PRESERVING AND CREATING CRioONFIDEN TGrandeIAL Farm Park

C O N F I D E N T I A L

Rio Grande Farm ParkP R E S E R V I N G A N D C R E A T I N G

Business PlanPrepared March 2016

Contact Information

Julie Mordecai 6935 Highway 17

[email protected] Alamosa, CO 81101, USA

www.riograndefarmpark.org 719-580-0379

RIO GRANDE FARM PARK i

CONFIDENTIAL - DO NOT DISSEMINATE. This business plan contains confidential, trade-secret information and is shared only with the understanding that you will not share its contents or ideas with third parties without the express written consent of the plan author.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ..................................................................1Opportunity ...................................................................................................................................................1Expectations .................................................................................................................................................4

Opportunity...............................................................................6Problem & Solution .......................................................................................................................................6Target Market ...............................................................................................................................................8Competition...................................................................................................................................................9

Execution ................................................................................14Marketing Plan............................................................................................................................................14Operations ..................................................................................................................................................19Milestones & Metrics...................................................................................................................................21

Organization ...........................................................................25Overview.....................................................................................................................................................25Team........................................................................................................................................................... 26

Financial Plan..........................................................................31Forecast......................................................................................................................................................31Financing ....................................................................................................................................................33Financials....................................................................................................................................................37

Appendix.................................................................................38Profit and Loss Statement ..........................................................................................................................38Balance Sheet ............................................................................................................................................41Budget for 2016 ..........................................................................................................................................44

Addendums.............................................................................45Work Plan for Marketing Plan .....................................................................................................................45Rio Grande Farm Park Master Plan ...........................................................................................................48

RIO GRANDE FARM PARK 1 of 48


Executive Summary

Opportunity

The Rio Grande Farm Park (RGFP) is an autonomous program of the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition (SLVLFC), a private nonprofit organization whose mission is to "foster an equitable local food system that restores the health of the people, community, economy and ecosystem." Housed originally as a LiveWell site at a local community health center, SLVLFC became a 501c3 non-profit in 2011. After several years of concerted effort, the Rio Grande Farm Park initiative was formalized under the SLVLFC umbrella. A diverse group of community members make up the RGFP Committee, overseeing its development. The vision for this innovative multi-use park is to preserve the SLV’s important agricultural heritage, precious water resources, and open public spaces, while simultaneously creating economic development, healthy living, and educational and recreational opportunities for community members. With the assistance of the Trust for Public Land and tremendous community input, the Master Plan for the Park has recently been completed, which will inform and animate this vision. A key initial focus is a new farmer incubator program, as well as a working farm that provides education, research, and access to land for market production.

A major challenge in the “healthy food to community chain” is that many farm operations no longer have new farmers following in their footsteps. New and aspiring farmers lack both experience and capital. Additionally, access to good agricultural soils, sufficient water, markets and other necessary infrastructure is limited. Equally, learning about enterprise budgeting, production planning, risk management and food safety are important elements of starting a food-related farming business. By providing help with these assets and skills, the RGFP will allow aspiring farmers to try out farming with little risk in the beginning, to determine if farming may be a viable option.

Solution

Solution

The RGFP provides 38 acres of land to the community of which 16 acres are arable. The park will provide a myriad of resources to aspiring farmers that might otherwise be barriers:

1. physical land with alluvial soil built up from centuries of being next to the Rio Grande River;

2. Infrastructure to include tools, tractors, and irrigation;



3. A ready market in the Valley Roots Food Hub aggregating and distributing local food to local markets.

4. Initial funding to offset many of the other operational costs new farmers would need to have available to them to start farming;

5. a farm manager to help guide what to farm, how to farm this land, and what grows well in the San Luis Valley;

6. other staff, including one or more full-time volunteers, as well as Park committee members and advisors with farming experience;

7. community connections to classes and workshops for the aspiring farmers’ program, such as:

• soil health and cover cropping

• nutrient management

• water and irrigation

• bed and field preparation

• plant biology and crop families

• organic weed management

• disease and pest management

• maturity assessment

• harvesting, and post-harvesting handling

• equipment use and maintenance

• whole farm design and management

• business planning and risk management

• moving from the incubator to the real world

Market

The RGFP will focus on multiple markets. This will include both the market of farm incubator clients, as well as distribution of the food produced. We will focus primarily on low-income and underserved individuals interested in farming. Food from the RGFP will be sold primarily through farmers’ markets, the local Valley Roots Food Hub with well-established local markets and the Valley Food Coop.



Competition

The RGFP is a unique opportunity that is truly out of the box. There is no other farm incubator in the San Luis Valley. Family farms are passed on from generation to generation, but rarely provide training for non-family members. The local community college has some agriculture courses, but we see ourselves working with them collaboratively rather than competitively. Courses could be taken at Trinidad State Community College or even through the local high school, with aspiring farmers practicing on the land at the Rio Grande Farm Park.

Eventually there will be other initiatives and enterprises arising out of the Park vision. These may include a farm to table restaurant, a business park, WWOOFER (World Wide Opportunities in Organic Farming) or artist-in-residence housing, children's learning center and activity area, and an events center. Many of these items do have some local competition, but not in the configuration we envision for mutual synchronicity and not in such a beautiful environment. This business plan will focus on the farm incubator and other farming endeavors of the Park, which are primary to the development plan. At the same time, it will tip its hat to the other endeavors envisioned in years ahead, with regard to putting into place the planning, design, capital funds and financial projections associated with these longer-term goals.

Why Us?

From the beginning, passion has driven this initiative. This passion continues to make us the right ones for the job, with strong leadership and business acumen from both staff and board, as well as a strong understanding of what the community is looking for as a result of our robust planning and feasibility process. The RGFP is poised to be on the leading edge of the future of the local food economy. The community has already supported this project with immense amounts of time and financial resources. Because of the immense community involvement and support, this project will continue to realize its potential.

RGFP must have buy-in from the whole community, with its leadership not coming just from individuals with financial resources, but also from all those that will benefit from the Park. This project was conceived as a grassroots community initiative and will continue to follow this premise. The following processes have been used to fully engage the community and project leadership throughout the planning process: giving full voice to and partnership with the Guatemalan community leaders who have been with us since the beginning, utilizing focus groups to learn about diverse community members’ needs and interests regarding farming, event spaces, integration of the arts, and environmental protection; completing business development, resource development and capital campaign plans to ensure financial stability; and developing marketing and public relations plans to support ongoing promotion and support for the Park and its future. This strategic approach supports this project’s long-term implementation and impact, as well as its overall sustainability.



Additionally, overall goals of the RGFP are to ensure that its work and activities meet the core values of the SLVLFC. It is imperative that the RGFP utilizes these lenses to sift through what is important to furthering the mission, vision and goals of this project. Before moving forward with any new idea, program or activity, they must be vetted with the following core values of the Local Foods Coalition. These core values were developed by the Coalition membership and were embraced and approved by the Local Foods Coalition board of directors:

• Economy/Economic Health: Support Local Farmers; Support the Local Economy; Support the viability of local farms and a network of micro businesses.

• Sustainability/Environmental Health: Be sustainable, and ecologically sound; Support the health of- the soil; the people, the water, and the ecosystems; Foster respect for ecological longevity and health; Promote sustainable use of resources- soil, water.

• Food Production: Support the viability of local farm and a network of micro- business; Promote and enhance local food production and consumption; Empower people to put their hands in the earth.

• Consumer Health: Improve access to healthy local foods for everyone; Promote a healthy community; Create a community of informed consumers; Educate people about the value of healthy food.

• Social Justice/Equality: Promote social justice and equity; Improve access to local foods for everyone; be inclusive of and inviting to the entire community.

• Cultural/Traditional Values: Be beneficial for all cultures; Honor the heritage and local food culture; and respect the cultural traditions and values of the SLV.

• Community: Strengthen the community; be family friendly, flexible; Promote a healthy community; Create a community of informed consumers.

• Recreation (RGFP Addition): Provide opportunities for families and youth to enjoy the trails and river.

Expectations

Forecast

By 2025, the hope is that many of the enterprises of the park will fund community programs that would otherwise require grant funding. Funds generated by rental of the business park offices and spaces, commercial food production, profit from the farm to table restaurant, and paid use of the events spaces (indoor and out) will bring in funding to support the non -profit side of the RGFP. Value added foods with the RGFP farm label will be available throughout the state for sale to infuse funding back to the project.



