Source: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to
COVID-19 RELIEF: ENHANCING FOOD SECURITY, COMMUNITY, AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
EXTENDED
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1024260
Grant No.
2020-70017-32737
Project No.
TENX-2020-03766
Proposal No.
2020-03766
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
BFRDA
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2020
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2025
Grant Year
2021
Project Director
Omondi, E. C.
Recipient Organization
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
3500 JOHN A. MERRITT BLVD
NASHVILLE,TN 37209
Performing Department
College of Agriculture
Non Technical Summary
According to U.S. Census 2017, the average farm size in Tennessee is 155 acres as compared to the U.S. average 441 acres. Almost 45 percent of farms have less than 50 acres of land and 25 percent are new and beginning farmers. In 10 years (2007-2017) more than 60 percent of farms lost their operations. In 2017, 70% of farms in Tennessee were small farms with annual sales of less than $10,000. The number of women farmers decreased from 28,813 in 2012 to 26,054 in 2017 from all the ethnic/race. The number of African-American farms in 2012 was 992 and it decreased to 962 in 2017(USDA Census of Agriculture 2017). The 2014 Agricultural Act ("farm bill", P.L. 113-79, Sec. 7606) and the 2018 Farm Bill, provides unique opportunities for 1890 Institutions such as Tennessee State University (TSU) to be at the forefront of hemp cultivation research. Industrial hemp is a new crop for the United States after many years of Federal legislation outlawing the genus, Cannabis L. Industrial hemp refers to those strains of Cannabis Sativa L. which contain less than 0.3% delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive compound found in Cannabis sativa L. at any stage of cultivation.As a leading tobacco producer in the U.S., Tennessee (TN) is primed for a transitional crop to replace the waning tobacco demand. In the last 10 years, more than 60 percent of tobacco farms lost their production, which can be attributed to multiple factors, such as a change in quota rules and federal price-support no longer being available. Hemp, as a new crop for TN, offers the potential to replace farm production lost in tobacco sales, provide an alternative to soybean, corn mono-cropping, and provide soil improvements as a cover crop (Trey Malone, 2019). Hemp is also beneficial to polluted soils as it pulls the toxins and heavy metals out of the soil (Khan, 2015). In response to the 2014 Farm Bill, the 108th General Assembly of Tennessee enacted public charter 916 (House Bill No. 2445) on 16th April 2014 regarding the growing of industrial hemp in Tennessee. Since 2015, the number of licensed industrial hemp growers in Tennessee increased by 63.2 percent. Only 42 licensed growers registered for more than 100 acres of hemp production while 98 percent of farmers are hemp cultivation less than 100 acres (Tennessean, 2019).According to U.S. Census 2017, 12,924 farms are being operated by returning military veterans. Working with local, state, and Federal agencies, Tennessee State University College of Agriculture has committed to joint programming with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to provide training, certification program, and other necessary tools to enhance the cost-effective and environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.The continuous decline in the number of farmers and farm size in the U.S. is alarming. An aging farm population, stress, and struggles of limited-resources farmers are barriers. Additionally, factors are climate change, loss of soil fertility and erratic climatic condition, pest and disease attacks affect the small and beginning farmer's productivity and profitability. Therefore, comprehensive research and educational strategy focusing on helping target groups make decisions about the type, scope, and management of the farming enterprise.The objectives are based on research gathered as new information discovered through personal interaction with farmers, aspiring farmers, and ranchers. Members of the target groups often lack the skills needed to create and operate successful farms. Usually, their awareness of assistance from farm programs is low. They often have minimum business skills and need to consider alternative farm enterprises such as organic growing to help offset the loss in farm income from traditional row crops. Thus, there is a need for these farmers and ranchers to employ advanced drone technology in managing the farm business and to take advantage of the internet as information technology.The project team and partners recognize that using the right communication vehicle to reach the target audience is as important as the information delivered. By using various media platforms used to reach the target audience will also be a key part of the program implementation approach. The team will adopt several mechanisms to address the needs of beginning small farmers, veterans, and socially disadvantaged populations and to identify viable and effective strategies for better service and effective outreach delivery. As a collaborative approach to assist farmers by training, focus group meetings, demonstration of TSU research plots, and local successful farm visits and classroom certification program will be prime tools to enhance connectivity and efficacy of the project. One to one consultation will also enhance trust and relationship among the stakeholders.The Project team along with the advisory panel, extension agents, and the expert group will work on many educational and extension outreach programs. Many training programs, workshops, seminars, and small farm expo and one to one consultation. Through these tools, the team reaches out to the mentioned target audience and achieve the project goals.The overall goal of this project is to provide education, outreach, mentoring, training, technical assistance, and experiential learning to all eligible farmers and ranchers, with special emphasis on veterans, beginning farmer, and rancher development program.Better communication and interaction between 1890 and 1862 institutions; especially interested in Enhancing educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in IPM at 1890 institutionsEnhance opportunity and interest for minority students in STEM and agriculture sectorIncrease societal and educational equity for socially disadvantaged and minority communityImproved collaboration among practitioners and institutions within the state, and states across the regionA stronger collaborative partnership between scientists and extension personnel to foster more involvement of extension personnel in applied researchMore vigorous dialogue between stakeholders and research/extension personnel to better define and address stakeholders (small farmer) needs, a greater focus on small farm needsCoordinate more farmer to farmer field/greenhouse demonstrations, training, field days, especially to alternative crops and small ruminant animals.More networking via information sharing, website delivery (blogs, social media, etc..), evenMore coordination between conventional and organic practicesMore on-farm research in multiple states investigating similar problems that would benefit the producers in the Southern region.Train Extension agents in research-based crop-specific IPM programs.Comprehensive high-quality training programs in sustainable vegetable crop production practices utilizing inputs that can be derived from on-farm biological resources and marketing strategies for commodities produced.More industry support for small farm research and self-sustaining farmsAddress the psychological and social barriers to become a successful entrepreneur by collaborating with reputable regional and national institutions.Educate farmers about selected crops and alternative enterprisesAdvancement of Industrial hemp production in TennesseePromoting Pigeon Pea, fruits and indigenous vegetables for Small Farmers as an alternate or supplemental cropSmall ruminant and Dexter cattle management practicesOrganic FarmingEntrepreneurship and Business TrainingMentoring returning veterans and beginning farmersAgricultural Rehabilitation and Vocational Training for the target audience
