Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience remains the same as previously proposed in the initial funded submission. The project targets veterans in Alabama, paying special attention to those currently serving in the Reserves and National Guard and who are interested in farming and rural entrepreneurship. As previously noted, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs reports that Alabama houses over377,310 veterans (va.gov/vetdata), about 10% of the adult population. This number is even larger when you account for veterans family members. Alabama veterans and their families live throughout the state with the majority concentrated around military bases. Madison County, home to Redstone Arsenal, has a veteran population of 17-19%. Dale and Coffee counties also have a veterans' population of 17-19%. Henry and Geneva counties which surround Fort Rucker, report 13-15% of their residents are veterans. Baldwin, Autauga, Mobile, Elmore, Russell, Calhoun and Limestone, and Montgomery counties also report high concentrations of veteran population. Thus, the project's focus is on counties with the greatest number of veterans. Except for Madison County, the rest of the counties with significant numbers of veterans are a part of the Black Belt region which extends from parts of Georgia through Alabama to Mississippi. This is a region comprising strike force or persistent poverty counties. The counties are predominantly rural, poor, and technologically underserved. Veteran communities and others in the region face health problems generally associated with historically underserved regions. A high percentage of older citizens make health care for the elderly a challenge. The target audience consists of returning military veterans and minority populations with needs unique to their environment. Through aggressive project promotion, we identify these prospective participants and deliver training and support, mentoring and technical assistance, serving or assisting at least +453 veterans and their families to date. Changes/Problems:This project has just entered a no-cost extension resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic which adversely affected our implementation schedule in the first year of the project. The major challenge posed from the project during the reporting period was one of nurturing veteransfarmers and their families from start to finish. This is true especially with veterans who experience increased needs or challenges than just agricultural opportunities. For many of the veterans, we worked with them so closely that it impacted our overall effectiveness. For some veteran producers, we discussed every detail, including the process and expectation of working with USDA agencies and programs. However, many producers appreciated the personable and constant interaction. The second year of this project also saw spikes or upticks of covid in the target area which also impacted our ability to effectively provide assistance. Attendance for some of our meetings and workshops dropped dramtically. Finally, due to the high turnover of employees, the Institute and the project team were unable to effectively provide assistancefor the majority of the veterans and their families who needed assistance. For the administrative staff whostarted the project, the Institute and some partner organizationsall have new staff or personnel to complete the project. This personnel turnover also affected the effective evaluation of the project and its activities. The projectwas unable to fully evaluate the project and provide data analysis for the majority of the events held. We hope to change this in the no-cost extension period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has increased veterans' participation in USDA programs, improved participants' farm production, management, marketing, and improved their computer skills. It has provided skills to veterans and their families in how to deal with risk, especially as everybody saw firsthand the impact of the pandemic on the agricultural sector. Based on the limited information on farm budgets, participating veteran farmers have seen increased revenues from value-added products. There also is enhanced networking among veterans for peer-to-peer learning for cooperative production and marketing of agricultural products. Increased numbers of veterans accessed USDA's farm loans and cost share programs which substantially assisted most of them acquire land, expand their operations, and increased their farm profitability. Based on sample of 76 veterans with complete business planning and farm budget information, estate planning, financial management, and whole farm planning workshops, participants stated they had increased their profits by an average of 3.76 percent because of the services and assistance provided by this project. Over 92% of the respondents indicated they were ready to start their own businesses and farms and that the training has been very beneficial. In general, this project has helped many veterans and their families in Alabama overcome an increased number of problems. Most of the project's target audience usually expresses concern over a number of challenges that confront them in their farming business. Some of the commonly cited challenges include lack of or limited access to capital, markets, land, training, and overall technical assistance; ineffective or obsolete farming techniques; lack of education and/or experience in management and marketing; language barriers and cultural differences; and inability to access federal programs and services. These are some of the same challenges that confront many of the small, limited resource beginning farmersthroughout Alabama and the country. Marketing and market access is perhaps one of this project's success stories in that the project allowed AAMU to make considerable headway in this regard. The project worked with the Tri-State Rabbit Growers Association, Alabama Agricultural A+ Marketing Association, State of Alabama Farmers Association, Alabama Sheep and Goat Producers Association, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Alabama Sustainable Agricultural Network, and the Northwest Alabama Small Farmers Agricultural