Financing Needed

General operational funds for the RGFP will be needed yearly. The Resource Development Plan included below delineates this funding plan. The RGFP will begin the design process this year and will need to fund the work of the design team. Then a capital campaign will be put together to fund the build-out. This will be done in phases and is described well in the attached Master Plan:

1. Phase I. Farming Operations. This may be partially completed in 2016/2017. This includes the barn, a greenhouse, a hoop house, farming equipment, and possibly the WWOOFer/Artist housing.

2. Phase II. Education/Recreation/Restoration. This would include the education building, the children's play area, the boat ramp and parking area, as well as restoring the riverbank and ponds.

3. Phase III. Events Center and more complete build-out of the master plan. This will include permanent fencing around the developed area, the parking lot, the events center/business center, the commercial kitchen and the farm to table restaurant.



OpportunityProblem & Solution

Problem Worth Solving

Most food produced today is done in large-scale mono-crop commercial producers. The family farm, which utilizes less technology, has a smaller footprint, and produces a diversity of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes for local consumption is slowly disappearing. This way of life may become extinct without the help of food aggregators like the Valley Roots Food Hub and farm incubators like the Rio Grande Farm Park. Also lost is the opportunity for consumers to access healthy local produce and understand the story of where there food comes from and how it is grown. Building a local food system is important and a problem worth solving.

Our Solution

Build a local food system!

Why are local food systems important?

The term “local food system” (or “regional food system”) is used to describe a method of food production and distribution that is geographically localized, rather than national and/or international. Food is grown and harvested close to consumers' homes, then distributed over much shorter distances than is common in the conventional global industrial food system. In general, local/regional food systems are associated with sustainable agriculture, while the global industrial food system is reliant upon industrial petroleum-based agriculture.

Local food systems rely upon a network of small, usually sustainably run, family farms (rather than large industrially run farms) as the source of farm products. Industrial farming negatively impacts the environment in myriad ways (e.g., polluting the air, surface water, and groundwater, over-consuming fossil fuel and water resources, degrading soil quality, inducing erosion, and accelerating the loss of biodiversity). Industrial agriculture also adversely affects the health of farm workers, degrades the socioeconomic fabric of surrounding communities, and impairs the health and quality of life of community residents. In addition, although the concept of “food miles” (i.e., the number of miles a food item travels from farm to consumer) has been criticized as an unreliable indicator of the environmental impact of industrially produced food, it should be noted that conventional food is estimated to typically travel between 1,500 and 3,000 miles to reach the consumer and usually requires additional packaging and



refrigeration. Many small-scale, local farms attempt to ameliorate the environmental damage done via industrial farming by focusing on sustainable practices, such as minimized or no pesticide use, no-till agriculture and composting, minimized transport to consumers, and minimal to no packaging for their farm products.

Supporting local/regional food systems helps support local, sustainably run farms, can help protect our health and the health of our communities, and helps stimulate local economies. Below are some of the reasons local/regional food systems are important:

Food Safety

As production networks in the conventional food system have become increasingly consolidated, and as distribution networks have become increasingly globalized, the risk of food safety problems, such as food borne illness, has also increased. The consolidation of production increases the possibilities of improper processing, handling, or preparation of vast quantities of food (and subsequently consumers). Recent multi-state outbreaks affecting hundreds of people have been traced to individual farms, food processing facilities, and even individual food handlers. When a small amount of contamination (e.g., bacteria) enters these consolidated production systems, vast quantities of the food product being processed and distributed nationally (or globally) may be affected. This risk is heightened by weak food safety standards and inadequate inspection procedure. Tracing outbreaks of food borne illnesses also becomes more difficult because the production and distribution of conventional food products, such as ground beef, often involves multiple farms, food processors, and food distributors. The distribution of these food products over vast geographical areas further complicates the capability to quickly track an outbreak.

In addition, higher yielding plant varieties suitable for industrial production and international travel have come at the expense of nutrition. The global industrial food system relies on crops that have been bred primarily for higher yield and ease of transport, while farmers involved in local food systems often place a higher value on plant varietals that are more nutritious by virtue of their variety (i.e., not bred for yield alone) or by their method of production. Local, sustainably produced farm fruits and vegetables are often fresher, as they do not require long distances for transport, and thus can be harvested closer to peak ripeness. Many fruits and vegetables contain more nutrients when allowed to ripen naturally on the parent plant. Sustainably produced food also means less (or no) agricultural chemicals (such as pesticides), antibiotics, and hormones, all of which are common in conventional farm products.

Food Security

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says that “food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” Local food systems



may help improve food security by making local, fresh food available to populations with limited access to healthful food; this is especially salient as more farmers' markets and food hubs accept SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps).

Build Local Economies and Support Local Farmers

Evidence indicates that local food systems support local economies; for example,

A 2013 study of the San Luis Valley food economy by Ken Meter of Crossroads Resource Center found that SLV families spend $129,000,000 annually on food. Only .007 of that goes directly to local farms. If San Luis Valley region residents purchased $5 of food each week directly from farmers in the region, this would generate $12 million of new farm revenue for the region’s farmers.

The farmers market provides an important market for farmers while providing a valuable access point for families to encounter local foods. Farmers' markets also positively affect the businesses surrounding them, while providing significant sources of income for local farmers. Unlike large industrial farms, small family farms are more likely to spend their dollars in the community on farm-related inputs (e.g., machinery, seeds, farm supplies, local labor, etc.); in addition, food grown locally, processed locally, and distributed locally (for example, to local restaurants and schools) generates jobs and subsequently helps stimulate local economies while creating a sense of place.

In 1959, there were 4,105,000 farms in the United States, while the latest US farm census in 2011 recorded only 2,200,000 farms. In the last 50 years, though the number of farms has shrunk, the size of the farms still in existence has grown tremendously, which demonstrates the consolidation and industrialization of US agriculture. Local food systems help preserve farmland by providing small family farms a viable outlet through which to sell their farm products. In addition, the creation of relationships between farmers and their urban/suburban customers through direct-to-consumer markets can help preserve farmland, as protecting family farms becomes a shared goal for both farmers and their local consumers.

Target Market

Market Segments

Focusing on the farm incubator we will reach out to:

1. Individuals without land who would like to learn to farm;

2. Individuals with land that would like to learn to farm sustainably;



3. Veterans;

4. Low income families;

5. The Guatemalan Community that currently farms on the land;

6. Young farmers; secondary school children exploring careers.

7. WWOOFers.

The food that is grown on the land will be marketed to:

1. The local farmers’ markets;

2. The Valley Roots Food Hub and its established markets to Local Restaurants, retail outlets, schools and institutions;

3. The Valley Food Coop;

4. Market days at the park;

5. The future event center, for catering;

6. The future farm-to-table restaurant;

7. Value added products marketed with our own label.

The marketing plan, later on, looks at other aspects of the RGFP.

Competition

Current Alternatives

Aspiring farmers currently can work with local banks to purchase land and begin new farms. They have to have the capital to get started, and some may be able to get low interest loans and start farming on their own.

Additionally, the traditional passing on of knowledge through families still exists and some farmers follow the footsteps of their parents and eventually own the land that their parents and grandparents have farmed.



There are also other new farm resources in the state of Colorado and in the US where aspiring farmers can go to learn this trade. Two in Colorado are:

• Building Farmers in the West – Colorado: The Building Farmers program offers evening classes designed to help new farmers explore farming as a business and provide more advanced farmers with tools and ideas to refine and enhance their skills.

• Colorado Building Urban Farmers: The Building Urban Farmers Program, under the “Building Farmers in the West” program umbrella, is a University of Colorado Extension project that combines classroom time with experiential learning and mentorship opportunities.

Additionally, there are other opportunities that the National Young Farmer's Coalition has amassed in the western region: http://www.youngfarmers.org/practical/training-and-helpful-organizations/#West. A budding partnership is also being created with the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, to help the farmers in the program to form a cooperative in order to buy insurance and work together for other opportunities.

