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12 <br />2010 Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund <br />Community Application-Central Region <br />In 2009, a total of 11 enterprises (17 individuals) have completed business plans and rented <br />planting beds at the Breeze Farm to grow produce and specialty crops for commercial <br />purposes. In 2010, 12 enterprises (19 individuals) completed business plans anr! ceased <br />planting beds. Many farmers who participated in the program during 2008, 2009, and 2010 <br />own land and. have begun o{ grown their operations since the PLANT program began. <br />Evaluations of the 2008, 2009, and 2-010 workshop series and- the 2008 and 2009 apprentice <br />program indicated overwhelming satisfaction. <br />8.If the project is successful, what might other farmers or farmer groups learn from your <br />experience? Could the project be replicated by other groups without causing problems from <br />competition? <br />New farmers have gained a solid foundation in business planning for agricultural- enterprises <br />as welt as new and innovative techniques for prodt~ee and livestock production. In the past <br />three years, the PLANT @ Breeze program hosted visitors from other incubator projects in <br />North Carolina and Virginia, as well as served as the lead presenter on a national farm <br />incubator webinar. Our programs for farmer training and business education not only assist <br />tobacco communities and farmers by providing options for diversification, but also help <br />revitalize the general agricultural: community by providing new economic activity that helps to <br />sustain and renew rural communities. <br />We believe that additional farm enterprise incubators are needed to serve regional new farmer <br />training. <br />9.A requirement of receiving a grant from-RAFT is to conduct outreach to other growers about <br />the results of your project. How will you let other farmers know about your experience with <br />your project? <br />We-have 3-ann-ual events that allow for effective outreach: 1) An Open House each summer, <br />2) a Farm to Fork Picnic in early summer, and 3) a Stakeholder Mee#ing in fall. In addition, we- <br />.have presented posters or oral presentations at local, sta#e, and regional meetings to share <br />our information. Each of our apprentices engages in peer to_peer outreach, each sharing their <br />exlseriences during the workshop series aswell- as-their knowledge from each production <br />season. <br />Articles on Center activities will be disseminated to local farm and rural print media, and <br />modified for general audiences to promote consumption of locally produced farm products. <br />The websites at http://www.oranQecountyfarms.org/ as well as http://orange.ces.ncsu.edu <br />currently provide some basic information and will provide additional information as the program <br />develops. <br />Page 11 of 19 <br />