Progress 07/15/24 to 04/25/25

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems:This project was officially terminated on April 25, 2025, before the end of the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The 82nd PAWC provided a wealth of training to the targeted audience. Over 250 presentations were made, and two fielddemonstrations were conducted for beginning farmers. The participants were able to select from the 36 sessions and receive training regarding a variety of scientific and outreach topics. Participants were also given the opportunity to visit with our 30 exhibitors. Our exhibitors provided information on each of the USDA agencies, 1890 Extension Programs, etc How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This project was terminated prior to its end date. However, the results and highlights from the conference will be disseminated via a newsletter to participants who registered for the conference and in our marketing activities for the 83rdProfessional Agricultural Workers Conference in November 2025.Information will also be disseminated via our Professional Agricultural Workers Journal.Each year, we select a limited number of high-quality presentations to be converted into peer-reviewed journal articles. These articles are featured in our conference journal. As mentioned, this project was terminated prior to the end date and before the articles were selected and published in the online journal.We are anticipating that the articles will be published before November 2025. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The 82nd Professional Agricultural Workers Conference was held on November 17-19, 2024. This grant was terminated on April 25, 2025, during the project closeout period. In terms of providing a forum for exchanging cutting-edge knowledge and information,enhancing farmers' understanding of USDA programs, and facilitating partnerships and network opportunities, wecompleted each of theconference objectives. The theme for the 82nd PAWC was Global Stewardship: Addressing Climate and Sustainability Challenges for Food Security. The number of participants exceeded that of the previous Professional Agricultural Workers Conferences. Over 625 participants were registered for the conference. Of this number, 225 participants were farmers, ranchers, or agri-entrepreneurs. In developing the training for the conference, the PAWC planning committeereleased a call for papers/proposals for the 82nd PAWC. This call for papers/proposals resulted in the submission of over 300 abstracts for both oral and poster presentations. We received abstracts for both scientific papers and outreach programs. We also received abstracts for workshops, round-table discussions, and panel discussions. Based on the call for proposals, 250 abstractswere selected for either oral, poster, workshop, round-table discussions, or panel discussions. The presentations were divided into 36 sessions over the three-day period. Listed below are some of the session topics: • Crop Insurance and Risk Management for Small Farmers • USDA - Agricultural Marketing Service • Boots on the Ground: The Heirs' Property Practitioner Network • Meat and Poultry Processing for Small Farmers • Fostering Entrepreneurship in Rural and Urban Communities • Leveraging Training Opportunities to Amplify Technical Assistance for Farmers • Research in Plant and Soil Science • The Importance of Cooperative Farming in Action in Atlanta • Could a Programmable Plant Science Work for You as a Grower, Farmer, and Urban Gardener, or Researcher: Introduction to Smart Plant Technology • Mobile Harvest Unit Demonstration • Financing Your Small Farm • Special Presentations by USDA APHIS • USDA - NRCS in your STATE • USDA Programs- How Can I Participate? Participants were able to receive information from faculty, staff, and extension workers from each of the participating states. Additionally, there were over 30 exhibit booths at the conference. The following organizations disseminated information on their programs and projects via the exhibit hall: • Virginia State University Small Farm Outreach Program • Tuskegee University Small Farm Outreach Program • Tuskegee University Meat and Poultry and Processing Technical Assistance Program • Alcorn Small Farm Policy Center • Alabama Ag Credit • USDA - NRCs • USDA - APHIS • USDA -NASS • USDA - ERS • and others

Publications

Progress 07/15/24 to 04/25/25

Outputs
Target Audience:The 82nd Professional Agricultural Workers Conference was held on November 17-19, 2024, in Montgomery, AL, at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa. The Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (PAWC) is a forum committed to a world that values and promotes equal opportunityand equitable access to information and technology for the sustainable development of communities and natural resources. The conference began in 1942, primarilywith the support and participation of Tuskegee University, as well aslocal and state organizations. It is now national in scope, including representatives from the national land-grant community, aswell asstate, federal, private, and community-based organization sectors. The targeted audience for the 82ndPAWC included faculty, staff, and students from each of the land-grant universities.In addition, the targeted audience included small, limited-resource farmers and ranchers, veterans, agri-entrepreneurs from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, Texas, Texas, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Louisiana. Our targeted audience during this reporting period also includes the following government and state agencies: USDA - NIFA, USDA- Rural Development, USDA- Economic Research Service, USDA- APHIS, USDA- NASS, USDA-NRCS, USDA - Forest Service, and Alabama Ag Credit.We also targeted non-profits and community-based organizations that work with small farmers, business owners, veteran business owners, food entrepreneurs, and cooperatives. The Professional Agricultural Conference is an annual conference that is important to the land-grant universities. It provides an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to showcase their outreach and research activities. This conference is designed for anyone associated with the agricultural industry. Changes/Problems:The conference was held on November 17-19, 2025. The only issue we encountered was the increase in the number of participants. We did not anticipate exceeding our numbers by over 175 participants. The increase in the number of participants did not alter the program or the conference's outcome. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The 82nd PAWC provided a wealth of training to the targeted audience. Over 250 presentations were made, and two field demonstrations were conducted for beginning farmers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The 82nd Professional Agricultural Workers Conference was held on November 17-19, 2024, in Montgomery, Alabama, at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa. The theme for the 82nd PAWC was Global Stewardship: Addressing Climate and Sustainability Challenges for Food Security. The number of participants exceeded that of the previous Professional Agricultural Workers Conferences. Over 625 participants were registered for the conference. Of this number, 225 participants were farmers, ranchers, or agri-entrepreneurs. The 82nd PAWC had three distinct objectives. The first objective focused on providing a forum for exchanging cutting-edge knowledge and information related to marketing, financial planning, production, local and regional food systems, farm entry, heir property, succession, and business planning. The conference achieved this objective by offering thirty-six sessions over the three-day period. This included 250 oral and poster presentations, as well as five keynote presentations. Listed below are some of the session topics: Crop Insurance and Risk Management for Small Farmers USDA - Agricultural Marketing Service Boots on the Ground: The Heirs' Property Practitioner Network Meat and Poultry Processing for Small Farmers Fostering Entrepreneurship in Rural and Urban Communities Leveraging Training Opportunities to Amplify Technical Assistance for Farmers Research in Plant and Soil Science The Importance of Cooperative Farming in Action in Atlanta Could a Programmable Plant Science Work for You as a Grower, Farmer, and Urban Gardener, or Researcher: Introduction to Smart Plant Technology Mobile Harvest Unit Demonstration Financing Your Small Farm Special Presentations by USDA APHIS USDA - NRCS in your STATE USDA Programs- How Can I Participate? Participants were able to receive informationfrom faculty, staff, and extension workers from each of the participating states. Additionally, there were over 30 exhibit booths at the conference. The following organizations disseminated information on their programs and projects via the exhibit hall: Virginia State University Small Farm Outreach Program Tuskegee University Small Farm Outreach Program Tuskegee University Meat and Poultry and Processing Technical Assistance Program Alcorn Small Farm Policy Center Alabama Ag Credit USDA - NRCs USDA - APHIS USDA -NASS USDA - ERS and others

Publications