RGFP hopes to work with these enterprises in our greater region, rather than compete with them. We plan to visit other programs and are utilizing the Farm Incubator Handbook from the National Farm Incubator Training Initiative (NIFTI) to learn from other longer running farm incubator programs.

Our Advantages

The RGFP is a unique opportunity for this rural community. There is no other farm incubator in the San Luis Valley. Farmers are aging and some researchers estimate that as many as 50% of US farmers will retire over the next decade. In addition, farmers over the age of 55 control more than half of all US farmland. As the age of US farmers continue to increase, the number of farms and number of new/beginning farmers has continued to decline. New farmers lack access to land, capital, and established marketplaces for goods and face more severe financial struggles than established farmers. Farm incubator projects such as the RGFP and its sister food hub project offer unique and relatively new approaches to addressing the many challenges and obstacles faced by aspiring and beginning farmers. The significance of the farm incubator model is twofold; not only can farm incubators support the development of new farm enterprises, they can also encourage the growth of strong local food systems. Farm incubators are fulfilling a critical gap in new farmer training and development. This model offers support, guidance, and a great deal of promise for farmers and food systems.

The development of this business plan itself is unique and provides an advantage. Many partners were brought together utilizing translation and visual prompts to include everyone. The Business Model Canvas allows participants to share their ideas and beliefs of who are the important partners, what are the important values to keep in mind, what communication channels will be most egalitarian and effective, where are potential revenue streams for the park as well as for community members using the park as a



tool or resource, what key resources are needed such as intellectual, human, financial etc., what key activities will achieve intended goals, who are the customers of the park and what is the cost structure. It is our experience from the beginning of the project in 2008 that when people have a voice in the plan – they provide energy and friend-raising for the effort to bring it to fruition.

Longer-term plans for the park, beyond the farming programs, include:

1. An Events Center

2. A Business Park

3. A Farm to Table Restaurant

4. An Education Center

5. Recreational use of the Rio Grande River

6. Commercial Greenhouses

7. Commercial Kitchen

These projects do have some competition and competitive advantages:

1) The Events Center-there are some other places to congregate throughout the valley, but the niche that is not being served are larger places (over 250 people) that can be used for meetings, weddings etc. The competitive advantage of the events center on the RGFP will be its attention to detail, access to a commercial kitchen, retreat space, access to play spaces for children, accommodation of larger groups, and the beauty of the location near the banks of the Rio Grande River surrounded by beautiful mountain vistas.

2) The Business Park-while working on the overall park design and the business planning for the park, there was a strong pull towards having a collaborative work space for businesses that complement each other and support healthy living at the Park. We have been approached by physicians, massage therapists and food entrepreneurs with the idea of including some office or commercial space within the events facility. The competitive advantage of having a business center at this location is that it would combine businesses that could create synergy, networking, and a creative environment, as well as shared resources within a beautiful setting.

3) Farm-to-Table Restaurant-This space could house a farm to table restaurant built out and ready to go for an entrepreneur committed to utilize food grown at the Park and from local farmers who supply the



Valley Roots Food Hub. The competitive advantage of having this business here would be access to local food and share local stories creating a strong sense of place and connection to community. It will also provide a chance for an entrepreneur to try out a restaurant concept without a huge expense. There are not many local places that offer healthy food in the restaurant context currently, and they could also provide food to the business park tenants and events center guests.

4) The Education Center- This is an area dedicated to environmental and sustainable agriculture education. This space would provide opportunities for youth and families to learn about the environment that surrounds the center. There is a vast wealth of knowledge in the people of our unique historical agricultural communities including Hispanic, Amish, Japanese, Guatemalan and Mormon cultures as well from the diversity of our immigrant community. There is not an environmental learning space in Alamosa, but there are students and professors who could help provide programming through Adams State University and Trinidad State College. The competitive advantage of the Education Center at this location is that it would be on the same property where the agricultural programs are held and where the community can see wildlife along the river or nearby riparian habitats.

5) Recreational Use of the Rio Grande River-The river corridor is an important part of the Park and valued highly by the community. This was evident during our planning process, as well as a planning process for the city of Alamosa. The RGFP has been collaborating with Adams State University (ASU) by including opportunities to use paddle boards from ASU during Park family events. The master plan has a boat or paddle board ramp and small riverside parking area, due to this value expressed in the community. The competitive advantage of having the park be a place to access to the River, is that it has easy access and can be added to other activities happening simultaneously at the park (i.e. events or workshops).

6) Commercial Greenhouses-While there are other commercial greenhouses in the San Luis Valley, none of them are dedicated to organic production. These greenhouses would be a regional draw for those interested in seedlings, starts, plants, greens and vegetables that could be propagated in this regional zone. The competitive advantage of these greenhouses would be that it would be the only regional provider of organic seedlings, starts and plants and one of the few providing organic food. Additionally the location is centrally located for the entire San Luis Valley at the junction of highways 17 and 160.

7) Commercial Kitchen-Rental commercial kitchens are almost non-existent in the San Luis Valley. There is one at our sister program the Valley Roots Food Hub. These two kitchens will work together to help individuals produce value added products, as well as for the RGFP to develop its own products. The competitive advantage of this kitchen is that it will allow local caterers to provide food for events at the Park. Most other events spaces require that the coinciding businesses provide catering. This kitchen will give users of the events space more options for their events.



Replicability

The RGFP has the initial advantage of being the first regional farm incubator along with many other "firsts" through the phased development. By planning carefully and integrating the community into the planning and design process, the RGFP will not only be the first at many things, but hopefully learn from our mistakes and rapidly respond to make changes. While the RGFP would like to be a model for other communities, the goal of the operating board is to learn best practices from others and hope that as the RGFP is fully realized that it will be a place that sets an example of best practices and is actually be replicated in other communities.



ExecutionMarketing Plan

Marketing Plan

I. What Are we Marketing?

Nestled in Alamosa, Colorado, the Rio Grande Farm Park holds at its core Preservation and Creation: the preservation of the San Luis Valley’s agricultural heritage, precious water resource, and open public spaces, the creation of economic development, healthy living practices, and educational opportunities. This innovative multi-use park is designed to expand skills, knowledge, and access for sustainable food production and consumption via economic development, diverse community involvement, and the nurturing of local agriculture, arts, food and culture.

Located in south central Colorado at the intersection of State Highway 17 and US 160, the Rio Grande Farm Park is directly adjacent to the City-owned Alamosa Ranch and just across the Rio Grande from Cole Park and downtown Alamosa. The site is located at the intersection of two major highways, making it one of the main scenic ‘gateways’ to Alamosa.

Alamosa, Colorado is the commercial center of the San Luis Valley—the largest intermountain valley in the world, where local farmers specialize in growing cool weather crops. With more than 8,600 residents, Alamosa is the most populous city in the county of the same name. The City is the county seat, home to Adams State University, and a short drive from Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.

Economically, Alamosa—the city and the county—is part of the poorest region of Colorado, the San Luis Valley. It is also one of the richest region’s in terms of cultural and natural resources. The Valley’s over fifty percent Hispanic/Latino population represents the highest percentage of any region in the state. It is home to third and fourth generation Spanish settlement families, significant Hispanic Heritage sites, as well as one of the largest land-owning Hispanic communities in Colorado. The history, culture, and traditions of Spanish settlement remain intact in Alamosa and other valley communities, while the approximately ten thousand migrants who come to the valley as seasonal agricultural laborers bring a rich diversity of cultural traditions with them. For example, according to the San Luis Valley Immigrant Resource Center, four hundred Q’anjob’al Mayans from Guatemala live in the area today. This group provides important leadership on the parks operating committee and is an important stakeholder in the master plan process. Many members have successfully grown a diversity of crops including beans, corn, and squash on the property over the last several years and some members are interested in moving beyond sustenance gardening to market production.