Animal Health Component
20%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
60117303100100%
Knowledge Area
601 - Economics of Agricultural Production and Farm Management;

Subject Of Investigation
1730 - Hemp;

Field Of Science
3100 - Management;
Goals / Objectives
The long-term goal of this project is to provide beginning farmers and ranchers, women, veterans, socially disadvantaged populations, and their families with the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools required to make informed decisions for their operations. This includes how to use technologies, adopt new crops, and transition from another vocation into agriculture for more profit, sustainable production, and efficacy in farm management. This project will enhance the decision-making ability of various stakeholders thus enhancing the income and sustainability of farms. This project will strengthen small farms in Tennessee, providing support for small businesses and long-term agriculture gains with the potential to impact national agricultural practices. To achieve these overarching goals following objectives have been identified.1. To conduct demonstrations, hands-on training for participants on selected crops and livestock enterprise including sustainable farming technologyThis project will broaden the scope and knowledge of indigenous vegetables, fruits, industrial hemp, small ruminant, and cattle management throughout the state of Tennessee by conducting field demonstrations across the state of Tennessee. Furthermore; it will disseminate the educational resources to stakeholders. Field demonstration, training, and workshops will deliver pragmatic experiences to the target audiences. It will provide a roadmap for producers to develop a step-by-step process to evaluate starting or expanding their operations. This instruction will be enhanced by working with Farm Credit Services and Farm Services Agency along with several private agricultural banks. Participants will learn about niche markets such as Dexter Cattle, a smaller breed requiring less land acreage and meat goats.Industrial HempBased on feedback from the participants of conferences, seminars and workshops, the TN Hemp Industries Association (the largest membership in the nation), and the TN Department of Agriculture, the research team at TSU has identified the critical needs to address for the immediate and long-term benefit of the farmers in Tennessee. The demonstration site will be established on local farms in three locations east, west, and middle Tennessee along with our collaborators. They will be allocated essential funds and tools for the effective implementation of this objective.2. To provide extensive outreach throughout the state, through educational and demonstration conferences, workshops, seminars, and meetings for the beginning farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged population, and veterans along with other stakeholders.Tennessee County Workshops, Seminars, Conferences, and Technical AssistanceTraining is used to facilitate the learning of a new subject area. In this instance, the purpose of the training and development function is to lead farm owners toward success growing their farmsWorkshops will cover topics such as "How to Start a Hemp Business," Introduction to a Marketing Plan, "Introduction to Accounting for Ranchers and Farmers," The presentations in workshops are intended to give aspiring participant's basic, general information about becoming an entrepreneur.Workshops will be used to impart subject matter for topics requiring longer periods, perhaps a few days. Topics in the area include "Basic Accounting I", Basic Accounting II", "Writing a Business Plan", and "Budgeting.A one-day conference called the Small Farm Expo Event will be organized for each of two years and presented in each region: East, Central, and West Tennessee. This expo will be presented in collaboration with and partnership with other organizations. \Four (4) workshops a year will be offered in selected need-based counties.3. To educate beginner farmers in crop certification, entrepreneurship development, business planning, and financial management3.1 certification Program:To develop/provide training curricula. A four months-long certification program on industrial hemp and organic farming program will be designed each year by our scientists and collaborators for those with an interest in becoming successful hemp farmer and agricultural entrepreneurs. Ideal candidates for this program include those who are new to agriculture and hemp production, those who wish to transition into agriculture from another field such as military services or private sector work, or those who are looking for post-retirement opportunities. The participants will receive four days per month training for four months (112 total hours) on various agricultural risk management issues, selection of hemp cultivars, market potential, and environmental impact of the cultivation of hemp. TSU in collaboration with Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA), Tennessee Hemp Industries Association (TNHIA) and other local business firms and successful hemp farmers will be held classroom and field days for 50 participants for the first year and participant's number can be increased after evaluation of the feedback from participants. The certification program will cover the basics of hemp production (Field and Greenhouse), processing techniques, small business set up, marketing opportunities, the Federal Crop Insurance Act, and the legalization of industrial hemp.3.2 Entrepreneurship DevelopmentThis project will identify the adaptability and profitability of new ventures for small and socially disadvantaged farmers with the help of our collaborators and program partners. The extension agents and directors will be consulted to identify the interest and demands of the target audience. Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Tennessee State University will be instrumental to share its past experiences to expedite the implementation of the program at the ground.The participant's specific needs will guide the farm activities with a mentor. Participants will meet with mentors regularly to discuss his concerns. In each of the three major regions of the state, initial meetings will be held to introduce participants to the project. Instruction will begin from the curricula and the mentees will spend a minimum of full working day a month with their mentors. Mentees are responsible for their health and liability insurance and assume full responsibility for their safety and well-being. Mentees will sign a release form before working on a mentor's farm. This will give the participants hours of necessary experiences for preparing their loan packages and an excellent opportunity to have 'real and valued' input from a successful entrepreneur.4. One-to-One Consultation and MentorshipTo provide a one-on-one consultation to start and grow a new farm or ranch in Tennessee. Through one-on-one technical assistance and counseling, participants will receive help in developing strategies that will lead to the development of a personalized business plan and an up-to-date production plan.College of Agriculture, Tennessee State University proposes a joint effort with local State and Federal Agencies as directed by funding provided by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to provide mentoring to new and beginning farmers, and Veterans. Approximately 15 farmers from each of the three regions of Tennessee (East, Central, and West) will be selected to participate. An experienced farmer or rancher will be linked with three new/beginning farmers to guide them to become successful in their area of interest. Each mentor-farmer will be paid for their services at a rate of $75.00 per day not to exceed $750.00 per mentor-farmer for each of the three years of the project.The project will establish a networking/mentoring community to provide ongoing support and professional development for program participants. This will encourage participants to connect with successful farmers in his desired field. Mentorship can provide intangible insight that formal training could never encompass alone.
