Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA)
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) was experiencing the swell of national attention on food issues and health in the fall of 2010. The Board and staff were excited about the growing interest in the value of local and organic agriculture and conscious of the struggles of small to mid-size family farmers. They approached Sims & Steele to help them develop a strategic plan, so as to better focus and position the organization to secure resources and to increase their positive impact on regional family farmers and consumers.
Sims & Steele worked with a small oversight committee of board and staff, conducted interviews and focus groups with dozens of stakeholders, researched similar organizations for best practices, and prepared a detailed organizational assessment in advance of a 2-day board retreat.
The facilitated discussions during the retreat were passionate and lively, and from the notes, the consultant drafted a strategic planning document. After revisions from Board and staff, the final plan was approved.
The process helped CFSA uncover, sift, and put language to what they really wanted to accomplish. One board member declared that he was going to hang the strategic plan on the wall and memorize it! The plan has become a roadmap to CFSA’s vision.
