Established in 2013, North Leupp Family Farms (NLFF) is a 501c (3) non-profit organization on the Navajo Reservation with a mission to develop and present comprehensive solutions to address deficiencies in community food system, encourage healthy lifestyles, and improve food security through partnerships with local food producers, schools, and business entities. As a small farmers’ cooperative, NLFF is cultivated by over thirty (30) farmer families. NLFF provides continued traditional food education, field trips, and demonstrations to local communities. Currently, the Farm provides fresh produce and farm products to local schools, hospitals, and elder centers.
This grant will be used to provide technical assistance and training on Navajo Nation and other Native American tribes in AZ. Technical Assistance is an advisory service.
This program is also designed to increase the participation rate of Native American farmers and ranchers in USDA grant/loan programs.
The Overarching Goal of this proposed program is to provide technical assistance and training, including rural business and/or cooperative formation, market study, business planning, feasibility study, product or service improvement, business accounting, environmental study, infrastructure planning, innovative technology adoption, value-added business development, and project management and administration.
To achieve the overarching goal, this program intends to address the following objectives/purposes in the Navajo Nation as well as other tribal communities in Arizona:
Objective 1: SDA Groups Outreach and Needs Assessment. We will assist SDA groups in developing, operating, and maintaining successful businesses and cooperatives through collaborative effort and community needs assessments.
Objective 2: Marketing Assistance to SDA Agricultural Groups and Cooperatives. This includes helping SDA groups develop robust and innovative marketing strategies and connecting local producers with distribution channels and end customers
Objective 3: Technical Assistance and Training to New and Emerging SDA Agricultural Groups and Cooperatives. This includes business training and help SDA agricultural groups to better cope with long-term drought while mitigating climate impacts.
Objective 4: Program Management and Federal Reporting. The project team will provide all of the support listed above. We will also facilitate and provide all required federal reports to ensure all grant requirements are met for our constituents.