Project Methods
The objectives are based on research gathered as new information discovered through personal interaction with farmers, aspiring farmers, and ranchers. Members of the target groups often lack the skills needed to create and operate successful farms. Usually, their awareness of assistance from farm programs is low. They often have minimum business skills and need to consider alternative farm enterprises such as organic growing to help offset the loss in farm income from traditional row crops. Thus, there is a need for these farmers and ranchers to employ advanced drone technology in managing the farm business and to take advantage of the internet as information technology.The project team and partners recognize that using the right communication vehicle to reach the target audience is as important as the information delivered. Maintaining a congruent message among partners and the various media platforms used to reach the target audience will also be a key part of the program implementation approach. The team will adopt the target-oriented participatory approach for best addressing the needs of beginning small farmers, veterans, and socially disadvantaged populations and to identify viable and effective strategies for better service and effective outreach delivery. As, industrial hemp is a new crop to Tennessee, the collaborative approach to growing and assisting farmers by training, focus group meetings, demonstration of TSU research plots, and local successful farm visits and classroom certification program will be prime tools to enhance connectivity and efficacy of the project.An advisory committee will be established to assist in the implementation of the program, as well as, to ensure that the objectives and goals will be met. This committee will conduct a need assessment before program delivery to help identify obstacles and/or make modifications to programming activities ensuring client needs are being addressed. Representatives serving on this advisory committee will consist of socially disadvantaged farmers, local community leaders, Extension agents, USDA, and other agricultural professionals.To determine the social and economic impacts of the program, evaluation forms will be prepared and distributed to all farmers participating in the program. For easy access, the digital google forms will be distributed electronically to the participants. Each event will be documented and the presenter will use evaluation instruments.A set procedure will be established to identify the eligible participants. There will be needs assessment conducted before program delivery to identify obstacles and/or changes in activities to participant's needs are being addressed.Project Evaluation approaches:Quarterly representationMonthly Project Team MeetingRevision by an advisory panelAnnual report with an external reviewerSharing the evaluation outcomes with stakeholders for the positive feedbackPost Evaluation forms will be prepared and distributed to all farmers and ranchers participating in the program in 3 formats, written, verbal, and online. At the end of the program, these evaluations will be assimilated and analyze with the results summarized in the final report. Proper documentation as to time and effort will be kept at all times.Some of the measurement tasks to be accounted for in the delivery of services are:Research data includes germination rates, yields, water requirements, soil amendments (metals and toxins measurably removed, nutrients improved), ratios of compounds after harvest (Certificate of Analysis), a tensile strength in fibers, oil quality.Number of fact sheets, brochures, pamphlets, or news releases and other educational materials distributedIncrease in number of licensed veteran and small hemp producersNumber of successful industrial hemp producersNumbers of socially disadvantaged farmers served and the type of service receivedNumbers of farmers adopting computerized management practicesNumber of veteran served and the type of serviceNumber of farmers receiving training and assistance in business managementNumber of farmers adopting organic farming, Pigeon pea and/or premium farming andNumber of farmers adopting new marketing strategies

Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience includes new farmers, ranchers, and returning veterans interested in becoming agricultural entrepreneurs. Specifically, the audience includes farmers who have operated a farm or ranch for less than 10 years, are new to agriculture, new hemp producers, and those wishing to transition into agriculture from other sectors. This project also benefitted extension agents and specialists interacting with the primary target audience. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities for training and professional development that this project provided, as described in more details under the various objectives above, included the following: Webinars: The COVID 19 pandemic that forced people to shelter in place created an opportunity for developing and popularizing virtual distant learning strategies such as webinars and conferences conducted via platforms cush as ZOOM and Teams. This project conducted 23 weekly virtual webinars on Best Management Practices for Successful Establishment of hemp, cover crops and reduced tillage management strategies, and Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship between September 2021 and March 2022 with 132 participants registering for the webinars. Even after the pandemic, these learning and interacting strategies are still very useful in reaching out to target communities that would otherwise be inconvenienced by travelling long distances and incurring substantial expenses to participate in in-person trainings. For example, a new program on poultry keeping and small ruminant livestock was launched virtually on December 9, 2022, with subsequent trainings conducted in person. In-person Training: Workshops, field days, and other in-person interactions are still considered the best means of training as they provide opportunities for hands-on practical activities that are far more adaptive. To that end, several in-person workshops and field days were conducted during the period under review (described in more detail in the subsquent section): Two in-person field workshops on best management crop production practices in west TN under the TSU Outreach Program and New Farmer Academy on May 12 and June 23, 2022, respectively. The 19th annual one-day Small Farm Expo Event conducted at the TSU Nashville Research Farm on September 7, 2023, with over 300 attendees - the second in-person EXPO in four years following recession of the COVID 19 pandemic. Launching of a new training program in agribusiness management and entrepreneurship for beginning farmers and ranchers, organized as a Bootcamp. Two trainings were conducted on November 15, 2022 and February 2023 with a total of 50 registrants. One in-person workshop on small flock and heritage poultry production was undertaken at TSU on August 26, 2023 A hands-on, in-person Small ruminant livestock production carried out on September 23, 2023. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Objective 2 and 4: Agribusiness Management The project launched a new training program in agribusiness management and entrepreneurship for beginning farmers and ranchers. The training was organized as a Bootcamp and open to this project's target groups. The training covered topics including Agricultural Accounting; Farm Planning; Managing Risk, Uncertainty and Land; Taxes, Capital, and Credit; Budgeting; Income Statement; Balance Sheet; Cash Flow and Business Plan. Fifty (50) growers registered for the Bootcamp and the first introductory in-person training carried out on November 15, 2022, at TSU. A subsequent workshop was carried out in February 2023. These workshops are led and facilitated by Dr. Abdelaziz Lawani, a new faculty at TSU with expertise in Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship and a co-PI on this project. Each training workshop offers a day-long experience with several invited experts facilitating different aspects of the broader topic. Additional boot camps are planned for 2024. Farmer Workshops The Project Director, Dr. Omondi, and PhD Student Anand Kumar made presentations to two in-person field workshops in Western Tennessee under the TSU Outreach Program and New Farmer Academy for farmers, ranchers and returning veterans, on May 12 and June 23, 2022, respectively. Both workshops covered the basic agronomic management practices for industrial hemp production. Other topics presented during the workshops by other multidisciplinary experts included small fruit tree production, tomato and pepper production, organic agriculture, poultry production, goat and cow management, risk management and business planning, and integrated pest management. A total of 50 growers participated in the two workshops. Poultry Keeping and Small Ruminant Production A new program on poultry keeping and small ruminant livestock was also launched by the project. Training incorporated a hybrid system including virtual and in-person workshops. The training was launched virtually on December 9, 2022 attracting over 300 registrants. Subsequently one in-person workshop on small flock and heritage poultry production was undertaken at TSU on August 26, 2023, and facilitated by Cynthia Capers, an experienced poultry