Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on November 12, 2009
We posed this question to a group of farmers, food business owners, building/metal contractors, and low-income families in the Northfield/Faribault area. Their response was a solid “YES, it can work.” Of course, if you have ever been at a rally where an energetic speaker gets everyone motivated about something, it is easy to chant “yes, we can.” And even if one does not completely understand whether one actually “can,” it still feels good. Our challenge was to move beyond possibilities and excitement, and figure out how we could turn everyone’s aspirations — especially those of the low-income families (all Latino) — into a successful partnership.
Here is how we made that happen:
First, we worked on a plan for a two-week project to process over 3,000 free range chickens from our two start-up farms in Northfield and Cannon Falls (please don’t try this at home). For the plan to work, we had to secure a physical site on one of the farms, find basic processing equipment, fully pre-train one or two of us on the whole system, design a layout, and complete many other tasks associated with organizing the project and the people. We also needed some cash to purchase basic supplies (boxes, packaging material, ice, LP gas, etc.).
Thousand Hills Cattle Company lent our cooperative (Hillside Farmers Cooperative) the money to purchase the basic processing equipment. Prink Oakridge Farm in Cannon Falls figured out the freezer truck with Thousand Hills, driving and operating the unit, and unloading at the storage facility. Cannon River Machine, figured out the layout and basic processing skills needed so that a team could be trained on the specifics of each aspect of the processing. They also built a large 2 by 8 foot steel platform so we could build a fire under it and heat a large tub of water (saving time and LP gas).
Our program found financial support to cover some of the supplies and materials. Both farms contributed part of their production to compensate each individual who participated in the processing, providing them with a supply of poultry that will feed their families all winter.
A community organizer in Faribault worked to organize 14 individuals to do the processing. In the course of one and a half weeks, we all took turns loading chickens into cages, bringing them over to the site, switching jobs when someone got too tired, wet, cold or all of the above. All this happened during the two weeks that it rained non-stop and got really cold as well. It was physically demanding work under miserable conditions. It was almost as if some higher power was seeing if we would give up on the whole project.
When we finished, all of the birds had been processed and 12 individuals had learned how to do this work efficiently and cost effectively, achieving very competitive production levels. They worked happily and in a relaxed atmosphere. Some children came and played, observed their parents working together, and watched a mix of people of different skin color and backgrounds interact as if issues of race had never existed. Much more happened while this community enterprise took shape. Of course, one part we did not hold back on was the enjoyment of the best chicken stews and grilled chicken you have ever tried.
These families will be ready to start again next spring when the production season begins. Going forward, more families in our region will 
learn that community supported agriculture includes growing chickens, but also processing them right on the farm for freshness and health. Perhaps most importantly, we’ll have more opportunities to connect with each other as a community, while supporting those who have been left behind in our current economic system.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on August 9, 2009
In 2007, the Rural Enterprise Center was launched to create systems, programs and support infrastructure to maximize the success potential of Southern MN regional Latino/Hispanic families. A first step in this process was to conduct in depth community analysis and partnerships to identify long term (thinking of generations, rather than years as a measure of long term) enterprise opportunities. The most promising opportunities in every aspect that we can think of came from a natural, but still under developed sector “sustainable agriculture and food systems”.
By the end of 2007, after having met with over 400 Latino/Hispanic families, over 50 established farmers from the region, hundreds of economic development and social organizations and over 15 farming organizations, it was clear that we could move forward to designing and launching a farming system with a mission to incorporate Hispanic/Latino farmers into the farming and food infrastructure as a valuable tool for regional economic development and sustainable integration of a sector of this population to the main stream (social, political and economic system). To accomplish this, The Rural Enterprise Center would concentrate most of its resources to develop a farming system that integrates existing farmers, sustainable farming practices, and the assets and aspirations of Latino/Hispanic families in Southern MN.