II. Focus-The Public Relations and Marketing Plan focuses on these three goals:

1. Generating widespread awareness and visibility of the Rio Grande Farm Park (Educating and Informing)

2. Involving staff, volunteers, donors, board and community voices in our work. (Engaging)

3. Garnering Financial Support for the Rio Grande Farm Park (Friendraising/Fundraising)

III. Current Situation Analysis-The Rio Grande Farm Park is already engaged in a variety of marketing and communication activities through action groups that involve diverse members of the community. The main efforts include:

1. Newsletters

2. Work Days

3. Events

4. Movies

5. Social Media

IV. Communication Goals-These goals were set by the communications action group:

1. Developing our staff/board in communicating our work.

2. Crafting our “story”

3. Ensuring that we communicate with our brand in mind

V. Target Markets-There will be more target markets for the build out of the park. In the case of the non-profit part of this business these are the target markets that are the most relevant for the next 2-3 years.:

1. Beginning Farmers and Entrepreneurs: Current, updated brochure of activities, plans for ongoing development, and opportunities for involvement – growing food, building a value-added business, volunteering, etc. Links to additional resources (online, LFC office) for more information



2. Donors (Current & Prospective): Clear options for one-time, monthly, and annual donations that includes premiums for various membership levels. Recognition of donors in ongoing publications to foster a culture of philanthropy and community.

3. Staff: Keeping everyone in the organization aware of ongoing fundraising, land management, and programmatic issues. Maintaining an “open door” policy for anyone to raise concerns and ideas for improvement of the RGFP.

4. Volunteers: Identifying areas of interest for volunteers – pairing volunteers with projects that are a “best fit” for their skills and interests. Creating a sense of ownership for volunteers - “it's my RGFP.”

5. Board and Committees: These are the primary advocates of the work and mission. Clearly communicate expectations about each member’s goals related to promoting RGFP events and fundraising efforts. Delegating tasks and initiatives as necessary based on experience and affiliations making sure that all segments of the community are represented. Ongoing evaluation of strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement in outcomes.

6. City Council/ Government: Building partnerships with the City and County to share in development goals, increase participation and visibility of the RGFP and Alamosa area, and work together in promoting activities of mutual interest (outdoor recreation, local businesses, tourism attractions).

7. Media: Inspiring and engaging messaging to keep interest in the RGFP current and relevant for audiences, using digital storytelling over time to document the development of this flagship project and the people who make it possible, highlighting larger issues that connect with other communities across the USA and globally.

VI. Work Plan: A work plan to reach each of these constituents has been developed. (See addendum work Plan)

VII. Social Media Strategy:

1. Keyword Strategy: generating relevant search terms such as “farm park” that connect preexisting interests to our project, consistent branding to maximize cross-listing of search results, always geo-locating the project to ensure audiences discover RGFP as a regional attraction

2. Search Engine Optimization Strategy: generate more traffic and cross-linking of RGFP with other sites to increase its search ranking, referrals from social media and other sources to increase traffic



3. Paid Online Advertising Strategy: may consider partnerships to increase online advertising, using targeted online ads for specific events that generate revenue for the RGFP, such as an annual soiree and create bilingual advertising.

4. Social Media Strategy: publish a steady stream of media on social networking sites to keep followers current and engaged, documenting the changing seasons and a “community space” that anyone can virtually visit to re-connect with the project, encourage more user-generated content on social media in English and Spanish (recipes, gardening tips, food/harvest photos, discussion forums?)

VIII. Conversion Strategy: A conversion strategy utilizing moves management should convert new donors and small donors into larger donors, and larger donors into planned gifts. This piece of the puzzle requires more administrative help utilizing Donor Perfect and stewarding our current investors.

VIII. Our Story: We are working on "our story," as this park came with a lot of blood sweat and tears and we do not want to focus on the part of our story that caused strife in the community, in order to build bridges into the future. RGFP wants to reach out to those that were not for the Park and make them our biggest advocates. This is the story we want to tell:

Our land, and our connection to it, is disappearing. Whether rural or urban, there’s a constant struggle between conserving and developing a rich and beautiful piece of land. Fortunately, the property that was the Polston Elementary School has become the Rio Grande Farm Park.

When it was a school, the vegetable garden taught students about soil and sun, growing, harvesting, preparing, and eating vegetables. In the future, the farm and other aspects of the land can teach all of us.

It all started when…

a community group from all walks of life came together with a vision of having a place to gather in a beautiful and healthy setting, preserve alluvial soil, grow food, and learn about farming and the environment, and share resources.

It began coming together when …

a group of people, from an area with limited financial resources, was able to purchase the property with the help of the Trust for Public Land and the stewardship of the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition. Few communities in our country have such an accessible, rich farm space so close to downtown.

As it is now …



folks can stroll and pedal across the Rio Grande from downtown across a pedestrian bridge. From there, they can take a lot of trails to view the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains, watch water fowl, and breathe fresh, clear air. During the summer, you can watch the progress of crops grown by the Guatemalan community using traditional Mayan farming techniques and explore the apple orchard that was planted last summer. Frequently, groups of volunteers gather to improve and enjoy the land.

Planning phase is going strong…

as business, marketing, resource development and capital campaign programs are under development. The master plan is heading into the design phase built upon diverse community input.

Economic development is part of the plan…

There are a number of ways to encourage economic development. Our approach is to provide a public entity that draws people to the community and incubates a number of small businesses. This year the focus is on creating a sustainable farmer incubation program.

Each year there are new programs and activities. This year …

• the farm will support up to 5 farmers with plots of one acre or less. They will learn to farm in our environment and share equipment; and

• there will be community workshops on topics such as building a business, organic farming, building soil with green manure, and permaculture techniques.

In the future…

• kids will enjoy the farm through educational programs in conjunction with existing youth programs;

• infrastructure, such as benches, will be created by local artists;

• the farm will host recreation, environmental, and ecological events; and

• enterprises such as a community kitchen, will provide space for farmers to add value to their products grown on the land.

• an events center, business park, and a farm to table restaurant will generate revenue for the farm and provide affordable places for entrepreneurs to roll up their sleeves and create their businesses.

IX. Partnerships: RGFP has many partnerships that further the mission of the Park, engaging more people, and helping our partners to meet their missions:



Operations

Locations & Facilities

The Rio Grande Farm Park is on 38 acres along the Rio Grande, in Alamosa Colorado. Few areas of the American Southwest can top southern Colorado's San Luis Valley, a 125-mile stretch of the Rockies. With elevations of 7,000+ feet, this high desert valley includes the headwaters of the Rio Grande, as well as shallow aquifers that in places form lakes, marshlands, and fertile farmland. The Park is located where the Rio bends south to New Mexico. The Rio’s wetlands are home to waterfowl, and its beauty and cultural diversity make Alamosa and surrounding “El Valle” a special home.

The Park is set along the Rio Grande with walking trails that join the city's extensive trails on the 1000 plus acre Alamosa Ranch. The views from the trails are spectacular. At the same time the park is within walking distance of down town and over a bridge from the city's main park-Cole Park. Highway 17 goes from North to South and transects the San Luis Valley, abuts the eastern edge of the Park making it accessible by car, bicycle and walking traffic.

The master plan has many facilities for the Park. In 2016-17 focus will be on facilities that allow for farming the land. There will be a temporary structure built to house the equipment for the Park. Additionally a hoop house may be erected to extend the growing season. Additionally a barn, greenhouse and housing for WWOOFers will be part of this phase. In 2018-2019 focus will be on education recreation, and environmental restoration. The Education center and children's area will be the prime focus, along with the boat ramp for paddle boarding. Phase 3 should be constructed by 2021 and will include the final build out of the event center and other buildings in the Master Plan.

Technology

The RGFP currently utilizes a variety of technology including:

1. Donor Perfect-to track and steward donors.

2. Constant Contact-to send out quarterly newsletters.

3. Translation headsets and transmitters for translation to larger groups.

In the foreseeable future software/technology that might be needed:

1. GPS software to help with irrigation.



2. CRM software for the Farm-to-Table Restaurant.

3. Reservation software to track event usage at the Park.

Equipment & Tools

Two tractors were donated to the RGFP this year and we will be conducting an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for a pole barn to house these tractors and a farm truck. The park has tools to share among the farmers.

With the long-term build out of the park there will need to be investments for each of the projects:

1. The Farm Incubation Project will require fencing and irrigation equipment as well as harvesting tools and packing supplies.

2. The farm to table restaurant will require restaurant equipment and front of the house tables, lighting, decorations, etc.

3. The business park will require shared equipment like copy machines, printers, smart boards, etc.

4. The event space will require a commercial kitchen that can be used for value added food production and be shared with the farm-to-table restaurant, and special event needs such as tables, chairs, and decorations.

