The NWI Food Council is convening local farmers for facilitated focus groups to share feedback that will help strengthen resources.
The NWI Food Council is convening local farmers for facilitated feedback sessions to help strengthen resources for farm employers and inform updates to NWIFC and Purdue Extension farm employer support programming.
Two small-group focus sessions will gather insights from farmers at different stages of employing farm labor.
Experienced Small Farm Employers: One session will include farmers with experience hiring employees and will explore effective and evolving employment practices such as recruitment, onboarding, supervision, and retention. This session is intended for farmers who have hired any number of staff, either as W2 or 1099 labor support.
Aspiring Small Farm Employers: A second session will focus on farmers who have not yet hired employees, centering on readiness, barriers, and the resources needed to successfully begin employing farm labor. This session is for farmers who have started to think about hiring employees to support their business goals.
Participants in both sessions will have the opportunity to share challenges and needs for developing their workforce. Farmers will also have the chance to review and provide feedback on farmer-focused employer development programs like NWIFC’s Farmer Apprenticeship program and Purdue Extension’s Employer of Choice program. Feedback will directly impact program design to ensure they are practical, accessible, and responsive to farmers’ needs.
Participating farmers will receive a $300 stipend in recognition of their time and contributions. Attendance and active participation in the appropriate focus group session is required to be eligible. Stipends will be issued after completion of the focus group project, following March 31. Focus group facilitators may follow up with participants via email to ask additional questions or clarify feedback shared during the sessions.
Each focus group will be limited to a maximum of 10 participants, filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and is open to farmers with active farm businesses that had generated sales in 2025.