Over the last 20 months or so, I have written extensively about the system that we developed, including postings with documents and other resources to explain our thinking to the public. Significant progress has been made towards the deployment of the planned enterprises. We have established partnerships in all aspects needed and actual farming operations have now been launched as part of an integrated, symbiotic array of farming enterprises. This enterprises are designed and networked to maximize value added for new farmers, while enhancing the ability of established farmers to engage their land and other resources, investors to contribute capital, distributors to deal with the system with confidence, etc. From all of this, the most important aspect is that the system is designed so that immigrant farmers can incorporate themselves through a series of steps aligned with their economic, social and political reality. The farming methodologies and process organizing is innovative on its own not only from the science angle but from the business viability of ideas that many farmers have tried. We went backwards if compared to many farming operations, we started with the customer’s preferences, the distribution systems available, the size of this market and distribution infrastructure, and then matched this with what we have to offer in our region. The partnerships we have established and the products we are launching respond to this process step by step so that the deployment can be methodical and deliberate.
The system is designed to engage up to 12 different farming enterprise opportunities. The launch sequence has to do with market driven forces, but its sustainability is defined by the relationships among enterprises and their ability to achieve full utilization of natural resources, biological systems and consequently, nature’s growing power and efficiency. As we do this, we add business relations inside the system and create value added while generating income for the families without complicating legal, operational and other sorts of support infrastructure and programming needed. The process we follow seeks to “uncomplicated” issues and fully engage the “natural” way of building sustainable (permanent) farming systems.
This morning I took pictures of some of our poultry as it represents the first and most promising step in building each 
one of the 12 enterprise sectors. This is true because of the poultry’s short life cycle and concurrent cash-flow that makes it possible for a low income family to enter the system while not having to disrupt their current situation significantly. Poultry is also an area of farming where Latino families already have much experience and knowledge. This knowledge and experience finds no opportunities in conventional poultry, so we had to start from the start, which also helped turn this asset into a competitive advantage for this fast growing enterprises. Among many other reasons for this first natural step, is the fact that in sustainable farming systems, biological activity needs the presence of livestock. Livestock helps all the way from soil disturbance to value added for grains and other raw materials. When we see the contribution and value of manure, we are thinking of a natural cycle and an opportunity to further utilize nature’s growth power for more efficient and nutritious vegetables, nuts, fruits, honey, biomass production, carbon sequestration, soil protection through permanent root systems, extraction of minerals from down deeper for healthier birds, avoiding disturbing the soil with machinery, reducing carbon emissions, etc.
As part of continuing to build the “symbiotic” relationships, this year we area launching two vegetable growers, in this 
picture, Mercedez shows proudly his second harvest. Last year’s poultry produced over 20 tones of compost. This compost is well balanced as we have designed a process to ensure that the end product is not tilted towards nitrogen content, which is mostly what comes out 
of the birds’ back end. On another post, I may explain how we accomplished this “balanced compost mix”. In 2009 we will be producing over 75 tons of compost as we grow over 7,000 free range birds. 2010 will see an exponential increase in productivity at all levels of the system and the possibility of launching operations in the third enterprise area (production of small grains), as we have acquired small equipment needed to grow grains without chemicals, and we are looking for land to rent to make this other enterprise opportunity possible within the system.
Two distribution partnerships have now been established to market the system’s products, if you are interested in knowing more about these enterprise development, please don’t hesitate to contact us through the contact us link.
A community organizer in Faribault worked to organize 14 individuals to do the processing. In the course of one and a half weeks, we all took turns loading chickens into cages, bringing them over to the site, switching jobs when someone got too tired, wet, cold or all of the above. All this happened during the two weeks that it rained non-stop and got really cold as well. It was physically demanding work under miserable conditions. It was almost as if some higher power was seeing if we would give up on the whole project.
learn that community supported agriculture includes growing chickens, but also processing them right on the farm for freshness and health. Perhaps most importantly, we’ll have more opportunities to connect with each other as a community, while supporting those who have been left behind in our current economic system.