Improvement Association to identify viable markets for rabbit meat, goat meat, pastured poultry and other products (especially fresh produce and value-added produce). Several veterans have benefited from this project. Many more are now aware of the many USDA programs and services. The Institute and its partners are extremely appreciative of USDA-NIFA-AgVets financial support of this outreach training and technical assistance efforts which continues to benefit a large number of socially disadvantaged veterans and their families in Alabama. From the various project activities, training workshops, farm field days, pre- and post-test evaluations have routinely been conducted and participants have been very appreciative and complimentary oftraining programs. There has been excellent feedback. Listed below are some of the comments received from participants during our regular training workshops and group meetings: (1) Enjoyed the Cooperative Marketing Vs. Direct Marketing class, (2) Excellent Business Plan Development course! (3) Excellent Information given from the Access to Capital course! (4) Excellent job, every workshop I've attended; I have learned something new, (5) Internship with Rosita's Farm, (6) Great presentation! (7) I learned a lot! Great Crop Rotation as IPM Tool session! (8) Knowledge was great, possible grant writing class! (9) Really enjoyed the program/workshop. Taking away several great points! Please keep me updated with information. Most participants suggested the need for more training and knowledgeable on the current programs and USDA programs and services available. Through this project, (81%) producers acknowledged the access to capital, hands-on-marketing strategies and branding and marketing were the most important attributes for new and beginning farmers. Access land and familiarity to USDA government programwere strongly important for assisting veteran farmers and landowners.The majority of veterans participants and their families are interested in experiential learning, visiting more farmers to learn about more techniques on farms and different soil. Moreover, most of the veteranslisted more hands-on demonstrations at workshops as priority number one. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Over 1,897veteran farmers and their families have been contacted and/or received information through general outreach (radio, newsletters, social media, online and telephone communications). Training modules, fact sheets and resource materials have been developed and disseminated to veterans' producers. These materials can soon be accessed through our web portal at www.ruralsouthinstitute.com. Presentations have been made at conferences and meetings, National Extension Risk Management meetings, Project Directors Meetings, and at other forums. Some of these materials have been shared by the Risk Management Education National Library maintained by the Farm Financial Management Center at the University of Minnesota. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?There's still much to be done to assist our veterans and their. It is our hope that USDA-NIFA-AgVets Program will continue to support the Institute and its partners to continue these outreach efforts to veterans and their families. We hasten to add that emphasis in this project was placed on hands-on or experiential training which involves farmer-to-farmer mentoring, on-farm demonstration, farm field days and one-on-one consultation. These efforts will continue in the next 12 months of the no-cost extension. The project team is focused on the project's long-term goal of growing the next generation of farmers, ranchers and entrepreneurs who will use the experience, skills and land stewardship to improve and enhance sustainability and productive capacity of farms and ranches. Working with veterans is another way of growing the next generation of farmers. Thus, the project has been more than successful. The project recruited more veterans than previously estimated and provided them with agricultural training through training strategically located across Alabama; and the project provided targeted technical assistance and outreach training to expand production and access niche markets for specialty crops and small ruminant. Based on strong partnership, target audience support, and the various innovative training approaches including incubator and online resource development, this project has succeeded and will likely be self-sustaining after the expiry of the funding period.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The third year has seen an accelerated implementation progress. Even though participants were still cautious about the pandemic during the past few years, they were generally very receptive of the project's efforts and overall goal and objectives. Tthe approach to training and supporting our veterans and their families remains the same, involved training workshops, group meetings, farm field days, on-farm demonstrations, farmer-to-farmer mentoring,farm or home visits, andone-on-one consultations and/or mentoring sessions to strengthen classroom or workshop discussions, clarify concepts, and bolster overall understanding. Over the project period (2023-2024) and in collaboration with key partners - Tri-State Rabbit Growers Association, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, National Crop Insurance Services, National Center for Appropriate Technology, Alabama State Association of Cooperatives,and Alabama Cooperative Extension System - the project held 74 training workshops and seminars, monthly and regular group meetings throughout the state of Alabama and neighboring states of Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia. One hundred and fifty-nine (159) socially disadvantaged farmers, the majority of whom were veterans and their families. One hundred seventeen (117) small veterans agribusiness entrepreneurs have received intensive training that remains key to the profitability and sustainability of their farms and businesses. A total of two hundred and fifty-seven (257) aspiring or new beginning farmers who are veterans have received one-on-one counseling and mentoring advice through farm/home visits by project personnel. Over 1,779 veterans and their families have been contacted through general outreach through conferences, workshops, radio, newsletters, social media, online and telephone communications, and more. Ninety-two (92) interns have received training in organic farming and urban agriculture. Alabama Agricultural A+ Marketing Association and Tri-State Rabbit Growers Associations enrolled 67 veterans who are beginning farmers interested in meat goats, sheep, rabbits and pastured poultry. Fifty-two(52) additional aspiring farmers and producers who happen to be veterans or veteran family members received hands-on training during the period in areas of farm financial planning, marketing and value- added agriculture, and business planning. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama State Association of Cooperatives, and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives have trained 107 veterans and their families in areas of fruits and vegetable production, emphasizing how to add value to farm products, ethnic herbs, fruits and vegetables. Direct marketing to consumers and institutions were areas also emphasized. The project team developed a curriculum focused on (1) Land Acquisition and Tenure, (2) Production Practices and Management, (3) Business Planning and Financial Management, (4) Market and Marketing, and (5) Capital and Access to Capital. TheInstitute developed and implemented a well-rounded, but flexible program. This veterans project was strategically developed and executed to assist veteran beginning farmers and families on how to start farming (crop production and livestock), financial avenues and resources available, profitable and emerging enterprises, and hands-on and research-based information from specialist, experts, and fellow farmers. The project and its partners held short courses, training workshops, farm field days, seminars, and one-on-one consultation with veteran farmers and landowners, including community leaders and grass-root organizations interested in agriculture. Training Programs Series included (1) Business Planning and Financial Management; (2) Business Development and Financial Management training courses consisted of the following: Business Plan Development, Business Economics and Marketing, Financing Farm: Access to Capital, Access to Capital and Other Programs Available, andAlabama Farm Credit; (3) Market and Marketing Planning Training courses consisted of the following: New Cottage Food Law, Direct Marketing Alternatives, Branding Using Social Media and Market Marker; (4) Production Management Practices Training courses consisted of the following: How to Get Started: Farmer Perspective, Sustainable Agriculture, Niche Markets, Water Catchment System, Hydroponic System, Soil Management/Nutrition, Crop Rotation as an IPM Tool, OMRI (Organic) Pesticides and Pesticide and Veggie Garden Organic Production; and (5) Small Ruminants Training course consisted of the following; Goat, Sheep, and Rabbit production on Healthcare/Wellness, Production, Breeding, Housing, and Marketing. Partners worked closely with the Institute and with the entireproject team in developing a curriculum on fruit and vegetable production. The team worked closely with aspiring veteran beginning farmers to assist with hands-on agribusiness planning, exposure to traditional sustainable and organic farming methods and emerging sustainable technologies and strategies. The project provided interns (veterans family members) experience to work the farm and receive hands-on instruction in production and marketing of small-scale organic vegetable production. The project has provided mentorship for new and upcoming veteran farmers, once the internship is completed. Agricultural activities include opportunities to visit other local producers and close relationships from a farmer's perspective in starting a farm. Hands-on demonstrations, training workshops and seminars conducted or held: (1) High Tunnel Learning Network (series); (2) Keeping Bees; (3) Organic Weed management/ Irrigation; (4) Fall Crop Production; (5) Cover Cropping Winter Production; (6) Quick-Book Training; (7) Farm to Table Dinners; (8) Value-Added Products (Cheese Making, Lotion and Soap, Mushroom Foraging Workshop); (9) Community Supported Agriculture; and (10) Farm Field Days. The following are some of thecomments from veteran participants concerning topics they feel can apply immediately to their farm operations and that must be emphasized in the training; Taxes, Record Keeping, Composting, USDA programs available, Keeping good records, Know who to contact, farm number, loan availability, how to get an high tunnel, Cooperatives are easier than working alone, Contact Forestry Dept. and Develop networks to assist veterans with start-up farm or business projects.This assessment and expression of need provideadditional opportunities to work with and assist veterans and their families regarding agricultural opportunities. Overall, this project is successful, and its success owes a lot to the effective collaboration and partnership arrangements this project has enjoyed. Thus, the foregoing milestones have been reached through effective partnerships and close collaboration with key partners including the Tri-State Rabbit Growers Association, Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama Farmers Market Authority, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Alabama State Association of Cooperatives, National Crop Insurance Service, the National Center for Appropriate Technology, USDA Agencies (NRCS, FSA, RMA, AMS and Rural Development), Alabama Agricultural A+ Marketing Association, and other local community-based organizations. Call for Need for More Educational Programming:The majority of the veterans participants and their families expressed more interestin visiting more farmers (veteran farmers) to learn more abouttechniques on farms and different soil. They expressed interest in direct marketing, value-added agriculture, and climate-smart technologies. Veteranparticipants and their families called formore hands-on demonstrations at workshops and conferences. Again, this comment reinforces the need for more experiential learning activities for our veterans and their families.

