agriculture. A short movie is available on line telling of the need for this program for Returning Veterans. www.walkyourtalk.tv/A-Greater-Mission
As Iroquois Farm is located just one hour from Fort Drum, it is expected that there will be several thousand Returning Veterans in the next few years, and CARI may be able to assist them in finding a career in Agriculture, and possibly a position or a farm in Northern NY. At the present time there are hundreds of jobs in Farming in New York which cannot be filled with US residents, which causes the farmers to find workers in Mexico and South America. We would like to help reverse that trend.
Following are letters of collaboration and support received in this Grant Application:
________________________________________________________________________________
Marc Compeau
compeaum@clarkson.edu
November 15, 2011
Mahlon Clements, Director
Clements Agricultural Research Institute (CARI)
912 Main St.
Morristown, NY 13664
Dear Mr. Clements,
The Reh Center for Entrepreneurship at Clarkson University is pleased to support this application from Clements Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) to USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) for the Returning Veterans Sustainable Farming Project. Clarkson University agrees to their role, which is to provide the My Small Farm Business 101 series to program participants.
The My Small Farm Business 101 series is based on the successful My Small Business 101 series that the Reh Center has offered to over 600 entrepreneurs since 2004. Analysis of program participants’ performance demonstrates increased confidence, revenue and profits. Most encouraging is the fact that 85% of all program participants are still actively engaged in business today, a survival rate that far exceeds the national average of 45%. The four-week business strategy series is designed to help entrepreneurs and microbusiness operators succeed.
The program provides an innovative way for small business owners to learn critical elements of business operation — from managing productivity and thinking strategically to effective decision-making, and sound financial management. The goal is to provide small business owners with knowledge and skills that can be immediately applied to their businesses, as well as to help them define longer-term goals and focus on growth in key areas. Participants not only receive lots of practical and useful information, tools and resources, but encouragement and inspiration. They also benefit from networking with other small business owners.
The My Small Farm 101 series will focus on the unique issues facing this sector of small business. Issues to be addressed include seasonality of cash flow, the changing market demands, planning under conditions of uncertainty and the need to diversify product offerings while controlling costs.
Format
My Small Farm Business 101 is offered over four weeks. Each weekly two-hour session offers a crash course in one specific critical business element. These include:
Week 1 Thinking Strategically
Week 2 Resource Management
Week 3 Marketing Management
Week 4 Financial Management
At the end of each session, participants will be asked to apply the weekly concept to their business using tools provided.
Outcomes
Short term
· Increased confidence
· Increased awareness of critical business elements that need to be developed
Long term
· Growth in one or more areas such as revenue, profit, employment, quality, customer base, employee satisfaction or customer satisfaction
· Skill development in one or more of the identified critical
· Continued development of the entrepreneur’s ability to set and meet aggressive, measurable goals
· A successful business with a positive return on investment
· Higher rates of survival among regional sustainable farms
About the Reh Center
The Reh Center for Entrepreneurship is a University recognized Center at Clarkson University with a mission to identify and support high potential entrepreneurs. The center has 2 full time staff, 12 student interns and an active and engaged Advisory Council consisting of 11 successful, practicing entrepreneurs.
Cost of project
The My Small Farm Business 101 series can be offered to a maximum of 20 participants at a cost of $2,500 per session. This includes an in kind cost match from the Reh Center of $2,500.
The Returning Veterans Sustainable Farming Project is important to veterans and other students, the communities of northern New York, increased numbers of sustainable small farms adds to the vibrancy of communities while at the same time recognizing the need to minimize global impacts of economic growth. We strongly encourage USDA BFRDP to fully support this project and look forward to using this project as the beginning of a lasting and meaningful partnership.
Most Sincerely,
Marc Compeau
Director
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ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY
November 16, 2011
Mahlon Clements, President Clements Agricultural Research Institute 912 Main Street, PO Box 213 Morristown, NY 13664
Re: CAR1 request to the USDA-NIFA Beginning Farmer Program
Dear Mahlon,
I am writing this letter to express our support for the Clements Agricultural Research Institute's funding request to the USDA-NIFA Beginning Farmer Program for the Returning Veterans Farmer Project.