grower, the owner of Heniscity Farm and Senior Personnel on this project. A hands-on, in-person Small ruminant livestock production led and facilitated by Dr. Richard Browning, Professor and Research Animal Scientist was also carried out on September 23, 2023. Fifty participants from all over the state registered for each of those workshops. Small Farm Expo The 19th annual one-day Small Farm Expo Event was conducted at the TSU Nashville Agricultural Research and Education Center (AREC) on September 7, 2023. The EXPO attracted more than 300 participants. This was the second in-person EXPO in four years following recession of the COVID 19 pandemic. EXPO events in 2020 and 2021 were held virtually. Featuring several universities, Federal and State agencies, and small farm grants programs, this year's research plots tours were similar to the 2022 tours and included Industrial Hemp Research and Demonstration by Dr. Emmanuel Omondi, Flowering Plants for Insect Pest Management by Dr. Kaushalya Amarasekare, New Grain Legume and Pseudocereal Crops for Tennessee by Dr. Matthew Blair, Humic Acid for Organic Pepper Production by Dr. Dilip Nandwani, International, Alternative and Niche Fruits and Vegetable Research by Dr. Arvazena Clardy, Container Production of Food Crops for Urban/Peri-urban Residents by Dr. Dharma Pitchay, Beginning Backyard Poultry and Basics to Nutrition, and Disease and Biosecurity by Dr. Pramir Maharjan. Non-traditional Livestock Production; Meat Goats and Small-scale Cattle by Dr. Richard Browning was not available this year because of storm damage to their facilities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. Provide additional training in agribusiness management and entrepreneurship for beginning farmers and ranchers. Future trainings will be decentralized to counties in middle, eastern, and/or western Tennessee. 2. Conduct additional hands-on, in-person training on small flock and heritage poultry production. The next training is scheduled to be conducted as an on-farm field day in Cynthia Capers' Heniscity Farm located in Old Charlotte Pike, Pegram. 3. Recruit at least 20 growers to participate in the new Partnership for Climate Smart Fiber Hemp project where together, they are expected to grow a total of 100 acres of fiber hemp per year, for a total of five years. Raw materials arising from the hemp produce will be provided to identified industry partners (including several motor-vehicle manufacturers, paper/pulp industry, building and construction, textiles, and more) for them to conduct industrial and marketing research in an effort to establish supply chain relationships with Tennessee historically underserved producers for their future raw material needs. 4. Women in agriculture program, an initiative by TSU to support women and enhance participation, is being extended to more than 20 counties with extension offices. Project team members will participate in their 2022 Women in AG-Human Science Conference scheduled for Nov 3rd and 4th 2022 at TSU. 5. Extensive and intensive outreach to various producer and commodity groups, especially those adversely affected by the COVID 19 pandemic and the slump in CBD hemp market are planned for the end of 2023 and beginning of 2024. The objective of this outreach is to determine specific producer/grower needs and prescribe intervention strategies. This outreach is informed by the recognition that a significant proportion of historically underserved Tennessee growers abandoned their farms to seek other means of livelihoods in urban settings. The goal of this outreach project is to encourage as many of them as possible to either return to their farms or put them to some profitable use.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Industrial Hemp as a New Commodity in Tennessee The 2014 Agricultural Act and the 2018 Farm Bill provided unique opportunities for growers in TN to benefit from industrial hemp as an emerging crop with multiple benefits. Industrial hemp, strains of Cannabis Sativa L. containing less than 0.3% total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a "new" crop for the U.S. after many years of Federal legislation outlawing it. The greatest initial interest was in the floral hemp cultivars for CBD production widely expected to be a very lucrative commodity with profits estimated between $15,000 and up to $75,000 per acre. This resulted in excessive unplanned speculative production leading to over production and a slump in the barely developed limited market. The majority of growers suffered horrendous losses, with many reported cases of ruined businesses and bankruptcies. Compliance with federal regulations was also a major challenge with the new requirement of 0.3% total THC, which includes both Delta-9 THC and all its precursors making it a lot more difficult to comply with as the concentration of the total amount of compounds that count towards total THC drastically increased. The above challenges resulted in a drastic reduction of interest in growing industrial hemp, leading to significant reduction in acreage under hemp from about 15,722 acres licensed for hemp cultivation in 2020 down to less than 500 acres currently under outdoor hemp production in Tennessee. One positive impact of these problems is a growing focus on other categories of industrial hemp such as fiber and grain that have much fewer input requirements, equipment modifications, or processing requirements compared to floral hemp, while much more sustainable and environmentally friendly, especially in light of growing global negative impacts of climate change. Because of its rapid growth rate (4-5 months crop cycle) and ability to capture 2-3 times the carbon dioxide per acre per year compared to a forest (Tripathi and Kumar, 2022), coupled with an estimated 25,000 different applications, hemp presents an excellent opportunity for sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation (Pervaiz and Sain, 2003; Tripathi and Kumar, 2022). It is against this backdrop that the Industrial Hemp Research Program at TSU received a $5 million USDA NRCS Partnership for Climate-Smart Fiber grant to conduct a 5-year research aimed at expanding the production of industrial fiber hemp as a climate-smart commodity, evaluating its greenhouse gas benefits (GHG), and promoting the value of market development to a cross-section of production agriculture, including small, medium, and/or historically underserved producers across the state of Tennessee. This is a collaborative project bringing together TSU, Hemp Alliance of Tennessee, University of Tennessee, and Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Fiber hemp as climate smart commodity has a great potential to provide an alternative to traditional commodities such as corn, cotton, soybean, and wheat while providing soil improvements as a rotational/cover crop. Hemp is also beneficial to polluted soils as it is known to pull toxins and heavy metals out of the soil. The overall goal of this project is therefore to create opportunities for underserved Tennessee growers to grow industrial hemp targeting the automobile and other commercial industries such as paper/pulp, textile, bioplastics, and construction, while monitoring and quantifying its environmental, soil health and climatic impacts compared to current popular commodities. This new project, leveraged from the BFRDP, formerly became operational on September 14, 2023. Emerging Crop Production In keeping with the first objective of this project to explore alternative and/or emerging crop production enterprises for beginning farmers, several common mungbean varieties were evaluated for adaptation, agronomic, and physiological traits desirable for production as food crop in Tennessee. These included on-station field experiments at the TSU Nashville Research Farm, as well as two farm trials in Franklin and Shelby County for direct demonstration and introduction to farmers; both conducted during the 2021, 2022, and 2023 summer growing periods. Data collected from the on-station trials and on-farm demonstration trials were used to perform cost analysis and prepare enterprise budgets to provide economic information needed for decision making for farmers. A Monte Carlo simulation model was conducted in order to obtain a better understanding of the profitability of this emerging leguminous grain suited to the southeastern climates, and generate a range of possible costs, prices, yields and the net returns. Led by co-PI Prabodh Illukpitiya, these trials and demonstrations are expected to be expanded to more farmers in 2024. The mung bean project also collaborated with an industry to explore the potential of this emerging and nutritious legume for sprout production and promotion. These efforts increased the visibility of this commodity among growers, both in terms of its promising potential as a food crop but also as an excellent cover crop.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Maddela, S. Sai and E.C. Omondi. 2023. Potential Role of Mulches and Planting Time in Managing Southern Blight and Enhancing Cannabinoid Production in Floral Hemp in Tennessee. Cannabis research Conference, Denver, CO August 3-5, 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kumar, A. and E.C. Omondi. Effect of mulches and harvest timing on floral hemp production in TN. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting, Oct 29 - Nov 2, St. Louis, MO.


Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience includes new farmers, ranchers, and returning veterans interested in becoming agricultural entrepreneurs. Specifically, the audience includes farmers who have operated a farm or ranch for less than 10 years, are new to agriculture, new hemp producers, and those wishing to transition into agriculture from other sectors. This project will also benefit extension agents and specialists interacting with the primary target audience. Changes/Problems:As mentioned in the last report, the greatest challenge to the project was the retirement of the project director, Dr. Fitzroy Bullock, and one other co-project director, Dr. Ruthie Reynolds. The process of retooling the project management and reassigning it a new project director under the pandemic situation took a protracted period of time and was only concluded in May 2021. Consequently, most of the proposed first year project activities were delayed. Dr. Emmanuel Omondi took over from Dr. Bullock as Project Director in May 2021. Dr. Abdelaziz Lawani replaced Dr. Reynolds as co-PI in charge of Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship in June 2022. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? As described above, the 23 weekly virtual webinars on hemp production, cover crops and and Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship conducted between September 2021 and March 2022 with 132 participants was an excellent training and profession development opportunity for beginning farmers, ranchers and veterans drawn from underserved members of the society. The project is launching a new training program in agribusiness management and entrepreneurship for beginning farmers and ranchers, organized as a Bootcamp and open to limited resources and socially disadvantaged beginning farmers and ranchers, military veterans and new and existing farmers that want to start an alternative crop or agribusiness. This training is being offered in consultation and collaboration with Farmer Veteran Coalitions and Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to jointly develop plans for accounting and financial skills training with mentoring and essential monetary support to sustain small businesses in order to enhance entrepreneurship skills among the beginning farmers and ranchers, veterans and other disadvantages communities. A new program on poultry keeping and small ruminant livestock is also being launched by the project, also being launched by the project, featuring among other facilitators, Cynthia Capers, an experienced poultry grower, the owner of Heniscity Farm, who is also a beginning farmer herself, is yet another excellent training opportunity for underserved members of the society initiated by this project. The research and demonstration fields established in 2021 were expanded in 2022 to include the following: Two growing areas at the TSU Research and Extension Center farm in Nashville (assessing the effect of plastic mulch cover on weed management, cannabinoid profile, THC compliance, and disease prevalent in floral hemp varieties, with a special focus on southern blight fungal disease of hemp prevalent in southeastern climates and that affects over 600 other crop species). Three growing areas at the TSU Research and Extension Center farm in Cheatham County near Ashland city assessing seed, fiber, and dual-purpose hemp varieties in terms of fertility requirements, timing of planting, and inclusion in traditional Tennessee crop rotations that include corn, soybeans, and small grains. This study is important in providing Tennessee growers with options given their unfortunate experience with CBD hemp in 2019 - 2020 as discussed above. These two research sites will be the main demonstration sites for training small farmers and ranchers interested in engagement in or continuing hemp enterprise. The indoor research and demonstration facility established in 2021 in one of the business rooms of a veteran farmer in Dickson County Tennessee will provide beginning farmers, ranchers and veterans from the underserved members of the society with hands on experience of modifying their available indoor spaces to successful grow floral hemp. These indoor operations will also serve as sites for field days in 2023 and beyond. Two cooperator growers with greenhouse operations identified in 2021 continued to collaborate with TSU project personnel in various research, training, and demonstration activities - mainly in industrial hemp production. One of the growers, Mr. Seth Fuller, co-owner of EverVeg LLC greenhouse operation is mentoring two undergraduate and three graduate TSU students interested in growing industrial hemp as a business. As mentioned above, the project plans to initiate monthly workshops for the farmers who rely on local farmers market to sell their produce. Workshops planned for will provide online marketing skills, advertisement techniques, and cashless transactions. This training will be useful to farmers were severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as most of these market outlets were shut down. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The TSU extension team, County extension offices, and other stakeholders continued to work simultaneously to mitigate critical COVID-19 crisis for holistic support system for small and beginning farmers. Monthly tours to farms and greenhouse operations by project personnel to identify growers and stakeholders for this project continued, and as mentioned above, 23 virtual webinars with multidisciplinary facilitators were conducted as the primary means of disseminating research results to communities of interest during the raging pandemic. At least 132 growers were trained directly by this project. An in-person Tennessee Small Farm Expo was also conducted by Tennessee State University to inform growers about the many training opportunities available within our campus. Impact More than 2,000 stakeholder contacts (growers, extension educators, business owners, processors, students, and other concerns) were made directly by various educational and outreach activities by collaborative efforts of TSU and the University of Tennessee. Education and outreach by the Hemp Program from the two institutions is expected to have a great and positive impact in the 2022 growing season. For example, the 132 participants registered for the weekly webinars represents about 34% of hemp license owners in the state (total of 384 in 2021). This implies that at least 34% of hemp enterprises in 2022 will improve their operations based on skills obtained from these courses. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. The project will launch a new training program in agribusiness management and entrepreneurship for beginning farmers and ranchers. The training will be organized as a Bootcamp and will be open to limited resources and socially disadvantaged beginning farmers and ranchers, military veterans and new and existing farmers that want to start an alternative crop or agribusiness. The training is expected to cover the following topics: Agricultural Accounting; Farm Planning; Managing Risk, Uncertainty and Land; Taxes, Capital, and Credit; Budgeting; Income Statement; Balance Sheet; Cash Flow and Business Plan. Fifty (50) growers have already registered for the Bootcamp and the first introductory in-person training is scheduled for November 15, 2022, at TSU. These workshops will be led and facilitated by Dr. Abdelaziz Lawani, a new faculty at TSU with expertise in Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship and a co-PI on this project. Each training workshops will be day-long offered once every month for three months. 