5. The recreational programming will require a temporary dock for paddle boarding, and equipment to help maintain the trails.

6. The educational programming will require equipment to teach programming such as stream ecology, proper farming practices, etc.

7. The restoration of the riverway will require use of heavy equipment and boats, available through rentals or loans by investors.



Milestones & Metrics

Milestones Table

Milestone Due Date Who's Responsible Details

Recruit Farm Incubator Prospects

March 19, 2016 Julie Mordecai, Francisco Lucas and Renee Mackey

This is ongoing through Facebook, radio, newspaper, and outreach.

Hire Farm Manager for RGFP

March 25, 2016 HR Action Group Farm Manager will run the Farm Incubator Program.

Interview Farm Incubator Prospects

March 31, 2016 Farm Manager, Francisco Lucas, and Agricultural Action Group

Work with individuals interested in beginning the incubator farm program.

Business Plan Done March 31, 2016 Julie Mordecai, Francisco Lucas and SBDC

Bring together all the work done by the Media Action Group, Resource Development Team, and consulting by Jeff Owsley from SBDC.

Begin Work on Indiegogo Campaign

April 01, 2016 Luette Frost, Renee Mackey, Julie Mordecai, Danny Ledonne

Need to make short film about raising funds for pole barn to house new equipment recently donated.

Start Program with Farm Incubator Clients

April 11, 2016 Farm Manager, Francisco Lucas and Farm Coordinator

Farm Manager will set up programming in consultation with the Director of the Rio Grande Farm Park.

Land Leveling Begins April 15, 2016 Land Manager & Alan Simpson

Need to clear fields with volunteers to ensure that machinery has not issues moving through the fields.

Start Indiegogo Campaign April 18, 2016 Julie Mordecai This campaign will run for 4 weeks.

Sign Plan for 2016 Completed

April 29, 2016 Agricultural Action Group, Committee, Julie

Plans for signs that promote safety and the new sign for the entrance of the Park.



New Website Completed May 06, 2016 Marilyn Loser and Media Action Group

Media Action Group needs to look for other websites that they feel are well done to send to Marilyn Loser-volunteer website developer.

Barn Raising for Pole Barn May 14, 2016 Land Manager Utilize skilled volunteers to erect the pole barn.

Celebration of the Purchase of the Property and New Name

May 21, 2016 Events Committee Work together to unveil the new sign, new name and new website.

Write RFP for Design Team

May 31, 2016 Emily Patterson from TPL Work with RGFP to compile a list of local professionals to be listed in the RFP. Write an RFP for design services for the park. Assist RGFP in identifying consultants and advertising the RFP.

Review RFP's August 01, 2016 Emily Patterson and Design Action Group

Work with LFC to establish design action group. Establish review and interview metrics (i.e., Scoring). Review proposals. Facilitate discussion with design action group to short list teams for interview. Schedule and coordinate interviews with RGFP.

Design Team Interviews and Selection Process

September 01, 2016 Emily Patterson & Design Action Group

Interview teams. i.e. landscape designer, architects, community cultural specialist, and historian.

LOCAL! Event at Rio Grande Farm Park

September 25, 2016 Event Action Group Event at the Park that celebrates local food, music, culture and art. Serve food from the various cultures in the community.

Design Team Begins Work

October 01, 2016 Design Team Selected team begins design work on the Park.

Fundraising Event in Denver

October 08, 2016 Events Committee Local Food Brunch at the Bridges Home (date may change).



Design Team Brings Final Design to RGFP to be done in Phases

December 16, 2016 Design Team Share with committee along the way, and ensure RGFP is heading in the right direction.

Design Capital Campaign March 31, 2017 Capital Campaign Committee

Work with team of new committee members to work on Capital Campaign. May need to hire consultant.

Begin Capital Campaign Phase I

May 31, 2017 RGFP Capital Campaign Committee

Farming build out.

Begin Capital Campaign Phase II

May 31, 2018 Phase II Capital Campaign Committee

Recreation, restoration and educational facilities build out.

Begin Capital Campaign Phase III

May 31, 2019 Phase III Capital Campaign Committee

Final build out to include Events Center.

Finish Capital Campaigns May 31, 2021 Director of the Park and Capital Campaign Committees

Park is complete!

Key Metrics

The focus of the Park right now will be to track our milestones to stay on target and to re-evaluate as the work progresses. The build out of the Park will be done in Phases, but if a funder/donor/investor were to come earlier than projected for a certain phase of the Park, we would re-think the ordering of the Phases. So these are the items we will track:

1. The progress of all the Action Groups including:

• The Design Action Group-Were we able to hire a design team?

• The Agricultural Action Group-Did they fully utilize the land?

• The Event Action Group-Were all 3 events successful?

• The Media Action Group-Did the website go up? Are minutes and other items posted for transparency?

2. Fundraising: Did we meet our financial goals? If not, did we live within our means?

3. Programming: Monitor:



• The success of the Mayan farmers on the land, farming for home use

• The success of the farm incubator in year one

• The animation of the Park for community use



OrganizationOverview

Structure of the Non-Profit

The San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition (SLVLFC) is the parent organization of the Rio Grande Healthy Living Park (RGFP). SLVLFC has provided the initial vision, capacity building and relationship building, office space, non-profit 501c3, and fiscal oversight to support the launch of the RGFP and its plan for future independence. The SLVLFC board has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Park operating committee that allows the RGFP to be legally, fiscally, and physically housed within the SLVLFC infrastructure, while acknowledging that the relationship may be transitional. This MOU grants full authority to the Park operating committee to approve most decisions regarding the Park, and also allows the RGFP to spin off as its own independent nonprofit entity (and/or enter into other public or private relationships), if and when the Committee determines its readiness to do so.

Two SLVLFC board members serve on the RGFP Committee, which is comprised of many important voices of diverse community members, including Mayan farmer representation, and consists of about half low-income individuals. Recognizing the role of inclusiveness and representation, the RGFP Committee works diligently to ensure that it builds leadership with and is comprised of substantial representation of the community that it serves. This strategic approach ensures that indigenous voices are heard through the Mayan knowledge and power that is incorporated throughout the governance of the RGFP.

The MOU fully supports the mission, intentions, and philosophies of both the SLVLFC and RGFP. Everyone contributes financially and in-kind time that is tracked on Google docs. The director of the park, who has worked in non-profits where financial capacity depends on higher income board members, has embraced the idea that it is better to work with the community that is served rather than for the community served. “Not for-but with“ is something that should be considered more important than high financial capacity for governance formation, especially when a fundraising committee can address necessary financial capacity needs.

History

In the San Luis Valley LiveWell Alamosa was part of the first cohort of LiveWell Colorado communities from 2006-2013 working to advance healthy eating and active living in Colorado. LiveWell Alamosa and its successor the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition were heavily invested in the Polston School/Community Garden and the prospect of saving the land for an agricultural park and food hub. In 2010 an important partnership was developed with the Trust for Public land and together they held



community meetings and drew the first initial plans for the site. It that would keep the property, its river access, prime agricultural soils, and sweeping views of the Sangre de Cristo mountains as a community asset. The small Polston Elementary School community garden blossomed into the Rio Grande Farm Park.

The Trust for Public Land began to work with partners in Alamosa to explore the idea of a farm park. A preliminary master plan completed in 2012 enabled partners to begin the process of building community support and momentum for the project. At the urging of the community and under the stewardship of the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition, The Trust for Public Land acquired the 38-acre Polston Property in June 2014 with the help of a bridge loan from two Alamosa residents and funding from over 300 individuals for program planning and operations.

Funding from Great Outdoors Colorado and the LOR Foundation enabled the local community to purchase of the property, which is owned by the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition and managed by the operational committee for the Rio Grande Farm Park. A conservation easement protects the agricultural, recreational, and natural resources of the park and is held by Colorado Open Lands, a respected statewide land trust. The City of Alamosa will holds the trail easements on the existing trail corridors that bisect the property along the river’s edge, permanently protecting a highly valued recreational corridor.

