Co-op aims to go to school

Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Monticello, made another stop in Jackson County following a town hall meeting here Aug. 19.
He went to the New North Florida Co-operative to see how the non-profit organization works.
Established in 1995 by Jackson County resident Glyen Holmes, it aims to connect small-scale farmers to each other, and to buyers who don’t need huge amounts of produce.
Without finding such niches, small farmers often find themselves boxed out of markets that need more product than they can provide at one time.
According to Holmes, he coined the phrase “small farms to schools” some time ago, when he started looking to hook farmers up with school districts in their regions. This is the main market he targets, along with small independent groceries. The farmers usually offer leafy greens and green beans, two staples on almost any school menu.
He works with producers in Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, and has his eye on expanding into Arkansas.
Located on property Holmes owns on Union Road north of Marianna, the operation also trains young people who want to get started in farming. The older producers are dying out or retiring, and the field needs to be replenished with a new crop of savvy entrepreneurs.
Holmes said there are about 10 youngsters involved right now, many of whom started working with him years ago when they were in the eighth grade. They learn how produce, package, distribute, run equipment and operate successfully in the business side of farming.
Although the management company now running the Jackson County school program is not currently committed to buying local produce from farmers in his coalition, Holmes said that may soon change.
A representative of the company has shown strong interest in getting involved, he said, and solid negotiations should commence soon.
Holmes said big-time farmers are taking over his “farm to school” concept to some extent, and that he fears small farmers are again going to be boxed out.
He said he wanted Rep. Boyd to see “that this is a pioneering program, that the beginning of it all was right here in his district.”
When Boyd offered to drop by after the town meeting, Holmes lined up a host of people to show Boyd the ropes or to learn more themselves.
State Food Director Kathy Reed was to be there from the Department of Food and Nutrition. Another invited guest was University of Florida’s Bob Hochmuth, the director of the research center in Live Oak.
The dean of FAMU’s College of Agriculture, Makola Abdullah was also slated to appear.
Those working with Holmes in the operation on a regular basis include Andre Blount, a driver and trainer who teaches the young trainees about distribution logistics.
Vonda Richardson from FAMU’s cooperative extension is also on board as a marketing specialist assisting Holmes.
Holmes aims to have farmers from North Florida supplying the entire Florida school system before he’s done.
He said he also hopes to do a pilot program in the fall to show what the small farm to school program might do for north Florida counties.
Two or three months ago, Holmes testified before the congressional agriculture appropriations committee about the farm to school program, and said he hopes his presentation will lead to something good.
“They’re trying to see if farm to school is really what it is being promoted as,” he said. “Hopefully, they’re taking my information back to Congress to see if it was justifiable to add money to the child nutrition bill specifically for farm to school programs.”
A senator told Holmes he liked what he saw. “Sen. (Tom) Harkin said this is what the ag committee has been trying to do for years and that my program should be the model, so I’m hopeful,” Holmes said.
Boyd, who has an ag background, may be an ally now that he knows more about the program, Holmes hopes.
“We’re trying to get a comprehensive plan in place by networking farmers and school systems, something that will be substantial and sustainable for a long time to come,” he said.