Here is a program that builds upon agriculture as a historical and cultural backbone to the regional economy and identity, an enthusiastic community of small organic farmers, veterans who hail from the North Country, proximity to Fort Drum, several institutions of higher education, and of course, the Clements Agricultural Research Institute.
The new farming skills to be gained through this program will augment the vast experience of these returning heroes to advance the growing field of organic farming and enable them to stay in, and contribute to, the North Country region.
As you know, St. Lawrence University has many connections to Fort Drum and has a good number of veterans who work or study here.
We are also interested in the opportunities for experiential learning your program could provide to our students, many of whom are fervently interested in sustainable agriculture. St. Lawrence University has a strong community-based learning program and a student body that is increasingly interested in such experiential learning opportunities.
As we see it, one of the impediments to realizing this program is the financial needs of running it. Funding from the NIFA program would catalyze its inception, and so we hope CARI's Returning Veterans Farmer Project will be viewed favorably.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Dixon. Coordinator of Regional Development and Sustainability. St. Lawrence University.
_____________________________________________________________________________
NYS Small Business Development Center,
November 15,2011
Mahlon Clements, Director
Clements Agricultural Research Institute (CARD 912 Main St. Morristown, NY 13664
Dear Mr. Clements,
SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center is pleased to partner with Clements Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) for the Returning Veterans Sustainable Farming Project. We strongly
support CARI's application to USDA's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).
The SBDC provides individualized business advisement and training to start up and existing businesses. Our services focus on the vast array of skills and support that small business owners require, including but not limited to: business plan development, financial analysis, sources of funds, market analysis, strategic planning, government procurement, human resources and compliance issues.
For this project, SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center will provide guidance and counseling for retuming veterans and others in business plan development and financial analysis of their agricultural ventures in addition to the counseling in the areas noted above. Although not included as a contractor in this proposal, the Canton SBDC also may provide instructional training in business plan development, financial management, and marketing, to be negotiated at a later date and funded through other sources.
The Returning Veterans Sustainable Farming Project is important to veterans and other students, the communities of northem New York, as well as the future of sustainable agriculture, which needs an infusion of young fatmers. Facilitating veterans' transition to civilian life through agriculture will create many positive benefits for the region including creation of jobs, preservation of agricultural land and the opportunity for economic investment in agricultural ventures. The Canton SBDC has named veterans as a special focus group in our mission and we look forward to the opportunity to help CARI serve this population. We strongly encourage USDA BFRDP to fully support this project.
Sincerely,
Dale Rice, Director SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center
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Mahlon Clements,
Director Clements Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) 912 Main St. Morristown, NY 13664
Dear Mr. Clements,
We are pleased to support this application from Clements Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) to USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) for the Returning Veterans Sustainable Farming Project. The Farmer-Veteran Coalition agrees to their role, which is defined in the Project Management Plan, and commits to in-kind support for the Project.
The mission of the Farmer-Veteran Coalition is to mobilize veterans to feed America. We are the nation’s largest nonprofit connecting military veterans with careers in agriculture. We are extremely happy to see a project of the caliber of CARI’s Returning Veterans Sustainable Farming Project – one that we can send veterans to for in-depth, hands-on training.
For this project, the Farmer-Veteran Coalition will provide technical support to develop curriculum, program, and evaluation. We will use our extensive national network and outreach into the veteran and military communities to help recruit participants for the program. And we will assist in training CARI’s staff on the special benefits available to assist returning veterans as well as how to appropriately deal with the many challenges they may face, both physical and psychological.
Our staff, which includes veterans highly trained on working and supporting their peers, and myself, one of the country’s leading organic farmers, will commit to providing a minimum of 75 hours per year at an estimated value of $40/hr. This in- kind will have a total value of $3,000/year for a total of $9,000 over 3 years. CARI is requesting funding from USDA to pay for our travel expenses to present 2 seminars/year at the CARI facility. This budget item totals $3,250/year for a total of $9,750 over 3 years.
The Farmer Veteran Coalition hopes to send many American heroes to the Returning Veterans Sustainable Farming Project and strongly encourages USDA to fully support this project.