Team

Management Team

The RGFP has an amazing management team. The experience of this group is outlined below. Our leadership includes:

Liza Marron - Ms. Marron brought LiveWell Alamosa to the San Luis Valley and is the founding director of the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition. She has been a community organizer with a focus on social justice, wellness and prevention for many years. She will oversee financials and reporting for this project. Marron has worked in nonprofits since 1997 serving both on non-profit boards and as a program coordinator and director. Marron has a Master's Degree in Community Counseling and a Bachelor's degree in Spanish. Her skill set includes grant writing, cultural humility, government, strategic planning, non-profit management, finance, coalition building, economic development, education, fund raising, public speaking, and managing a budget.

Julie Mordecai- Mordecai is the director of the Rio Grande Farm Park (previously the Rio Grande Healthy Living Park). She will manage and coordinate this initiative. She owned and operated the Complete Non Profit, which provided resources for non-profits in Colorado and New Mexico. Mordecai



was the Executive Director of the Colorado Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs for 4 years and helping them raise well over 6 million dollars in resources and offsets. She had been with the Boys & Girls Club movement for over 9 years, first serving as the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Luis Valley. Julie is currently on the board of the Foundation for Community Colleges and the Denver Film Society. She has a BA in Environmental Studies and an Elementary Education Credential from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an M.A. in Higher Education, Administration and Leadership at Adams State University.

Chris Lehman- Lehman is the Land Use Coordinator of the Rio Grande Farm Park (previously Rio Grande Healthy Living Park). His position involves some grant writing, office work, landscaping, and leading volunteer groups. He graduated from Eastern Mennonite University with a BA in Environmental Science. He came to Alamosa as a Mennonite volunteer for a one-year service term with the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition.

Francisco Lucas- Lucas serves as the Guatemalan Liaison for the Rio Grande Farm Park (previously Rio Grande Healthy Living Park). He arrived in Alamosa Co. in the same year 1985. In the year 1993, he and others organized the Guatemalan community, under the name of Espiritu Maya, which plays a very important role in the Guatemalan community, providing education, health, culture, agriculture, and spirituality. Since the inception of the organization he has worked as a leader, volunteering service to his people, also representing the Community in and out of the City of Alamosa in several respects to other organizations, schools and universities. He works as a volunteer from Alamosa with the Consulate General of Guatemala located in Denver, Colorado. He is a member of the Advisory Council Conamigua, Immigrant Resource Center Policy Office in Alamosa Colorado and a member of the Pastoral Council of Maya Project, which oversees the Mayan communities nationwide. He also works with school districts, churches in general, local authorities and he is the Maya Spiritual Guide. When the mushroom farm closed in 2012, where most of Alamosa’s Guatemalan community worked, he coordinated many families to start sustenance gardening at the Rio Grande Farm Park.

Advisors

Our RGFP operating Committee members include:

Patrick O’Neill- Patrick is on the committee and is a professional soil agronomist. He is a working with Soil Health Services in the San Luis Valley. He advises farmers on agricultural pest management, compost and compost tea utilization, soil chemical and microbial balances, soil fertility, plant nutrition, and irrigation scheduling. Activities at the Rio Grande Farm Park with the community of Guatemalan farmers working there have included, on a volunteer basis for the past several years, helping organize plantings, land preparation, seed procurement, compost applications and trouble-shooting crop production issues as they arose, alongside the farmers. Prior to working at Soil Health Services, Patrick served as a



Franciscan Mission Service lay missioner in Brazil, working as an agronomist with farmers possessing limited land and economic resources. Areas of emphasis during his service in Brazil included project development and training in community food security and sovereignty, seed production, soil conservation and fertility management, and biological pest control. Patrick also worked as coordinator of a community supported agriculture program on a diverse organic vegetable farm, and as a farmhand on his parents’ homestead vineyard, both in California. He speaks both Portuguese and Spanish, with English being his primary language.

Renee Mackey, Co-President: Renee has lived in the San Luis Valley since coming here as a full time volunteer for La Puente Homeless Shelter in 1993. She has worked in the non-profit arena since then in both direct service and leadership roles. Most recently she worked for the Healthy Habits program to educate, enrich, and excite farmer’s market shoppers with simple recipes and samples that utilize the offerings of our local producers. She considers her most important job to be instilling the values of community involvement, respect for the land, compassion and curiosity into the hearts and minds of her three young children. In the meantime she is a La Leche League leader and is lucky enough to get paid to make soup.

Alice M. Price, Co-President: Alice is an attorney and mediator with over 40 years of experience leading, advising and providing organizational development and conflict resolution services to a wide range of community non-profits and initiatives. Alice began her professional work in Philadelphia, where she was managing attorney for a non-profit women’s law center. She has lived in the San Luis Valley for 35 years. She currently serves as the Family Court Facilitator for the local court system, helping families navigate and resolve disputes within the domestic relations and child protection systems. Along with her private practice in organizational and family mediation services, she previously served for 15 years as the founding director of Center for Restorative Programs, a non-profit agency providing a range of restorative justice programs to youth in school, family and juvenile justice settings. She is currently an appointee to the statewide Colorado Restorative Justice Council. Alice has a BA from Brown University and her JD degree from New York University.

Alexandra Angel Pipitone, Co-Secretary & Media and Public Relations Lead: Alexandra is a first generation Colombian-American and native of New York. She moved to Alamosa in 2011. She earned a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and has over 10 years experience in Higher Education. Her career has included event planning, program and organizational development, academic advising, marketing, and finance, to name a few. Though her main area of interest has been student engagement and success in higher education, she is now using her skill set to advance community initiatives and engagement through the development of the Rio Grande Healthy Living Park. As a mother of two she has had the pleasure of building community and valuable relationships with some wonderful parents in Alamosa. She enjoys singing, dancing salsa, and relaxing with friends.



Donna Mabry, Lead for HR and Hiring Action Group: Donna has a BA in Human Resources from the University of Kansas. She is also a certified electrician and had her own business in commercial, residential and maintenance electrical work in Kansas City for 10 years before moving to Alamosa nine years ago. Since that time, she has worn many different hats but most recently is the owner and operator of Body Tune-Up, a boutique gym offering small group classes and personal training. Donna loves cooking, enjoys good food, and feeding people makes her happy.

Lucia Lucas Nicolas: Lucia is a Guatemalan Maya Q’anjob’al immigrant who came to Alamosa in 1986 to reunite with her husband Francisco Lucas who was already in the United States. She became a legal permanent resident in 1990. Lucia currently works at the San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center doing housekeeping in the surgery department. Lucia and Francisco are well respected and viewed as the leaders of the Guatemalan community in Alamosa. Lucia serves as an interpreter for the Guatemalan community as she is trilingual in the English, Spanish and Q’anjob’al languages. She has three children and two grandchildren. Lucia has been an active participant in Pastoral Maya since 1996. Pastoral Maya now known as Maya Heritage Community Project, addresses the urgency of education, the desire to maintain important aspects of Maya culture, spirituality, health and safety, and the needs of the communities and families still in Guatemala.

Luette Frost: Luette graduated from Kenyon College with a BA in International Studies and Anthropology in 2001 and received an MA in Education from Adams State College in 2006. She moved to the San Luis Valley in 2002 as an AmeriCorps Volunteer for La Puente Home. Ms. Frost has been actively involved with the Alamosa Community Gardens and created the Coordinator Position in 2003. She has worked with the Valley Food Coop and the Alamosa Farmers Market. Frost taught Sixth Grade World History in Monte Vista where she created a curriculum based on the history of food throughout the World. In 2008, she became the SLV Program Coordinator for the Integrated Nutrition Education Program, a University of Colorado hands-on nutrition education program for K-5 teachers in underserved schools. Frost is also on the Board of the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition and continues to be an active community organizer.

Brian Puccerella - Mr. Puccerella is on the board of the Rio Grande Farm Park and will be an advisor to our recreational work. He has worked in the field of Outdoor Education and Recreation for over 5 years now, working as a graduate assistant at the University of Alabama before coming to Adams State University. Here at Adams, Brian oversees the adventure program and works with students to build a program culture of integrity and quality. In addition, he helps to coordinate and teach for the Adventure Leadership & Programming minor through the Human Performance & Physical Education department. He is a certified Climbing Wall Instructor and Single Pitch Instructor with the American Mountain Guides Association and brings experience to Adams from a variety of outdoor disciplines. Brian received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Texas Tech University before going on to



receive his master’s degree in Sport Management with an emphasis in Adventure Education from the University of Alabama.



