Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience:The project targeted African-Americans and other underserved populations in chronically and economically depressed communities of Alabama and neighboring counties in the states of Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi; Native Americans (Porch Creek, Echota Cherokee Tribe and the Cherokee Tribe of North East Alabama); Hispanic Americans and; urban and peri-urban producers; small ruminants (sheep, goats and rabbit) producers; sustainable and organic producers; and other immigrant producers and transitioning farmers and workers from Alabama's 32 economically depressed counties with low farm productivity and underserved by programs and services operated and administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Changes/Problems:The project did not encounter major challenges. Insuffienct resources and uncertainty with respect to future funding are the two problems that have been a major challenge to Alabama A&M University. As a result, it has usually been less clear whether the producers would continue to receive adequate support and assistance from the project and/or from Alabama A&M University. The third problem related to the general challenges of working with minority producers who may still be less accepting working with the government because of their past experience with USDA, especially the Farm Service Agency. This makes producer recruitment more difficult which eventually leads to lower producer participation in government program. The University has usually been very supportive in making there's some continuity of delivery of services to farmers and ranchers beyond the endo of project funding. By working with key partners, especially community-based organization and increasing education and outreach efforts, we have been able to recruit and increase the participation of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in USDA programs and services. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This projectassisted many farmers in Alabama.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 resource and socially disadvantagedfarmers and ranchers throughout the country. Marketing and market access is perhaps one of this project's major 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 Alabama Farmers Association, Alabama Sheep and Goat Producers Association, Grow Alabama, 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).The Small Farms Research Center at AAMU continues to look at several other ways to access markets in Nashville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Montgomery, and other cities. A number of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers benefited from this project. Many more are now aware of the many USDA programs and services.As a means to sustin the project beyond the funding period, AAMU will continue to disseminate information to all participants through newsletters, fact sheets, social media, flyers, group meetings and annual conferences. AAMU and the Small Farms Research Center are extremely appreciative of USDA-NIFA financial support of AAMU's outreach training and technical assistance efforts which continues to benefit a large number of socially disadvantaged farmers ad ranchers in Alabama. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Over 3,000 socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers receive received information through general outreach (radio, newsletters, social media, online and telephone communications). A number of the training modules, fact sheets and resource materials developedin this project can be accessed through our web portal at www.aamu.edu/smallfarmscenter. Presentations have been made at Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group annual meetings, National Extension Risk Management and Women in Agriculture meetings,Project Directors Meeting and 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. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System, especially county offices, also provided tremendous amount of assistance in disseminating materials and information generated in and by this project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project was a major success. The approach to outreach was holistic in nature which comprised of training workshops, group meetings, farm field days, on-farm demonstration, farm/home visits, and one-on-one consultations to strengthen training. The project provided training and technical assistance to a total of 478 socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in Alabama. Italso delivered outreach services and disseminated information to a diverse group of over 3,000 socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (African Americans, Native Americans, Asians, and Hispanic Americans) from Alabama's 32 economically depressed counties with low farm productivity and underserved by USDA programs. The Small Farms Research Center at AAMU and 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. The project was strategically developed and executed to assist minorities and underserved producers and individuals 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. This project 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. Over the three-year period and through carefully planned and targeted training workshops, monthly and regular group meetings, a total of 478 socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and 23 small rural business entrepreneurs and nine (9) agricultural cooperatives and associationsreceived training from this project. A total of 111 socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers received one-on-one counseling and mentoring advice through farm/home visits by project personnel. Over 3,000 socially disdavnatged farmers and ranchers were 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.aamu.edu/smallfarmscenter. This projecthelped to increase producer participation in USDA programs, improved participants' farm production, management, marketing, and improved their computer skills. Socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers increased their farms' revenues from value-added products. There also was enhanced networking among socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers for peer-to-peer learning for cooperative production and marketing of agricultural products. The project also saw increased numbers of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers 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. Verifiable evidence showed that participants increased their farm profits by an average of 7.58 percent as a result of the services and assistance provided by this project. AAMU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Echota Cherokee Indian Tribe in Alabama. This MOU will allow the Tribe of about 30,000 to continue to receive technical assistance from AAMU. This project proved very useful in accelerating the momentum to effectively assist the Echota Cherokee Tribe. The Echota Cherokee Tribe is very appreciative of the assistance received from AAMU-SFRC through this project. Overall, this projecthelped increased numbers of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in Alabama overcome increased numbers of farming problems. 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 resource and SDFRs throughout the country. We remain grateful to NIFA for funding and supporting outreach and technical assistance activities in Alabama and at Alabama A&M University.
Publications
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