Publications

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

Outputs
Target Audience:This project targets veterans and their families in Alabama's Black Belt region, paying special attention to those currently serving in the Reserves and National Guard and who are interested in farming and rural entrepreneurship. As previously indicated in this and previous reports, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs reports that Alabama is home to 377,310 military veterans (va.gov/vetdata), about 10% of the adult population. Alabama veterans and their families live throughout the state of Alabama with the majority concentrated around military bases. Madison County, home to Redstone Arsenal, has a veteran population of 17-19%. Dale and Coffee counties also have a veterans' population of 17-19%. Henry and Geneva counties which surround Fort Rucker, report 13-15% of their residents are veterans. Baldwin, Autauga, Mobile, Elmore, Russell, Calhoun and Limestone, and Montgomery counties also reportt high concentrations of veteran population. Thus, the project's focus will be on counties with the greatest number of veterans and their families. Except for Madison County, the rest of the counties with significant numbers of veterans are a part of the Blackbelt region which extends from parts of Georgia through Alabama to Mississippi. This is a region comprising strike force or persistent poverty counties. The counties are predominantly rural, poor, and technologically underserved. Communities in the region face health problems generally associated with historically underserved regions. A high percentage of older citizens make health care for the elderly a challenge. The target audience consists of returning military veterans and minority populations with needs unique to their environment. Through aggressive project promotion, we will identify these prospective participants and develop targeted support, mentoring and technical assistance strategies to serve at least +375 veterans and their families over three years. We are close to reaching this target in terms of the number of veterans and their families receiving information from this project. Changes/Problems:The major challenge has been the COVID-19 pandemic which delayed the effective start and implementation of this project. We will most likely seek no-cost extension of the project after the 36-month period. The second problem observed is nurturing of a new cadre of veterans and their families start to finish given the limited funding resources requested in the project. For many of the veterans and veterans' families, weworkwith them so closely that it impactsour overall effectiveness and ability or capacity to reach land serve/assist increased numbersof other veterans. For some veterans and their families, and during mentorship sessions, we discussand review every detail, including the process and expectation of working with USDA agencies and programs. Many veteran producers and their families appreciatethispersonable mentorship and constant interaction. However, this impeds the project team's ability and effortsto reach more veterans and families in the target area and beyond. We are, however, proud of the work up to this point. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has increased veterans and their families' knowledge of and participation in USDA programs, improved participants' farm production, management, marketing, and improved their computer skills. Participating veterans and families have seen increased revenues from value-added products. There also is enhanced networking among veterans for peer-to-peer learning for cooperative production and marketing of agricultural products. The project has increased and continues to increase veteran farmers' access to USDA's farm loans which substantially assisted most of them acquire land, expand their operations, and increased their farm profitability. Veterans and their families participated in Estate planning, financial management, and whole farm planning workshops. Most of them state that they have seen an increase in farm profits because of the services and assistance provided by this project. Many of the participants continue to indicate they are ready to start their own businesses and farms and that the training has been very beneficial. This project has helped many veterans and their families in Alabama overcome an increased number of problems. Most of them usually express concern over several challenges that confront them in their farming business. Some of the commonly cited challenges include lack of or limited access to capital, markets, land, training, and overall technical assistance; ineffective or obsolete farming techniques; lack of education and/or experience in management and marketing; language barriers and cultural differences; and inability to access federal programs and services. These are some of the same challenges that confront many of the small, limited resource and socially disadvantaged beginning farmers and ranchers throughout the country. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Over 1,500 veterans and families have been contacted and/or received information through general outreach (radio, newsletters, social media, online and telephone communications). Several of the training modules, fact sheets and resource materials developed and disseminated to producers. Many of these materials have been translated into the Spanish language for the increasing Hispanic population in Alabama. These materials can also be accessed through our web portal at www.ruralsouthinstitute.com. Presentations have been made at annual meetings across the country, project directors' meetings and other forums. Some of these materials have been shared with the Southern Risk Management Education Center at the University Arkansas in Little Rock and by the National Library maintained by the Farm Financial Management Center at the University of Minnesota. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In 2023/24, we plan to continue to recruit and train veterans and their families. Emphasis will be on mentorship and hands-on training for experiential learning. Hands on demonstrations and farm field days will be emphasized.We have just entered the final year of the project. However, there's still much to be done to assist our veterans and their families. It is our hope that USDA-NIFA-AgVets will continue to support the Institute's outreach efforts. We started the project implementation at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak. As a result, we were not able to effectively implement the project at that time. We are likely to see a no cost extension to ensure that all the objectives are appropriately implemented. We hasten to add that emphasis in this project was placed on hands-on or experiential training which involves farmer-to-farmer mentoring, on-farm demonstration, farm field days and one-on-one consultation. This was intentional to make sure that veterans graduates of this project have the capacity to operate their own farm businesses. The project is focusing on the project's long-term goal to grow the number of veteran farmers and entrepreneurs who will use the experience, skills and land stewardship to improve and enhance sustainability and productive capacity of farms. Some of these activities in farming or agriculture are therapeutic to many veterans as they return from military duties domestically or overseas and re-integrate themselves into civilian lives. Based on the strong partnerships, target audience support, and the various innovative training approaches, this project will likely be self-sustaining after the expiration of funding period.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Despite the rough start of the project due to COVID-19 pandemic, the project has been more than successful in achieving the goal and its objectives. The approach to training veterans and their families involves training workshops, group meetings, farm field days, on-farm demonstrations, farmer-to-farmer mentoring, and farm or home visits for one-on-one consultations and/or mentoring to strengthen overall understanding. Since 2021 and in collaboration with key partners - Tri-State Rabbit Growers Association, Alabama Farmers Market Authority, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, National Crop Insurance Service, National Center for Appropriate Technology, Alabama Cooperative Extension System - the project held 56 training workshops and seminars, monthly and regular group meetings throughout the target area in Alabama. We also have had attendance by veteran farmers and families from neighboring states of Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia. Two hundred twenty-five (225) veteran farmers and families, and one hundred seventeen (117) veteran-owned small agribusiness entrepreneurs have received intensive training that remains key to the profitability and sustainability of their farms and business operations. A total of one hundred and nine (109) veterans and families have received one-on-one counseling and mentoring advice through farm/home visits by project personnel. Over 1,500 veterans and families have been contacted through general outreach (conference, radio, newsletters, social media, online and telephone communications). Ninety-three (93) veterans and families have been trained at Rosita's Farm in organic production. Thirty-seven (37) interns have been trained by other partners, also in organic production. Alabama Agricultural A+ Marketing Association and Tri-State Rabbit Growers Associations enrolled 68 veteran farmers interested in meat goats, sheep, rabbits and pastured poultry. One hundred and seven (107) additional aspiring veteran farmers and families went through hands-on training in areas of farm financial planning, marketing and value- added agriculture, and business planning. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System, National Center for Appropriate Technology, and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives have trained 89 veteran farmers and families in areas of fruits and vegetable production, emphasizing adding value, ethnic herbs, fruits and vegetables. The Institute and partners has developed a curriculum focused on, land tenure, production practices and management, business planning and farm financial management, market and marketing education, and capital and access to capital. The Institute has developed and implemented a well-rounded, but flexible program. This collaborative project is strategically developed and executed to assist veteran farmers and families on how to start farming (crop production and livestock), financial avenues and resources available, profitable and emerging enterprises, and hands-on and research-based information from specialist, experts, and fellow farmers. The Institute and its partners have held short courses, training workshops, farm field days, seminars, and one-on-one consultation with veteran farmers and landowners, including community leaders and grass-root organizations interested in agriculture. The training program series in business planning and financial management; business development and financial management training courses consisted of the following: business plan Development, business economics and marketing, financing farm: access to capital and other wealth-creating programs available, and Alabama Farm Credit; market and marketing planning training courses consisted of the following: new cottage food law, direct marketing alternatives, branding using social media and market marker; food and farm safety; and production management practices training courses. How to Get Started: Farmer Perspective, Sustainable Agriculture, Niche Markets, Water Catchment System, Hydroponic System, Soil Management/Nutrition, Crop Rotation as an IPM Tool, OMRI (Organic) Pesticides and Pesticide and Veggie Garden Organic Production; and (5) Small Ruminants Training course consisted of the following; Goat, Sheep, and Rabbit production on Healthcare/Wellness, Production, Breeding, Housing, and Marketing are all areas that most veterans expressed interest in. We are working hard to make sure we provide adequate training and experiential training in these areas. Hands-On Demonstrations, Training Workshops and Seminars conducted included: High Tunnel Learning Network (series); Keeping Bees; Organic Weed management/ Irrigation; Fall Crop Production; Cover Cropping Winter Production; Quick-Book Training; Farm to Table Dinners; Value-Added Products (Cheese Making, Lotion and Soap, Mushroom Foraging Workshop); Community Supported Agriculture; and Farm Field Days for experiential learning. Overall, the success of this project owes a lot to the effective collaboration and partnership arrangements this project has enjoyed. Thus, the foregoing milestones have been reached through effective partnerships and close collaboration with key partners including the Tri-State Rabbit Growers Association, Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama Farmers Market Authority, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, National Crop Insurance Service, the National Center for Appropriate Technology, USDA Agencies (NRCS, FSA, RMA, NASS, AMS and Rural Development), Alabama Agricultural A+ Marketing Association, Alabama Farmers Market Authority, and other local community-based organizations.