2. A new program on poultry keeping and small ruminant livestock is also being launched by the project. Training will incorporate a hybrid system including virtual and in-person workshops. A details poultry and small ruminant curriculum has been developed and is currently being reviewed. The training will be launched virtually on December 9, 2022. Poultry production will be led and facilitated by Cynthia Capers, an experienced poultry grower, the owner of Heniscity Farm and Senior Personnel on this project. Poultry training will be co-facilitated by Dr. Pramir Maharjan, Assistant Professor and Extension Poultry Specialist. Small ruminant livestock production will be led and facilitated by Dr. Richard Browning, Professor and Research Animal Scientist. 3. Evaluation of selected mung bean varieties for adaptation and agronomic traits desirable for production as food crop in Tennessee, as well as economic analysis of mungbean production will continue up to the end of 2022. A questionnaire has also been developed to conduct producer and consumer surveys to assess the knowledge gap about the crop among small and medium-sized farmers in Tennessee. 4. Women in agriculture program, an initiative by TSU to support women and enhance participation, is being extended to more than 20 counties with extension offices. Project team members will participate in their 2022 Women in AG-Human Science Conference scheduled for Nov 3rd and 4th 2022 at TSU. 5. Plans have been put in place to initiate monthly workshops for the farmers who rely on local farmers market to sell their produce. These farmers were severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as most of these market outlets were shut down resulting in many cases to sale loses at best and complete loss of marketing platform at worst. Workshops planned for will provide online marketing skills, advertisement techniques, and cashless transactions.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Indoor Hemp Production As mentioned elsewhere in this report, this project is designed to benefit small, medium, and historically underserved farmers in Tennessee, including industrial hemp growers adversely affected by the changing regulations governing hemp production and severe marketing and supply chain challenges experienced with resurgence of the crop, in addition to serious agronomic challenges affecting outdoor production. These challenges led to an estimated 30-40% of cultivated hemp crops failing to be harvested due to non-compliance with the prevailing regulations, and more than 50% of the harvest failing to be marketed due to a glut in the prevailing market infrastructure resulting in severe financial losses to growers in general, and small and medium sized farmers in particular. For these reasons, majority of floral hemp growers in Tennessee are avoiding outdoor hemp production and resorting instead to small scale indoor operations, mostly involving modifications to living rooms and other living spaces in the households rather than the more expensive greenhouses. In recognition of this emerging industry, an indoor research and demonstration facility was established in one of the business rooms of a veteran farmer in Dickson County Tennessee. The room measuring about 300 square feet was modified to include artificial high-density lighting and controlled temperature and humidity settings similar to what would normally be expected in a greenhouse. Two varieties of floral hemp were grown in 3-gallon pots and evaluated for different organic nutrient sources including compost, bokashi (anaerobically produced compost), purple non-sulfur bacteria, and native soil as control - and their effects on cannabinoid production and THC compliance. Data from the research and demonstration are being analyzed and will inform additional research and demonstration indoor operations in 2023 to provide growers with hands on experience of modifying their available indoor spaces to successful grow floral hemp. These indoor operations will also serve as sites for field days in 2023 and beyond. Emerging Crop Production In keeping with the first objective of this project to explore alternative and/or emerging crop production enterprises for beginning farmers, several common mungbean varieties were evaluated for adaptation, agronomic, and physiological traits desirable for production as food crop in Tennessee. These included on-station field experiments at the TSU Nashville Agricultural Research and Extension Center Farm, as well as two farm trials in Franklin County and Shelby County for direct demonstration and introduction to farmers; both conducted during the 2021 summer growing period. Data collected from the on-station trials and on-farm demonstration trials were used to perform cost analysis and prepare enterprise budgets to provide economic information needed for decision making for farmers. A Monte Carlo simulation model was conducted in order to obtain a better understanding of the profitability of this emerging leguminous grain suited to the southeastern climates, and generate a range of possible costs, prices, yields and the net returns. Led by co-PI Prabodh Illukpitiya, these trials and demonstrations are expected to be expanded to more farmers in 2023. Objective 2 and 4: Industrial Hemp, Small Business Management, and Entrepreneurship Training Widely reported losses by hemp growers in the 2019-2021 season informed extensive review of training curricula for planned workshops, seminars, webinars, field days and other educational activities to specifically address the identified and emerging challenges. A total of 23 weekly virtual webinars on Best Management Practices for Successful Establishment of mostly CBD Hemp, cover crops and reduced tillage management strategies, and Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship were conducted between September 2021 and March 2022 with 132 participants registering for the webinars. These webinars, lasting 2 hours every week, covered a wide range of important topics, including changing hemp regulations and their impacts on grower decisions, basics of transplanting cell sizes, fertility, overall care of seedlings and techniques of transplanting, cover crops and organic no-till strategies, irrigation management, nutrient management and fertility needs, weed management in CBD hemp given that herbicide options are not available for hemp and most processors or retail consumers do not want them used in hemp produce, pest and disease management, small business startups, business management and entrepreneurship, and many more. All 23 webinars were recorded, saved in a drop box, and URL links sent to all participants for their ease of reference as they embark on hemp growing and/or enterprises in subsequent growing seasons. Farmer Workshops The Project Director, Dr. Omondi, and PhD Student Anand Kumar made presentations to two in-person field workshops in Western Tennessee under the TSU Outreach Program and New Farmer Academy for farmers, ranchers and returning veterans, on May 12 and June 23, 2022, respectively. Both workshops covered the basic agronomic management practices for industrial hemp production. Other topics presented during the workshops by other multidisciplinary experts included small fruit tree production, tomato and pepper production, organic agriculture, poultry production, goat and cow management, risk management and business planning, and integrated pest management. A total of 50 growers participated in the two workshops. Small Farm Expo The 18th annual one-day Small Farm Expo Event was conducted at the TSU Nashville Agricultural Research and Education Center (AREC) on September 8, 2022. The EXPO attracted more than 300 participants. This was the first in person EXPO in three years following recession of the COVID 19 pandemic. Previous EXPO events in 2020 and 2021 were held virtually. Featuring several universities, Federal and State agencies, and small farm grants programs, this year's research plots tours included Industrial Hemp Research and Demonstration by Dr. Emmanuel Omondi, Flowering Plants for Insect Pest Management by Dr. Kaushalya Amarasekare, New Grain Legume and Pseudocereal Crops for Tennessee by Dr. Matthew Blair, Humic Acid for Organic Pepper Production by Dr. Dilip Nandwani, International, Alternative and Niche Fruits and Vegetable Research by Dr. Arvazena Clardy, Container Production of Food Crops