About Us

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Foundation is the only educational and research organization that directly serves state departments of agriculture in all 50 states and four U.S. territories. NASDA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to enhance agricultural communities through education, outreach, and research.

Building the Accelerator

In 2019 the NASDA Foundation worked with a team of partners in Oregon and Washington to develop the core curriculum for the Farm2Food Accelerator, a training program originally built to help small-scale, women, specialty crop farmers refine their food and beverage products, target their marketing, and explore expanding into new markets.

Reaching small-scale farmers across the nation

The first pilot program launched in Washington and Oregon through grants received from the 2019 Washington State Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and 2019 Oregon Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Since then, we’ve adapted the curriculum and successfully launched pilots in California, Florida, and Nevada. As the program has grown, it has opened up to additional under-served, small-scale farmers. In Fall 2023 we translated the program to Spanish to reach even more communities around the country.

Creating resiliency and visibility for farmers

Small-scale farmers are experiencing unprecedented market volatility and events such as the COVID pandemic, natural disasters, the breakdown of global supply chains, and inflation. COVID alone caused U.S farmers to face an expected crop loss of $522.5 million. Under-served farmers, who typically have small-scale farms, could be at risk of going out of business if they cannot adapt. We are helping small-scale farmers become more resilient during these crises by diversifying the products they sell and exploring new markets while increasing their food safety knowledge and processes. The Farm2Food programs also create a supportive community with direct access to industry-leading experts and local resources.

Research shows that value-added production, the act of processing raw agricultural goods into finished products such as food or beverage products, can increase farmers’ profitability, increase shelf stability of products, expand the market season, increase farm visibility, and allow them to enter new markets.

ADAPTING TO MEET LOCAL NEEDS

To best meet the needs of different farming communities, each Farm2Food program features different partners, local speakers, benefits, structures, resources, regulatory information, and even funding sources. Learn more about the unique Farm2Food programs across the country:

• California

• Nevada

• Oregon and Washington

• Florida

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Created 16 topic-based modules covering product formulation, licensing, food safety, packaging, labeling, marketing, consumer sensory testing, pricing, and pitching.

• Built an online community platform to connect small-scale farmers and experts across the nation.

• Helped 75+ small-scale farmers and food entrepreneurs in five states develop or refine a value-added food/beverage product while de-risking the process of bringing these products to market.

• Worked with local partners to connect farmers with experts and resources in their backyards.

• Designed 10+ farm websites with shops. Also provided packaging and logo design for 15+ farmers.

• Supported the attendance of small-scale farmers at national food shows such as the Good Food Foundation Mercantile and SIAL America.

• Fostered the development and/or refinement of the following products and many more!

To learn more about these products and the small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs behind them, please visit: https://hyldemoerandco.com/, https://www.3rdacrefarm.com/, and https://www.chiliroyale.com/.