Financial PlanForecast

Key Assumptions

The Park will run current programming, adding additional programming overtime, that will include leadership development, environmental education and recreational opportunities. A key component of the long-term investment in this Park will be the Phased Capital Campaign. Build-out will occur as funding comes in for each of the phases. First money must be raised, accumulated and then spent on each phase of development. Individual business plans for each of these enterprises, will need to be developed to ensure the sustainability of the overall project. Financial projections into years 2017-2021 will be dependent on the success of raising capital for the final build out of the Park. The operating committee for the Park has agreed that before investing for example the Events Center, or the Education Center, programs that move the Park into providing events and education in order to activate and animate the Park, will be utilized to build momentum. This rapid prototyping philosophy will be utilized consistently throughout the next 5 years. At the same time if RGFP only dips its toes in the water and does not jump in with both feet, then success may not be as forthcoming. There is a balance to utilizing rapid prototyping and putting strong energy into the vision of the master plan that brings insight into what the community desires and feels it can sustain.

In “Growing a business,” Paul Hawking reminds entrepreneurs

"To create a plan that allows for some failure, rather than one where everything must go perfectly in order to succeed. Initially, survival is more important than success. Healthy growth is growth done on your own terms, rather than forced. Take enough time to do it right, but no more, and no less. Try and create a business that will last one hundred years or longer - plan for the long run. Plan for success, because by the time you succeed, you might not have time to make plans."



Revenue by Month

Expenses by Month



Financing

Use of Funds

The land was purchased in 2016. Besides operations, which will be covered by the plan delineated below, there will need to be funding to build out the property through a capital campaign. Design plans with phasing; along with a capital campaign committee will be needed to work on the future build out of the Park. These funds will ensure that the Park can meet the community needs, which were brought together during the initial planning process. Build out of the park will be realized by a combination of service by local craftsmen and women in the community as well as by hired local professionals.

Resource Development Plan-Sources of Funds

I. Summary: This plan illustrates how funds will be raised for the primary purposes of the Rio Grande Farm Park (RGFP). Funding will be necessary for operations, educational programming and land use planning and development. Funding sources include carry-over reserves, as well as newly donated funds from individuals, foundations and government grants. Having acquired the land and completed the Master Plan in early 2016, RGFP is in an intermediate phase of development. Fundraising remains a primary focus of the organization, in order to eventually develop the park Master Plan in multiple phases that may cost up to 7 Million Dollars and evolve over several years. At the same time, operations of the Park must be maintained and priority programming established to engage the public in the Park vision.

II. Purpose: The 2016 budget of RGFP is aspirational; to move us as far along into Phase II of the Park develop as feasible. The Park would function well with 2/3 of the funds we are trying to raise for 2016. This year, the Park will focus on land use needs related to soil and water resources, the farm incubator project, growing more crops and activating the park and surrounding river corridor with low-cost events and other informal use by community members. At the same time, work will begin toward getting full construction design documents by 2017 and starting the build out of the larger amenities in 2018 as funds allow.

III. Income Budget as part of the 2016 Budget: The approved budget includes the line items below.

1. Operational Grants: $180,000.00

2. Earned Income: $4,000.00

3. Events: $12,000.00

4. Member Dues: $8,000.00



5. Board & Committee donors: $1,000.00

6. Government Grants and Restricted Grants: $20,000.00

7. In-kind budget off-setting: $25,000.00

8. Other Individual Giving: $24,000.00

Subtotal: $274,000.00

IV. GOALS:

1. Operational Funds: $200,000 to include Government and Restricted Funds. Write at least 10-15 grants from between $5000 to $75,000 to funding agencies.

• Continue researching and finding new sources of grant funding.

• Attend the SSAF Conference in Louisville KY to find out what people are funding.

Grant Prospects Include:

• Musser Fund -----$35,000----Submitted

• CCHD ------$74,650 -----Submitted----Know in July

• Art Place America $500,000----- Submitted--pre-proposal (Not included in total)

• Kenneth King -------$5000---------Submitted-----Know in June

• FVF-------------------- $9000-------- Submitted-----Know in July

• Colorado Health------- $49,000------Submitted------Know in June (part of lg. grant)

• LOR Remainder --------$56,000 est. ----Discussing-----Late March(some going into planning: see 8 below).

• LOR Grant (local re-granting) -----$75,00Submit in April

• ASU Community Partnerships ------$2000 in kind------Offered for use

• CCHD---------------------------------------$5000----------Received 3/9/2016

• Colorado Creative Industries--------$10,000------ Submit in May

• Surdna Foundation-------------------- $100,000 ----Submit with LFC

• Acorn Foundation-LOI-------------------$7500--------Rolling



• Greenlee Family Foundation-LOI ------$5000 -----Rolling

• New Belgium--------------------------------- $5000----- Due in April

$447,150 Total

For 2017 funding, we may apply for the USDA Farmer Development Grant and SARE (these approaches need to be started this year)

Researching: These are larger foundations and we will apply once the Master Plan and Business Plan are complete, when we feel the timing is right. Probably will fund 2017 operations and start of Capital Campaign.

• Claneil-LOI (Mostly Pennsylvania)

• Ford-LOI

• Kellogg-LOI

• Kresge-LOI

2. Earned Income $4000: We will either sell extra veggies/and or alfalfa for cash or to offset land manager costs and/or other costs associated with running the Park.

3. Events $12,000: The Events committee is looking at having a farm to table event in Denver that will feature local chefs serving SLV food. We will charge $100 per person and hope to have 125 people there. We will have a silent auction including farm to table tours and agro-tourism stays in the SLV.

• $12,500 in ticket sales

• $5500 in auction sales

• Cost of event will be $5000 with a profit of $12,000 or more.

4. Member Dues $8000: Beginning in summer 2016, RGFP will start a membership program that will engage our investors. We may start a monthly-engaged giving program as well.

5. Board and Committee Members $1000: Each board member will recruit members of the sub-committees to invest. Many of the Board and sub-committee members are low-income, but everyone should make some financial investment.

6. In-kind /Budget Offsetting $25,000: Funding that we receive that is budget and capital cost offsetting.



• Received two tractors, valued at $30,000, in March 2016.

• Will research lower- cost and/or donated materials to build small pole-barn equipment shed to house tractors, as well as possible pick-up truck donation.

• The land leveling planned for this year may get donated and will offset the costs in the budget.

7. Individuals $24,000: We will do an Indiegogo campaign, along with face-to-face asks, to house the tractors and possibly build a hoop house as well.

• Indiegogo Goal: $15,000

• Individual asks: $9000

8. To Cover Additional Capital/Planning Costs: We anticipate using around $30,000 from LOR remaining funds to move into Phase 2, the design phase of the Master Plan. If we are able to raise additional funds, we will work on other priorities not currently scheduled for the Park in 2016:

• Water treatment System

• Equipment that we have been borrowing from local farmer

• Boat Ramp

• Hoop House

• Full-size Barn

V. Plans for 2017 and 2018: We will begin planning a full-fledged Capital Campaign in 2017, once design documents are available. We will launch the campaign mid to late 2017. The campaign will be in Phases, focusing on the operations of the Farm first, the recreational/Educational aspects of the park second and the full build out of the events spaces and commercial kitchen last.