Sincerely,
Michael P. O’Gorman
Executive Director, Farmer-Veteran Coalition
____________________________________________________________________________
November 21, 2011
Mahlon Clements,
Director Clements Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) 912 Main St. Morristown, NY 13664
Dear Mr. Clements,
Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County is pleased to support the application from Clements Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) to USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) for the Returning Veterans Sustainable Farming Project. Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County thus agrees to its role, which is defined in the Project Management Plan, and commits to in- kind support for the Project.
In 2007, Bill Van Loo and Brent Buchanan, educators employed by Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County, conducted workshops and mentoring to evaluate and develop new and diversified agricultural businesses in six rural counties in northern New York state, including St. Lawrence County. The project showed significant need in northern New York, where skill sets were taught in evaluating assets (both personal and farm-based), identifying a product and market, as well as accessing local, accurate, and pertinent information necessary to begin and develop a successful farm business. Beginning farmers, especially those who are not native to Northern New York, typically need assistance in becoming properly connected in an otherwise isolating region and occupation in production agriculture.
The Cooperative Extension system holds a wealth of agricultural information, resources, factsheets, and training modules that can be adapted for use in the program. The project will draw on Extension personnel experience as well as informational resources. Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County Cooperative Extension will assist CARI with program and curriculum development, technical support, and on-farm visits and presentations. It is anticipated that the staff of will provide approximately 150 hours of in- kind support each year, at an average value of $38 per hour for salary and fringe benefits. Thus over 3 years, this in-kind service will total at more than $16,900.
The Returning Veterans Sustainable Farming Project is important to veterans who need to re-train after active duty, the sustainability of agriculture in northern New York which needs an infusion of young farmers, to enhance our local food system and the local economy. We hope USDA will consider fully funding this project.
Sincerely,
Clive B. Chambers Executive Director
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Iroquois Farm in winter_____________________________________________________________________________
July 2008 and continuing: David Nutting confers with CARI Board on Sustainable Community David Nutting, CEO of VIP Structures in Syracuse met with a Committee of the Board of Clements Agricultural Research Institute to discuss viability of a planned Sustainable Community to be located on CARI’s Iroquois Farm. This project is still being studied. CARI has been studying the concept of a Sustainable Community since July of 2008, and conducted a survey of interest at the Energy Fair held at Canton College recently. Eighty attendees at the Fair completed questionnaires. About 90% indicated an interest in living in a Sustainable Community. It is interesting to note that at least three visitors at the Fair were residents of existing Sustainable communities.
CARI’s vision of a Sustainable Community is one which functions independently or Communally to reduce the carbon footprint, by using only renewable resources for heat, cooling, and electric power. (eg. Geothermal, biomass, wind or water electric power) Most of the food required would be Organic and produced on Iroquois Farm. The members would reduce their dependence on fossil fueled vehicles, and use electric carts on the Farm and would share transportation (Autos and Boats) when going off the farm.
Mr. Nutting is an Architect and Developer of large Commercial and Industrial projects. His company recently built a bus factory in the Plattsburg area which will employ 350 workers. However he has recently become involved in Community Building, as a result of his company investment in Useppa Island, Florida. This Island is located in Pine Island Sound, and has about 100 homes as well as a Hotel, Restaurant, Bar, store and Marina. It has room for about 40 more residences, and VIP is the major developer at present. Anyone who wishes to own or build a house must be a member of the Useppa Island Club. Mr. Nutting drew on his experience with Useppa Island in advising CARI. He believes there are a large enough group of people interested in Sustainable living to support a development as is contemplated. However he indicated this would be a long term project, and might well develop over a ten to fifteen year period.
Mr. Nutting had also studied the “Seaside” Project in the pan handle of Florida which began developing in the late 1980s and is fully developed now. He indicted that their concept of small lots, and many community areas should be studied for application to the CARI concept.
For more information about the CARI Sustainable Community project contact CARI at P.O. Box 213, Morristown, NY 13664, Email our Board President, or call 315-375-6789 or 393-6252. A Public Meeting about the concept will be held at a time to be announced this Summer.