Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
This project targets Socially Disadvantaged Producers (SDPs) in Eastern and Southern Arkansas. The objectives of the project are: (1)To conduct a Beginners Farmers (BFs) Class, (2) To educate and assist Beginning Farmers (BFs) in developing business plans and obtaining USDA Loans, (3) To teach and help BFs use the Cooperative Extension Service (CES) production recommendations and the Arkansas Department of Agriculture (ADA), Forestry Division for forest management recommendations, (4) To help BFs improve their land by working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to implement climate-smart agriculture practices, and (5) To educate BF vegetable producers about marketing vegetables, marketing strategies, and using cold storage.The project outcomes are as follows: from the 75 individuals who graduated from the BFs Class, 15 will start farming, and 30 will file the paperwork to obtain USDA Farm Numbers for their operations. The staff will assist 144 BFs in developing farm business plans and 60 BFs will obtain $7.5 million in USDA Loans. Approximately 150 BFs will take soil tests for fertility recommendations, and 200 BFs will benefit significantly from using other CES recommendations. Twenty BFs who applied for conservation funding will receive $1.6 million to install climate-smart conservation practices. Seventy-five BFs will identify markets and sell their vegetables to vendors met at the UAPB vegetable marketing meetings.Approximately 22 percent of project funds are allocated to a community-based organization, and 100 percent of funds are allocated to SDPs. The project director is currently completing BFRDP Grant Award No.2020-49400-32322.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
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Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
This project aims to help Beginning SDPs develop into successful SDPs. The objectives are:Objective One: To provide a beginning farmer class that will provide participants education and hands-on training on different agricultural topics (farm business, soils, USDA Agencies, and the CES, pest control, food safety, high tunnels, and greenhouses, heirs' property, and farm safety).Objective Two: To educate and assist BFs in developing recordkeeping systems, developing farm business plans (long-term), and developing annual financial plans (short-term) for their records and for obtaining USDA loans (most BFs will have to use USDA Loans).Objective Three: To teach and help BFs use the CES for crop and livestock production recommendations and the Arkansas Department of Agriculture (ADA), Forestry Division's County Forester, to provide Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) conservation practices to their forest lands.Objective Four: To help BFs improve their land by working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to implement Climate Smart Agriculture Conservation Practices that increase the productive capacity of their land while reducing greenhouse gases and sequestering soil carbon.Objective Five: To educate vegetable growers who are Beginning Farmers on vegetable marketing, the importance of cold storage, and developing marketing strategies.
Project Methods
The plan for documenting outcomes, evaluations, data sharing, and reporting will start with a participant profile (questionnaire) to provide benchmark information on the participant's background. This will include obtaining knowledge on the participant's level of farm business planning, knowledge level of USDA Programs, knowledge level of the Cooperative Extension Service (production), knowledge level of conservation programs and practices, especially Climate-Smart Agriculture, and knowledge level of vegetable marketing, crop insurance, etc. This will be completed as individuals join the program. The information will help us develop specific plans for participants. This profile may be completed online, mailed to participants, or finished with the assistance of a UAPB agent. After analyzing the results of the profile, an annual survey will be conducted to determine if participants are obtaining the necessary education, knowledge, skills, and tools needed to (1) help individuals start farming, (2) help individuals in their first 10- years of farming be more successful, (3) are participants better off as a result of participating in the program, and (4) are participants taking actions to make their farms more successful? The survey will also ask participants to identify what actions were taken to help them make their decisions. This survey will be taken by participants online, provided by mail, or given to a participant by a UAPB Agent who may or may not help the participants with the survey. This survey will be conducted in years one and two in January, February, and March.To assist the staff in evaluating the services offered for BFs, a focus group meeting will be held at UAPB annually in January, February, or March. The services being offered will be addressed and evaluated. In addition, the likelihood of individuals starting farming and those with ten years or less of farming experience improving their success due to participating in the program will be addressed. A recorder will be used, and the meeting will be conducted by either the evaluator, the UAPB Staff, or both.