“These tools have brought together the best practices in the country for refugee and immigrant farmer education.”
-Nick Wuertz, Director of Refugee Community Services at Lutheran Services in Iowa
See and search the over 60 training and technical assistance (T&TA) resources (below), primarily for New American audiences and the programs that serve them. New Americans include refugees, asylees, and immigrants who are part of the current and next generation of beginning farmers in the U.S. and Canada.
This resource library is the result of a 3-year partnership between ISED Solutions and 18 beginning farmer incubators, through a Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) Educational Enhancement initiative titled Educational Tools and Methods for Beginning Refugee & Immigrant Farmers. Our intent has been to develop and share resources that facilitate high quality instruction and hands-on assistance using a combination of carefully-designed tools and techniques. These resources can be freely downloaded and used as is, or adapted to meet the specific capacities and priorities of a specific program or setting. These teaching resources and handbook are appropriate to use with any beginning farmer audiences whose learning needs and styles vary because of education, language, literacy, and/or cultural factors. ISED expresses gratitude to all the partners who shared in the development of these resources. Individuals and organizations involved in specific resource development are identified within.
This is module 5 in a series of 8 modules in the Interational Rescue Committee's Micro-producer Academy. This training guide will help you, the trainer, to lead a 2-hour training on the building blocks of budgeting and recordkeeping. While this was designed to serve as one workshop, some of the activities can be used independently if desired. Farmers will understand what counts as income, and what counts as expenses, and will become familiar with basic recordkeeping words and forms. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.
This is module 6 in a series of 8 modules in the International Rescue Committee's Micro-producer academy. This modules introduces farmers to post-harvest handling and food safety and farm rules, to maximize food quality and safety. Farmers will demonstrate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for market harvest days and will be able to identify what crops need and need not be cooled upon harvest. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.
This is module 7 in a series of 8 modules in the New Roots Micro-producer academy. Module 7 introduces farmers to forms of currency, money handling and making change. This guide provides talking points for each slide in the corresponding PowerPoint presentation, and includes activity steps, tips for allowing farmers to reflect, and ideas for how to assess for farmer learning. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.
This is module 3 in a series of 8 modules in the New Roots Micro-producer academy.This is an introduction to the concept of market gardening or farming, and to selecting crops that fit the market channel that producers anticipate using. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.
This is module 4 in a series of 8 modules in the New Roots Micro-producer academy.Understanding the difference between personal and commercial production. Growing techniques (as well as farm rules) to maximize production and timing production based around the markets they hope to sell at. Farmers will draft a planting and harvest calendar for the market crops they have chosen, and they will draw a potential succession planting map for one crop. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.
This is module 8 in a series of 8 modules in the Interational Rescue Committee's Micro-producer Academy.This guide will help you, the trainer, to conduct this lesson on marketing success. This can be done as one complete workshop or lesson, or individual activities can be pulled out and done independently with farmers. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.
This is module 2 in a series of 8 modules in International Rescue Committee's Micro-producer Academy. In this workshop, farmers will explore the pros and cons of indirect and direct marketing options. In addition to learning vocabulary and concepts with the help of PowerPoints, farmers will complete a pros and cons smiley face (or color dot system) ‘Activity Board’, and do some farmers’ market role play activity to explore these topics. In module 6, farmers will have a chance to build their direct marketing skill. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.
This is module 1 in a series of 8 modules in the International Rescue Committee's Micro-producer Academy.Farmers get an overview of the program, its context, and what they can expect from their participation in it. They also will have the opportunity to envision what they want their year to look like which can both help farmers to get excited about the season and help program directors better understand what their participants want from the program. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.
This guide shows trainers and staff how to use the benchmarking/competency tool with participants to assess skills, knowledge, and performance through self- and staff-administered assessments. You may use the provided materials and tools, or you may develop your own criteria/competencies as needed for your program. This teaching resource was developed by International Rescue Committee in Charlottesville, VA in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED Solutions). Refugee farmer training programs across the country provided feedback on this lesson, which is now integrated throughout the guide.
These charts are meant to be used as a reference after showing how to mix and apply the pesticides in a hands-on workshop. After the hands-on work-shop we hope that farmers will be able to use the charts as a reference to stimulate farmers’ memory and to be able to identify the correct pesticide to use, and to mix and use it correctly. See below for tips on helping farmers understand and use these reference sheets.