Financials

FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021

Revenue $275,500 $275,750 $283,500 $296,500 $335,000

Direct Costs $163,030 $130,653 $128,973 $138,520 $160,496

Gross Margin $112,470 $145,097 $154,527 $157,980 $174,504

Gross Margin % 41% 53% 55% 53% 52%

Operating Expenses

Salary $66,852 $88,402 $97,003 $101,654 $108,353

Employee Related Expenses

$10,370 $13,680 $15,001 $15,331 $15,671

Administrative Costs $21,996 $24,000 $26,500 $29,000 $34,000

Coursework for New Farmers $2,000

Programming supplies $1,596 $1,750 $1,900 $2,100 $2,350

Total Operating Expenses $102,814 $127,832 $140,404 $148,085 $160,374

Operating Income $9,656 $17,265 $14,123 $9,895 $14,130

Interest Incurred

Depreciation and Amortization $11,000 $11,000 $11,000 $11,000 $11,000

Income Taxes $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Total Expenses $276,844 $269,485 $280,377 $297,605 $331,870

Net Profit ($1,344) $6,265 $3,123 ($1,105) $3,130

Net Profit / Sales 0% 2% 1% 0% 1%



AppendixProfit and Loss Statement

Profit and Loss Statement (With Monthly Detail)

FY2017 Apr '16 May '16 Jun '16 Jul '16 Aug '16 Sep '16 Oct '16 Nov '16 Dec '16 Jan '17 Feb '17 Mar '17

Revenue $20,000 $5,500 $50,000 $75,000 $40,000 $50,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $10,000 $5,000

Direct Costs $14,370 $11,370 $11,880 $9,380 $9,380 $8,880 $6,370 $81,480 $2,480 $2,480 $2,480 $2,480

Gross Margin $5,630 ($5,870) $38,120 $65,620 $30,620 $41,120 ($1,370) ($76,480) $2,520 $2,520 $7,520 $2,520

Gross Margin % 28% (107%) 76% 87% 77% 82% (27%) (1,530%) 50% 50% 75% 50%

Operating Expenses

Salary $5,821 $5,321 $6,321 $5,821 $7,321 $5,321 $5,321 $5,321 $4,321 $5,321 $5,321 $5,321

Employee Related Expenses

$864 $864 $864 $864 $864 $864 $864 $864 $864 $864 $864 $864

Administrative Costs $1,833 $1,833 $1,833 $1,833 $1,833 $1,833 $1,833 $1,833 $1,833 $1,833 $1,833 $1,833

Coursework for New Farmers

$750 $500 $500 $250

Programming supplies $133 $133 $133 $133 $133 $133 $133 $133 $133 $133 $133 $133

Total Operating Expenses

$8,651 $8,901 $9,651 $9,151 $10,401 $8,151 $8,151 $8,151 $7,151 $8,151 $8,151 $8,151

Operating Income ($3,021) ($14,771) $28,469 $56,469 $20,219 $32,969 ($9,521) ($84,631) ($4,631) ($5,631) ($631) ($5,631)

Interest Incurred



Depreciation and Amortization

$917 $916 $917 $917 $916 $917 $917 $916 $917 $917 $916 $917

Income Taxes $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Total Expenses $23,938 $21,187 $22,448 $19,448 $20,697 $17,948 $15,438 $90,547 $10,548 $11,548 $11,547 $11,548

Net Profit ($3,938) ($15,687) $27,552 $55,552 $19,303 $32,052 ($10,438) ($85,547) ($5,548) ($6,548) ($1,547) ($6,548)

Net Profit / Sales (20%) (285%) 55% 74% 48% 64% (209%) (1,711%) (111%) (131%) (15%) (131%)



FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021

Revenue $275,500 $275,750 $283,500 $296,500 $335,000

Direct Costs $163,030 $130,653 $128,973 $138,520 $160,496

Gross Margin $112,470 $145,097 $154,527 $157,980 $174,504

Gross Margin % 41% 53% 55% 53% 52%

Operating Expenses

Salary $66,852 $88,402 $97,003 $101,654 $108,353

Employee Related Expenses $10,370 $13,680 $15,001 $15,331 $15,671

Administrative Costs $21,996 $24,000 $26,500 $29,000 $34,000

Coursework for New Farmers $2,000

Programming supplies $1,596 $1,750 $1,900 $2,100 $2,350

Total Operating Expenses $102,814 $127,832 $140,404 $148,085 $160,374

Operating Income $9,656 $17,265 $14,123 $9,895 $14,130

Interest Incurred

Depreciation and Amortization $11,000 $11,000 $11,000 $11,000 $11,000

Income Taxes $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Total Expenses $276,844 $269,485 $280,377 $297,605 $331,870

Net Profit ($1,344) $6,265 $3,123 ($1,105) $3,130

Net Profit / Sales 0% 2% 1% 0% 1%



Balance Sheet

Balance Sheet (With Monthly Detail)

As of Period's End

Starting Balances Apr '16 May '16 Jun '16 Jul '16 Aug '16 Sep '16 Oct '16 Nov '16 Dec '16 Jan '17 Feb '17 Mar '17

Cash $80,000 $76,978 $62,207 $90,676 $147,144 $167,363 $200,331 $190,809 $106,177 $101,545 $95,913 $95,281 $89,649

Accounts Receivable $5,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Inventory

Other Current Assets

Total Current Assets

$85,000 $76,978 $62,207 $90,676 $147,144 $167,363 $200,331 $190,809 $106,177 $101,545 $95,913 $95,281 $89,649

Long-Term Assets $330,000 $330,000 $330,000 $330,000 $330,000 $330,000 $330,000 $330,000 $330,000 $330,000 $330,000 $330,000 $330,000

Accumulated Depreciation $0 ($917) ($1,833) ($2,750) ($3,667) ($4,583) ($5,500) ($6,417) ($7,333) ($8,250) ($9,167) ($10,083) ($11,000)

Total Long-Term Assets

$330,000 $329,083 $328,167 $327,250 $326,333 $325,417 $324,500 $323,583 $322,667 $321,750 $320,833 $319,917 $319,000

Total Assets $415,000 $406,061 $390,374 $417,926 $473,477 $492,780 $524,831 $514,392 $428,844 $423,295 $416,746 $415,198 $408,649

Accounts Payable $5,000 ($1) ($1) ($1) ($2) ($2) ($3) ($4) ($5) ($6) ($7) ($8) ($9)

Income Taxes Payable $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Sales Taxes Payable $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Short-Term Debt

Prepaid Revenue



Total Current Liabilities

$5,000 ($1) ($1) ($1) ($2) ($2) ($3) ($4) ($5) ($6) ($7) ($8) ($9)

Long-Term Debt

Total Liabilities $5,000 ($1) ($1) ($1) ($2) ($2) ($3) ($4) ($5) ($6) ($7) ($8) ($9)

Paid-in Capital $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Retained Earnings $410,000 $410,000 $410,000 $410,000 $410,000 $410,000 $410,000 $410,000 $410,000 $410,000 $410,000 $410,000 $410,000

Earnings ($3,938) ($19,625) $7,927 $63,479 $82,782 $114,834 $104,396 $18,849 $13,301 $6,753 $5,206 ($1,342)

Total Owner's Equity

$410,000 $406,062 $390,375 $417,927 $473,479 $492,782 $524,834 $514,396 $428,849 $423,301 $416,753 $415,206 $408,658

Total Liabilities & Equity

$415,000 $406,061 $390,374 $417,926 $473,477 $492,780 $524,831 $514,392 $428,844 $423,295 $416,746 $415,198 $408,649



As of Period's End Starting Balances FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021

Cash $80,000 $89,649 $106,913 $121,026 $130,912 $145,035

Accounts Receivable $5,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Inventory

Other Current Assets

Total Current Assets $85,000 $89,649 $106,913 $121,026 $130,912 $145,035

Long-Term Assets $330,000 $330,000 $330,000 $330,000 $330,000 $330,000

Accumulated Depreciation $0 ($11,000) ($22,000) ($33,000) ($44,000) ($55,000)

Total Long-Term Assets $330,000 $319,000 $308,000 $297,000 $286,000 $275,000

Total Assets $415,000 $408,649 $414,913 $418,026 $416,912 $420,035

Accounts Payable $5,000 ($9) ($10) ($20) ($29) ($36)

Income Taxes Payable $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Sales Taxes Payable $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Short-Term Debt

Prepaid Revenue

Total Current Liabilities $5,000 ($9) ($10) ($20) ($29) ($36)

Long-Term Debt

Total Liabilities $5,000 ($9) ($10) ($20) ($29) ($36)

Paid-in Capital $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Retained Earnings $410,000 $410,000 $408,658 $414,923 $418,046 $416,941

Earnings ($1,342) $6,265 $3,123 ($1,105) $3,130

Total Owner's Equity $410,000 $408,658 $414,923 $418,046 $416,941 $420,071

Total Liabilities & Equity $415,000 $408,649 $414,913 $418,026 $416,912 $420,035



Budget for 2016

2016 Budget



AddendumsWork Plan for Marketing Plan



Rio Grande Farm Park Master Plan

PRESERVING AND CREATING CRioONFIDEN TGrandeIAL Farm Park

Documents

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