Publications

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

Outputs
Target Audience:This project targets veterans and theirin Alabama's Black Belt region, paying special attention to those currently serving in the Reserves and National Guard and who are interested in farming and rural entrepreneurship. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs reports Alabama is home to 377,310 military veterans(va.gov/vetdata), about 10% of the adult population. Alabama veterans and their familieslive throughout the state of Alabama with the majority concentrated around military bases. Madison County,home to Redstone Arsenal, has a veteran population of 17-19%. Dale and Coffee counties also have a veterans'population of 17-19%. Henry and Geneva counties which surround Fort Rucker,report 13-15% of their residents are veterans. Baldwin, Autauga, Mobile, Elmore, Russell, Calhoun and Limestone, and Montgomery counties also report high concentrations of veteranpopulation. Thus, the project's focus will be on counties with the greatest number of veterans and their families. Except for Madison County, the rest of the counties with significant numbers of veteransare a part of the Blackbelt region which extends from parts of Georgia through Alabama to Mississippi. This is a region comprising strike force or persistent poverty counties. The counties are predominantly rural, poor, and technologically underserved. Communities in the region face health problems generally associated with historically underserved regions. A high percentage of older citizens make health care for the elderly a challenge. The target audience consists of returning military veteransand minority populations with needs unique to their environment. Through aggressive project promotion, we will identify these prospective participants and develop targeted support, mentoring and technical assistance strategies to serve at least +375 veterans and their familiesover three years. We are close to reaching this target in terms of the number of veterans and their families receiving information from this project. Changes/Problems:The target audience faces many needs and challenges to succeed in business. Most of them expressed concern over the many needs and challenges that confront them and lamented the government's piecemeal approach to outreach and technical assistance. The major problem that hampered the timely implementation of the project during the first yearof the project was COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic did not only delay the effective start of project implementation, but it also substantially slowed down the speed of project implementation. As the pandemic abates, we expect to accelerate the implementation momentum. The lack of or limited availability of broadband or highspeed Internet among the target communities did not help either as most of the target audience was not able to take advantage of the programming though zoom or electronic media. The second problem was the sudden departure of the key outreach specialist and a volunteer who have been difficult to replace, and partly explain the late submission of this report. These individuals left for greener pastures in early January and February, respectively. We are aggressively looking for replacement. We are also looking for additional help to make up the ground lost in the first six months of the project. Concluding Remarks: During the reporting period, the Institute provided outreach and technical assistance to socially disadvantaged groups and farmers in underserved communities. The Institute collaborated with USDA Farm Service Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Services, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alcorn State University, Tuskegee University and Fort Valley University along with other non-profit organization was able to host virtual educational programs during the reporting period because of COVID-19 pandemic. The Institute introduced 85 socially disadvantaged, limited resource, veteran farmers on various issues NRCS programs, access to capital, USDA Farm Service Agency, funding opportunities and land loss prevention. The Institute assisted seven participants in applying for funding for hoop houses and in registering for the EQUIP program. In addition, the Institute assisted three Veterans and veteran groupsin pursuing funding opportunities by assisting with the grant writing process (value-added producer grants).Thirty-seven (37)veterans and minority producers participated in food safety education training program and received Produce Safety Alliance Growers Certification for completion. This certificate allows these veterans and farmers access to additional market as they inform their customer base that they are certified, making their farms more profitable. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Based on verifiable evidence and documentation, this project has increased veteran farmers awareness of and participation in USDA programs, beginning to improve participants' farm production, management, marketing, and improved their computer skills. The pandemic was a major setback as the project started. There is increased enthusiasm and interest among veterans for this project. There also is enhanced networking among veterans and veteran groups for peer-to-peer learning for cooperative production and marketing of agricultural products. Increased numbers of veterans have inquired and are accessing USDA's farm loans which have substantially assisted most of them acquire land, expand their operations, and increased their farm profitability. This project is helping veterans and their families become aware of the opportunities that exist in farming. The project is also helping veterans and their families in Alabama overcome increased numbers of problems and barriers to accessing government programs and other opportunities to be successful in farming. The majority of the project's target audience usually expresses concern over a number of challenges that confront them in their farming business. Some of the commonly cited challenges include lack of or limited access to capital, markets, land, training, and