Our Work
...Programs

BLOC is currently a Share Our Strength Family Impact Accelerator fund recipient and works to provide technical assistance for emerging Black Agri- businesses. We provide potential farming business with Financial, Technical, Programmatic, and Administrative support free of charge. Our goal is to create as many BIPOC and women-led businesses in Maine & Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Georgia, and Alabama. We also provide access to affordable growing space, farm start up resources, commercial farming access, sustainable housing, the potential to start a cannabis business. Because of food deserts in low income,black, brown and immigrant communities are being underserved when it comes to fresh produce. This organization will bridge the gap by elevating black farmers with crops that are culturally relevant to each community because they will be grown by their neighbors, peers, and/ or family members. These communities are consistently anchored by women leaders/ heads of households, so when one economically disadvantaged black woman farmer begins to thrive she lifts a large portion of her community along with her. This project will take place over a 2 year period, with the first year focused on agricultural skill building, collective land access, business development, & resources sharing. The second year will focus on business expansion, independent or collective land ownership and sustainability, leadership development, skill and knowledge sharing. The project will include a multi-tiered process for each farmer Technical Assistance for business development, Collective land access, Individual land access, Commercial Market Access (both retail and wholesale, and value-added products) while creating connections with a coalition of Mass Farmers Market, a community garden to school programs, restaurants and One on one market training Resource mapping and access to create connections to American Farmland Trust, USDA, and Farmer Service Agency Racial Equity and Economic Equity training to empower farmers to create and join self directed movement building committees, which build power and influence policy on a broader level. Each family will be offered a garden bed with seeds, soil, and fertilizer to address food insecurity issues YEAR 1 Milestone- Full Program Roll-out-1-6 months Activity- Full staff training; strategic logistics, coordination, and execution (1-3) Executive Director/Grants Manager Cohort Administrative Coordinator Growing & Construction Coordinator Administrative Support Labor/Construction Support Activity 1st Contact- Intake Form/ 1st meetings Technical Assistance Support Supervision Business consulting planning & marketing, Website development, product development, garden bed construction, resource gathering, workshop availability, mini grant disbursements, farmers market placements, land/growing placements, Activity- Assessment Period; 1st Farmers cohort intake and needs assessments (3-6) months; Farmers Market Winter Assessments Cohort A- Developed Farmers- Business elevation & expansion, Technical assistance, marketing, collective land access Cohort B- Developing Farmers- Growing Workshops, Garden Bed Installations, Businessdevelopment Activity- Farmer needs Matchup- Technical Assistance for business and marketing development- mini grant disbursements ( 500 for state filing llc designation, 500 for business account opening) Farmer leaders for Land Collective matchup- Match seasoned farmers to lead Young Farmers on collective land Land Identification, surveying, and distribution Milestone- Growing Season is Here! Activity- Land & Market Placements ( 6-8 months) Resource gathering workshops Farmers market application training Crop planning support Marketing support Garden bed installations/ Garden Growing workshops/ Business development support Milestone- Conferences, Workshops, and Year 1 Assessments Activity- WomanLEAD Year 1 Program Assessment (8-12 months) 1st years assessments of each Cohort A, B Collecting feedback or debriefing activities from all community partners Conference Attendance for Farmer Leaders Farmer Leaders meetings & debriefing Year 2 Milestone- Year 2 Strategic Plan Structure and Implementation (1-2 months) Activity- Assessment Analysis Strategic Planning, Staff training Activity- Farmer Outreach and debriefing Milestone-Farmer Leader Planning Meeting ( 2-4 months) Farmer Leader Training- Land, Workshops, Racial Equity Leadership 1st Contact- Intake Form/ 1st meetings Activity- Cohort A, Cohort B, and Farmer Leader Designations ( Cohort C) Apply analytical conclusions from assessments to placements for ; Collective Land, Individual Land, Garden Bed Activity- Resource Mapping & Matchup Land- Garden beds move to collective land use, collective land use moves towards leadership responsibility within collective land use, leadership responsibility moves towards collective or individual ownership- We want to set folks up to win. Mini Grants- 1st year business development ( market, equipment, tools, labor) 2nd year- land ownership Large Agency connection- FSA Milestone- Growing Season is Here! ( 4-10 months) Cohort A & B ( 1st Year) Activity- Land & Market Placements ( Same as year 1) Cohort B & C ( 2nd Year) Activity- FSA, AFT, and USDA meetings & workshops Grant writing and narrative story development Marketing and Social media amplification Assessment of individual economic and social advancements Milestone- Leadership Development Training Module Implementation ( 6-10 months) Activity- Farmer Leader Training Produce Safety Serve Safe Certification Commercial Retail Certification/Training Farm Safety/OSHA training Farm Equipment Training Rural and Urban Farming skill/labor exchange Milestone- WomanLEAD Year 2 Program Assessment ( 9-12 months) Activity- 2nd Years assessments of each Cohort A, B, C Activity- Collecting feedback or debriefing activities from all community partners Activity- Conference workshop attendance and project proposals for Cohort C Activity- Farmer Leaders meetings & debriefing WomenLEAD ALL program ( qualitative and quantitative) assessment surveying and information gathering