for Urban/Peri-urban Residents by Dr. Dharma Pitchay, Beginning Backyard Poultry and Basics to Nutrition, Disease and Biosecurity by Dr. Pramir Maharjan and Non-traditional Livestock Production; Meat Goats and Small-scale Cattle by Dr. Richard Browning Objective 3: Education in crop certification: Participants for the Industrial Hemp, Small Business Management, and Entrepreneurship Training webinars described under Objective 1 above running between September 2021 and March 2022 received TSU completion certificates at the end of the weekly six months training. As mentioned above, this training included agronomy, biology, diseases and pests, harvesting, processing, uses, and hemp licensing and regulations. Training duration was for two hours a day, four days per month for a total of six months on various agricultural risk management issues, selection of hemp cultivars, market potential, and environmental impact of the cultivation of hemp and business management and entrepreneurship. Facilitators for the training included TSU and the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) scientists and extension agents, highly experienced and successful hemp and cover crop growers, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA), Tennessee Hemp Industries Association (TNHIA) and other local business firms. As mentioned above, 132 participants registered for the webinars.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Anand Kumar (TSU), Emmanuel Omondi (TSU), Fatemeh Etemadi (Rodale Institute), and Tara Valentine (University of Kentucky). Evaluating organic nutrient management practices to improve hemp CBD yield and quality under mulches and row spacing treatment. Association of 1890 Research Directors Symposium, Atlanta Marriott Marquis Atlanta, GA April 2  5, 2022
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Nicholas Davies and Emmanuel Omondi. Impact of bokashi, purple non-sulfur bacteria, and compost on clonally propagated Cannabis sativa. The 44th Annual Tennessee State University-wide Research Symposium to be held March 28  April 1, 2022.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Baron Hill, Tom Byl, Emmanuel Omondi, and DeEtra Young. The effect of sulfide-rich water on hemp seedling growth. Tennessee Academy of Science, Tennessee Tech University, November 6, 2021.


Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:The COVID 19 pandemic and changes in senior management staff of this project kept the project in its infancy during the current reporting period. However, as mentioned above, the new Project Director spoke at two virtual workshops for growers in Central and Western Tennessee under the Tennessee New Farmer Academy also designed for new farmers, ranchers and returning veterans interested in becoming agricultural entrepreneurs. A total of 150 participants were taught during the three workshops and included growers who are new to agriculture and those who wish to transition into agriculture from other vocations. This project continues to identify and recruit for training similar target audience that still includes military veterans, beginning farmers/ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers with limited resources. Specifically, the audience includes farmers who have operated a farm or ranch for less than 10 years, are new to agriculture, new hemp producers, and those wishing to transition into agriculture from other sectors. Changes/Problems:The greatest challenge to the project was the unexpected retirement of the project director and one other co-project director, Dr. Ruthie Reynolds. The process of retooling the project management and reassigning it a new project director under the pandemic situation took a protracted period of time and was only concluded in May 2021. Consequently, most of the proposed first year project activities have been delayed. A new project director, Dr. Emmanuel Omondi, was appointed in May 2021 to replace the outgoing project director, Dr. Fitzroy Bullock, who retired from TSU service. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Two demonstration fields have been established at the TSU Research and Extension Center farms in Nashville and Cheatham County near Ashland city: The project in Nashville is demonstrating the effect of plastic mulch cover on weed management, cannabinoid profile, THC compliance, and disease prevalent in five CBD hemp varieties. On-farm greenhouse demonstrations with two cooperator growers have also been initiated to compare the effects of controlled environment and field conditions (biotic and abiotic stresses) on hemp productivity and THC compliance. The project in Cheatham county is demonstrating the fertility requirements, timing of planting, and inclusion in traditional Tennessee crop rotations (that include tobacco, cotton, corn, soybeans, and small grains) of seed, fiber, and dual-purpose hemp varieties. This demonstration is important in providing Tennessee growers with potential alternative options given their unfortunate experience with CBD hemp in 2019 and 2020 as discussed above. These two sites will be the main demonstration sites for training small farmers and ranchers interested in engagement in or continuing hemp enterprise. A virtual farm tour was organized for hemp growers on September 2, 2021 during this year's TSU Virtual Small Farm EXPO. 2. Five cooperator farms have also been identified in consultation with collaborating organizations to provide on-farm field demonstration sites for training. Organic farming and sustainable agriculture techniques are expected to be the core essence of this project. Input supplies and small infrastructure for the small and socially-disadvantaged farmers will be assessed, and assistance provided as needed depending on need and availability. 3. Contact has been established with Farmer Veteran Coalitions and Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to jointly develop plans for accounting and financial skills training with mentoring and essential monetary support to sustain small businesses in order to enhance entrepreneurship skills among the beginning farmers and ranchers, veterans and other disadvantages communities. 4. Plans have been put in place to initiate monthly workshops for the farmers who rely on local farmers market to sell their produce. These farmers were severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as most of these market outlets were shut down resulting in debilitating losses. Workshops planned for will provide online marketing skills, advertisement techniques, and cashless transactions. 5. As mentioned above, disruptions caused by COVID-19 and significant changes to senior program personnel resulted in significant delay in implementation of several pre-proposed outreach programs. However, bi-monthly tours to farms and greenhouse operations to identify growers and stakeholders for this project have been initiated. Initial visits have focused on industrial hemp enterprises, but this is expected to expand to other traditional crops and small livestock farms. 6. Nineteen (19) weekly (one hour per week) webinars have been initiated for extension agents, growers and other stakeholders that will cover all the stages of growing hemp including recent regulations, what to know before jumping in, identifying the right varieties, transplanting and management of the crop. 7. The four months-long certification training curriculum developed on industrial hemp and organic farming program to train participants interested in becoming successful hemp farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs is expected to be initially completely online with small groups of farm tours observing strict CDC COVID-19 protocols. Fifty (50) participants are expected to be trained in the second year and the number increased in subsequent year(s) based on evaluation of the feedback from participants. 