overall technical assistance; ineffective or obsolete farming techniques; lack of education and/or experience in management and marketing; language barriers and cultural differences; and inability to access federal programs and services. These are some of the same challenges that confront many of the small, limited resources and minorityfarmers throughout the country. Overall, this project continues to be a success story in its first year. Several veterans have already benefited from it. Many more are now aware of the many USDA programs and services. The Institute promises to sustain the training and outreach momentum initiated in the first year by this project. The Institute and its partners will continue to disseminate information to all participants through newsletters, fact sheets, social media, flyers, group meetings and annual conferences. More importantly, the project continues to train producers and help veterans and their families increase their farm businesses' profitability. The Institute is extremely appreciative of USDA-NIFA-AGVETs financial support of the Institute's outreach training, education and technical assistance efforts which continue to benefit a large number of veterans, veteran group and family members throughout Alabama, especially in the Black Belt region. Listed below are some of the comments received from participants during our in person as well as virtual meetings: (1) Enjoyed the Cooperative Marketing Vs. Direct Marketing class, (2) Excellent Business Plan Development course! (3) Excellent Information given from the Access to Capital course! (4) Excellent job, every workshop I have attended; I have learned something new, (5) Great presentation! (6) I learned a lot! Great Crop Rotation as IPM Tool session! (7) Knowledge was great and well presented, possible grant writing class! and (8) Really enjoyed the program/workshop. Taking away several great points! Please keep me updated with information. Most participants suggested the need for more training involving knowledgeable presenters and resource speakers on the current programs and USDA programs and services available. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Over 240 veteran farmers andveteran groupshave been contacted and/or received information through general outreach (radio, newsletters, social media, online and telephone communications). A number of the training modules, fact sheets and resource materials developed or translated in this project can be accessed through our web portal at www.ruralsouthinstitute.com. Presentations have been made at the AGVETs Project Directors Meetings in 2021 as the project was announced by the USDA. A poster was presented at the 2022 National Extension Risk Management. Some of these materials will be uploaded and shared with the AGVETs Program soon. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Much has been accomplished during this reporting period and the first year. However, there's still much to be done in the second and third years to assist veteran farmers and their families. The next and final reporting period will see increased training and outreach effort in assisting veteran producers. Emphasis will also be placed on hands-on or experiential training which involves farmer-to-farmer mentoring, on-farm demonstration, farm field days and one-on-one consultation. The project, its team and collaborating partners will keep focused on the project's long-term goal to grow the number of veteran farmersand entrepreneurs who will use the experience, skills and land stewardship to improve and enhance sustainability and productive capacity of veteran farms in Alabama's Black Belt region. Thus, in the next reporting period, the project will continue to (1) recruit veterans and their familiesand provide them agricultural training and education via group meetings, training workshops, and demonstration farmsstrategically located across the Black Belt in Alabama; 2) continue to expand and enhance the web-based resource center developing and implementing effective training programs and disseminating educational materials; (3) continue to strengthen the veteran farmer training and education throughmentoring, field days, on-farm demonstrations, entrepreneurship and business training,and otherprograms; and (4) continue to provide targeted technical assistance and outreach training to expand production and access niche markets for specialty crops and small ruminant. Based on strong partnership, veteran groupsupport, and the innovative training approach including online resource development, this project will be self-sustaining.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project was funded in 2021 when COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak which slowed down the effective implementation of the project. The pandemic adversely affected the start and effective implementation of the project in 2021 and during the first quarter of 2022. Consistent with CDC's and Governor Ivey's COVID-19 mandate, the Rural South Institute (the Institute) put in place travel restrictions within and outside the state. The Institute was and still is aware of the now abating health crisis due to the pandemic and how fluid it can be. Most of the education and training programming was delivered through virtual or zoom platforms. The Institute has continued to assist veterans and veteran groups and deliver agricultural, financial education and entrepreneurship training virtually via the platform ZOOM and is slowly and cautiously transitioning to in-person training. The Institute is prioritizing the safety, health, and well-being of participants and project personnel by following all the guidelines and safety protocols issued by public health officials and the government (both state and federal government). Everybody was working remotely throughout the 2021 funding year, and the programing was largely delivered virtually with limited in-person training events. This was a major challenge to project personnel and for the target audience because of their limited access to broadband Internet. The Institute maintains strong connections and collaborative links with many local partners and