Youth Farmstand Impact Report

The Issues

In 1990 the U.S. Secretary of Labor organized the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS). The SCANS Report for America 2000 identified the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that youth must have in order to compete successfully in the workplace, and charged the education system with the responsibility of integrating those skills into students’ academic preparation. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) also supports the fact that youth are not being properly prepared for employment, and CSREES has identified Workforce Preparation as a national concern for youth.

The agriculture and food systems industries in New Jersey provide a hook for encouraging youth to think about their short and long-term employment and career opportunities. The $62.5 billion agriculture and food systems industries comprise the third largest industry in New Jersey in economic benefits. The NJ Department of Agriculture’s Reinventing Agricultural Education for the Year 2020 initiative emphasized repeatedly the need for “preparing young people for productive careers” in agriculture and the need for educated, skilled workers at all levels to support this multi-billion dollar industry. A key goal of the initiative is to “ensure a constant supply of young people selecting agriculture as their career” especially in view of the fact that “10% of professional jobs in agriculture go unfilled each year.”

The Answer: A Youth Farmstand Program

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) Youth Farmstand Program is a statewide, interdisciplinary program designed to increase workforce readiness skills in at-risk youth, support local farmers and the NJ agriculture industry, and build healthier, stronger communities. The primary delivery mode for the program consists of youth-operated farmstands that provide at-risk and special needs youth in grades 9-12 the opportunity to develop and practice workforce readiness skills defined in the SCANS Report. The farmstands use an entrepreneurial approach: youth make most decisions related to stand operations and receive a share of the profits at the end of the selling season. (Note: Whether youth receive an hourly wage while participating in this experience depends upon specific site funding.) The youth farmstands are located in economically depressed communities in order to provide local residents with fresh, quality produce that may otherwise be inaccessible. Several youth farmstands accept WIC and Senior Nutrition program vouchers. Nutrition information is available onsite to customers, as are cooking methods and recipes. The youth farmstands support the NJ Department of Agriculture’s Jersey Fresh program by purchasing only locally grown produce for resale. Youth participants educate customers about the importance of buying Jersey Fresh produce to farmers and the community residents.

In 2004, seven (7) RCE Youth Farmstands were implemented in several diverse communities in New Jersey. Mercer County extension personnel operated three (3) sites within Trenton, New Jersey’s state capitol. The participants were at-risk, inner city youth provided (and paid) by a local youth employment program. The farmstands served downtown Trenton workers and residents, and one stand was located adjacent to a retirement complex for low-income elderly. Gloucester County extension personnel operated two (2) youth farmstands, one each in Paulsboro and Woodbury. The Gloucester participants were at-risk, special needs youth. Both farmstands served at-risk populations in economically depressed areas. Atlantic County extension personnel operated one (1) youth farmstand in Atlantic City. At-risk youth participants were provided (and paid) by the local Youth Corps program. The farmstand was located convenient to low income residents of Atlantic City. Monmouth County extension personnel operated one (1) youth farmstand in Asbury Park to serving the needs of the local at-risk community.

The youth farmstands provided a hands-on work and entrepreneurship experience to youth in the mechanics of owning and operating a small business. There were three (3) major educational components: pre-farmstand training, farmstand operations and ongoing educational activities and experiences during the selling season. Curriculum topics included workforce readiness skills, farmstand operations, marketing, Jersey Fresh, agricultural careers, the food system, character education, and job search skills. The youth farmstands obtained produce for resale from local farmers, and Jersey Fresh logos were prominently displayed at all stands. Youth provided customers with nutrition and produce preparation education as requested, and unsold produce was donated to local organizations serving economically vulnerable populations.

Outcomes/Impacts

A total of 72 at-risk/special needs youth participated in the RCE Youth Farmstand Program. All youth demonstrated increased workforce readiness skills and attitudes at the close of the selling season. A total of $$2592.90 profits were distributed among the youth participants, based upon total stand sales and hours worked. More than $50,000 in combined wages were earned by youth participants. Over 1000 cases of produce were purchased from local farmers. These suppliers indicated they were satisfied with the program, eager to learn how to access local niche markets and looked forward to broadening our relationships.

A combined total of 3449 customers in economically disadvantaged areas purchased $15,780 in Jersey Fresh produce from the Youth Farmstands. Individual sites reported that up to 80% of their customers were low income and/or elderly. Community residents reported increased access to fresh, quality produce, and that they understood (and felt good about) their contribution towards supporting local farmers and youth workforce readiness training. The majority of customers who redeemed WIC or Senior Farmers Market vouchers reported using vouchers exclusively at the farmstands, and over one-third indicated they had no other accessible outlet for voucher redemption.

2004 Funding Sources
USDA
Mercer County Workforce Investment Board
Children, Youth and Families At-Risk (CYFAR) grant

Collaborators/Partners
Jersey Fresh (NJ Department of Agriculture)
Food Bank of Monmouth/Ocean Counties
Jobs for America’s Graduates, Inc. (Trenton)
Woodbury and Paulsboro city governments and high schools
Bankbridge Regional School
Office of Continuting Professional Education- Cook
Mercer County One-Stop Career Center
Trenton Farmers Market
Local Produce Suppliers
Asbury Park Urban Enterprise Zone

For More Information
nj4h@njaes.rutgers.edu

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