8. Women in agriculture program, an initiative by TSU to support women and enhance participation, is being extended to more than 20 counties with extension offices. The project team also identified Appalachian Resources Conservation and Development Council for greater cooperation and dissemination of scientific skills and training for women in agriculture. Appalachian RCD Council is working in the remotest part of TN and it is led by a highly devoted woman. It will provide an impetus to this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Although little has been accomplished with regard to dissemination of resultsdue to the slow start of the project, fact sheets and templates were uploaded on electronic media channels including state and federal regulations and guidelines to help growers avoid compliance failures. The TSU extension team, County extension offices, and other stakeholders are working simultaneously to mitigate critical COVID-19 crisis for holistic support system for small and beginning farmers. Bi-monthly tours to farms and greenhouse operations by project personnel to identify growers and stakeholders for this project included PowerPoint presentations of preliminary results in the industrial hemp space. Two large greenhouse operations and one farm were visited in May 2021 to discuss these results and strategize on collaboration on this project. Under the CDC guideline project team made a series of video interviews of successful farmers, business operation, and innovative farm practices. These 5 minutes short videos have been uploaded on the YouTube channel titled "Tennessee Small Farm Expo". The effort has been made to compile the innovative strategies adopted by farmers and businesses during the pandemic year for survival. The clips highlight how they have changed their farming and marketing strategies to alleviate the losses. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. USDA NIFA showed an exemplary commitment to quickly recognize the plight of small and beginning farmers exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The supplemental grant of $149,060 COVID-19 relief funding gratefully received by the project will facilitate completion of a needs assessment survey to identify vulnerable members of the community and specific challenges to be addressed by this project and increase the number of primary audiences to receive the input support to diversify and sustain their farms. Most of those are Veterans and woman led farms. 2. Other project objectives; including training growers on online expansion of small business, recalibration of farmers' markets training to provide growers with skills and resources to expand their consumer base, field demonstration and training on diversified enterprises as described in our objectives, training in entrepreneurship development, business planning, and financial management, identification and involvement of experienced mentors to facilitate and expedite addressing of specific participants identified needs, and extension outreach throughout the state will all be undertaken in earnest in the next reporting period.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project was designed before COVID-19 struck. The problem statements, dissemination strategies and outreach approaches were conceived without any awareness of the pandemic and its devastating impacts. The pandemic also disrupted deliverance and logistical arrangements, requiring that most meetings adopt virtual or hybrid means of interaction, thereby significantly slowing down the initiation of the project. A new project director was reassigned to the project after retirement of the previous project director. However, the process of this reassignment took a long time concluding in May 2021, and resulting in delay of most of the proposed first year project activities. In spite of these problems, however, the project team adapted to the challenges and improvised the delivery and communication strategies. Pre-identified not-for-profit organizations, state offices along with counties extension offices were kept in close loop for greater cooperation and coordination of effort. A needs assessment survey of 95 extension agents in Tennessee was undertaken in October 2020 to determine potential extension agent interest in getting involved in the BFRDP project in general and industrial hemp production in particular, considering that industrial hemp has been identified as a key training subject for this project. The survey established that only 21% of the growers they serve are currently interested in growing seed or fiber hemp varieties with the majority (77%) interested in growing CBD hemp, attributed to the lure of huge financial profits hitherto associated with CBD hemp.Results from the survey and widely reported losses by hemp growers in the 2019-2020 season informed extensive review of training curricula for planned workshops, seminars, webinars, field days and other educational activities to specifically addressthe identified and emerging challenges. Reported losses to be addressed included an estimated 30-40% of cultivated hemp failing to be harvested and/or marketed due to non-compliance with delta 9 THC compliance, contract-defaulting by processors, and a glut in the market. Specific accomplishments during the period under review, thus, include the following: 1. The new project director, Dr. Omondi, an agronomist with a wide experience in conservation agriculture, cropping systems research, weed science and sustainable agriculture,brings this vast experience to apply to agronomic projects designed to equip beginning farmers, ranchers, veterans and other disadvantaged communities with skills to improve their agricultural enterprises. 2.Presentations on best agronomic management practices for industrial hemp production were made to three virtual workshops for growers in Central, Western, and Eastern Tennessee under the Tennessee New Farmer Academy.Direct facilitation of Eastern Tennessee workshop was not possible due to scheduling challenges, but virtual training materials were provided to the workshop. The Central TN workshop was held on May 17th and was completely virtual. The other two workshops adopted a hybrid deliverance with the Eastern TN workshop held on June 24 and 25 in Scott County, Huntsville TN and the Western workshop help in a farmer's field in Memphis TN on July 22. Target audience for the New Farmer Academy also include those who are new to agriculture, and those who wish to transition into agriculture from other fields such as military service.Each workshop included 50 participants for a total of 150 growers trained. 3. The project gratefully received a supplemental grant of $149,060 COVID-19 relief funding to support project activities focused on alleviating challenges faced by beginning farmers and ranchers severely impacted by the pandemic. A second needs assessment survey is underway to identify vulnerable members of the community and specific challenges to be addressed by this project. 4. Fifteen (15) small farms have been identified with the help of County extension offices and stakeholders based on previously mentioned objectives in addition with COVID-19 mitigating strategies. These farms will receive essential input supplies and our team will analyze the cost-benefits and financial model for crop diversification and adaptation of innovative practices and technologies for sustainability and profitability. 5. More than five enterprises with business concerns on industrial hemp research and development have been collaborating with our team to share their experiences and skills. They have also provided our team with different cultivars of industrial hemp seed for demonstration purposes. These relationships will be sustained in the next reporting period and are also expected to benefit the proposed target group of growers directly. Small farmers consistently struggle to choose suitable genetics for their interests as there are no registered cultivars of hemp available for them to choose from. This makes these relationships and partnerships with business concerns willing and ready to work with us in testing their genetics before supplying them to growers extremely vital.

Publications