community-based organizations that assist in providing outreach and technical assistance to the veterans which are our target audience in this project. Through these partners and over the past twelve months, this project conducted several virtual workshops and group meetings covering a wide range of topics including government programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, entrepreneurship, business planning and record keeping, capital acquisition, financial management, whole-farm planning, marketing education, value-added agriculture, farm diversification and alternative enterprises, risk and risk management education, and many more.Even with these challenges, the Institute is proud of what it has accomplished during the reporting period through this project. It has assisted many military veterans and their families and agribusiness entrepreneurs in the Black Belt region. The holistic approach to education and training adopted in this project during the reporting period continues to be one that involves training workshops, group meetings, farm field days, on-farm demonstrations, farmer-to-farmer mentoring, and farm or home visits for one-on-one consultations and/or mentoring to strengthen overall understanding. This project has conducted several workshops and group meetings covering a wide range of topics including government programs and services administered or offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, business planning and record keeping, capital acquisition, farm financial management, whole-farm planning, niche markets and marketing education, value-added agriculture, farm diversification and alternative enterprises, risk, and risk management education, and many more. The Institute is proud of what it has accomplished during the reporting period through this project. It has assisted many military veterans and their families and agribusiness entrepreneurs in the Black Belt region as is shown below. As previously noted, COVID-19 pandemic was at its height when this project was approved for funding. The Institute struggled to retool its implementation programming. In collaboration with other local organizations and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System continued to assist veterans, their families,veteran groups, and other farmers of color through the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Coalition. The Coalition comprised a number of organizations and institutions includingthe Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Auburn, Tuskegee, and Alabama A&M Universities), the Rural South Institute, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Tuskegee, Fort Valley State, and Alcorn State Universities, and USDA agencies (NRCS, FSA, Rural Development, etc.). Through this collaborative effort, the Institute successfully navigated and weathered the pandemic storm and was able to begin the effective implementation of this project to work with veterans and their families remotely or virtually, addressing their concerns and problems in the Black Belt region. However, the one problem that we faced was the lack of access to broadband or high-speed Internet for most groups and farmers in the Black Belt area, which seemed to exclude many veterans from essential services. This lack of broadband or Internet connectivity significantly affected and stifled the onset of effective project implementation. At some of the virtual meetings, many veterans and minority farmers lamented not receiving information on time. They queried USDA officials (NRCS and FSA) and demanded to know how many minority farmers in the Black Belt were being underserved with USDA sending out information only electronically when most minority farmers may not have access to broadband Internet. In any event, the Institute and the project team continued to work from home during the reporting period, and temporarily halted face-to-face meetings. We were available virtually through webinars (zoom meetings), e-mail and by way of phone calls. Priority Areas Addressed During Reporting Period Assist veteran farmers access capital and USDA loans usedin owning and operating successful farms and ranches. Improve participation among veterans and veteran groups or farmers in UDSA programs and services. Build relationships between emerging veterans and current veteran farmers and USDA's local offices. Introduced agriculture-related information to veteran farmers through innovative training and technical assistance techniques. Introduced agricultural education targeting veterans and their families in persistent poverty communities in Alabama'sBlack Belt region. The focus was on providing awareness of opportunities in agriculture and resources to succeed in farming. Fact Sheets Developed and Distributed Elements and Basics of Business Planning Advertising Online Youth Entrepreneurship Education Farm Business Record Keeping Financial Records and Farm Business Management Financing Alternatives - Debt versus Equity Successful Farm Produce Marketing Managing Legal Risk Marketing and Planning Risk Overview Production Risk Risk in Agriculture The project worked with partners, collaborators, and veterangroups who assisted in hosting virual or in-person programs. The project fully retooled and re-developed the program, mailed out materials, and partnered with other local organizations to host programs and provide outreach and technical assistance where possible. Through this outreach approach, many veterans and veteran groups, especially underserved individuals, appreciated the virtual interaction and networking with fellow veteran farmers and being informed on programs and services available. The project contacted veteran organization and set up zoom meetings to address veteran farmers' issues and concerns. Finally, the project made phone calls almost daily to check on groups and farmers and listened to their needs. The project disseminated information and educational materials to promote the project, inform veterans and veteran groups, especially those without access to the Internet, and solicit their participation in programs and services administered by the US Department of Agriculture.

Publications