Progress 04/08/14 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:The workshop targeted small farmers and woodland owners in the mountainous counties of North Carolina. In the other workshop in Watauga County, we invited participants who have shown interested to establish their own ginseng patches. In North Hampton, Bertie and Hertford and the focal area under the Roanoke Electric (including Gates and Halifax) counties, the targeted audience for this regional workshop was small farmers and woodland owners. Changes/Problems:The issue of conducting applied research at the NCA&T State University, University farm was brought to the attention of the participants. The core objective is to assess the potential of growing ginseng using wide spacing, i.e., from 1.5ft to 3ft wide. Due to the possibility of plants in close spacing attracting fungi, insects and other pests, it was suggested to try such a demonstration and observe how wide spacing of ginseng will cut down the use of chemicals. Several members of the audience wanted to know if edible riparian buffers and silvopasture may be added in future workshops, especially in spring and summer. For the regional workshop in the Northeast, NC, the partners are planning to conduct stakeholder input sessions to assess their needs as related to sustainability of their family farms and woodlands. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Through the Society of American Foresters Annual Convention and The Annual Association of Natural Resources Extension Professionals How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Thirty six participants received a start-up package containing seeds and rootlets to take home and begin a ginseng patch on their family forests. Mr. Hayes emphasized that, "a ginseng dealer's permit is required for anyone who buys North Carolina ginseng roots, wild or cultivated, for resale, or who intends to sell roots out of state". The participants became familiar with the Plant Conservation Program that issues the permits annually. The dealer must follow state regulations on buying, record keeping and export certification. Any ginseng leaving the state must have an export certificate, issued by the local NCDA&CS Plant Protection Specialist. There is no fee for the dealer's permit or for export certification. One of the NCDA&CS Plant Protection Specialist was available for those participants who needed additional information. For the fifteen interested farmers that were invited to be engaged in the hands-on activity of land preparation, the broadcasting of ginseng seeds and the application of lime and phosphorus, their excitement in doing this exercise was vivid because each one wanted to gain experiential learning. For the exercise, each farmer was able to apply phosphorus and lime to their designated plots and then broadcasted the seeds by scattering them on the plot. The raked leaves were put back to cover the seeds from pests and conserve the moisture. The regional workshop in the Northeast, NC, that consisted of the following counties, North Hampton, Bertie and Hertford and the focal area under the Roanoke Electric (including Gates and Halifax) brought together a team of resource personnel: i) Alton Perry (Roanoke Electric-Project Consultant-Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention); ii) Michael Hughes (Hertford County Forest Ranger); iii) Ronald Garrett (USDA-NRCS-Hertford County); iv) Anass Mbanna (Hertford County Agriculture Extension agent) and v) Dr. Joshua Idassi (NCAT -Natural Resources Specialist). Dr. Idassi encouraged the audience to read the provided educational materials so that they can get knowledge and begin to adopt some agroforestry practices relevant to their region. Thirty two participants attended the workshop and head from Mr. Alton Perry, Roanoke Electric, Consultant-Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Project. Mr. Perry indicated that the objective of his project is to demonstrate that coordinated sustainable forest management planning and marketing can help African American landowners retain their lands, generate income, and maintain healthy, productive forests for generations. He told the participants that services that they will receive include: forest management plans, state and federal cost share programs, forest product marketing assistance, reforestation and restoration and other issues, such as, clearing title with heirs property and North Carolina Present Use Tax Program (for Forestry, agriculture and horticulture). The participants were also informed about the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Continuous Sign-Up. CRP participants plant long-term, resource-conserving covers to improve the quality of water and air, control soil erosion and enhance wildlife habitat. In return, the USDA- Farm Service Agency provides participants with rental payments and cost share assistance. Participants were also informed about the availability of a program that can assist them to get season extension high tunnels for organic production of vegetables. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In past two years (2013 and 2014) limited resources small farmers and woodland owners in North Carolina showed significant interest in seeking alternative practices that will enhance their income opportunities. According to the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in 2012, the buying and exporting of wild-collected ginseng brought in over three million dollars per year to North Carolina, with over 5000 collectors of the native plant receiving $500-$1000 or more per pound of dried wild-collected roots. The collectors sell to the over 40 registered ginseng dealers in the state, who in turn export the majority of the ginseng to Hong Kong and Singapore. From the enormous inflow of inquiries concerning the production of ginseng in Watauga County and the surrounding mountainous region, Dr. Joshua Idassi, Natural Resources Specialist for NCA&T, Cooperative Extension sponsored and organized a workshop in collaboration with the Watauga County Extension Office to explore the potential opportunities of producing ginseng (the mountain gold of NC). Forty four people registered for the workshop. Dr Idassi using the Agroforestry manual: Profitable Farms and Woodlands, showed the audience chapters they can read to begin educating themselves about agroforestry. He emphasized that, especially, for that evening we were concentrating on one chapter, forest farming. Dr. Jeanine Davis informed the audience that as wild ginseng gets increasingly hard to find in the natural forests, many North Carolinians grow their own. Ginseng may be cultivated in beds with artificial shade, selling for far less than wild roots but producing larger crops much faster. "Woods grown" and "wild-simulated" ginseng, grown in woods with little or no tending, take more years to harvest size but fetch prices approaching those of truly wild roots. In another outdoor hands-on demonstration this fall, Mr. Richard Boylan, the County Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources conducted a workshop on hands- on in: i) land preparation for planting, ii) broadcasting seeds and fertilization; and iii) care and maintenance. About fifteen farmers who are planning to establish their first ginseng plot were invited to take part. In the Northeast, small farmers and woodland owners in North Hampton, Bertie and Hertford have been asking our County Agriculture Extension agent, questions concerning conservation, adoption of agroforestry practices and alternative agricultural projects. In collaboration with NCA&T Cooperative Extension, Hertfort County Forest Ranger, USDA-NRCS & FSA and the Roanoke Electric Center, Dr. Idassi sponsored the workshop on sustainable opportunities for small scale farmers and woodland owners.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Faulkner, P.E., B. Owooh and J.O. Idassi. 2014. Assessment of the Adoption of Agroforestry Technologies by Limited-Resource Farmers in North Carolina. Journal of Extension: October 2014, Volume 52:#5
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Progress 04/08/14 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience:We are targeting small scale, limited resources and socially disadvantaged farmers and woodland owners. The group includes, women, new and beginning landowners and also, returning military veterans. The audience was selected because they are underserved by local, state and federal agencies Changes/Problems:For landowners to receive financial assistance for agroforestry they need to have clear titles to their land. They need to clear heir property issues that are thwarting the efforts to receive financial assistanceand other cost share programs from state and federal agencies What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?County extension agents, small scale farmers and woodland owners have received trainings in agroforestry, specifically in mushroom production, medicinal plants, riparian forest buffersand silvopasture. These farmers will become mentors to returning veterans and new and beginning farmers and woodland owners. Several fact sheets in agroforestry have been developed and distributed to the participants during training. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of these trainings were presented to the 1890 Agroforestry Specialist conference at Tuskegee University. Due to the fact thatnot all the small scale limited resources farmers and woodland owners in North carolina have adopted agroforestry practices, we decided toconductcommunity forums using faith-based-organizationsin two specific sites such as,at the Brown's Chapel Baptist Church in Gibsonville, NC and in Snow Hill, NC. In these forums we assess our audience why agroforestry was not their priority practice of preference. We highlighted to the audiences the success stories from those farmers and landowers who have adopted silvopasture technologies. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Engage more small scale farmers and woodland owners by grouping them in clusters through community forums
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Trained county agentsand other paraprofessionals have started assisting small scale farmers in adotping some agroforestry practices. Four farmers have started to implement silvopasture production. They began with thinning their forest lands using timber stand improvement (TSI) method. The forest trees will be spaced to accomodate the introduction of forages that include: cold season grasses and warm season forages.Livestocks will be introduzed when the forages are well established.Using the thinned hardwood species such as the oaks and sweetgums farmers have started innoculating these cut logs with shiitake mushrooms. To sell their mushrooms for the local food systems famers have registered to their local food hubs.
Publications
- Type:
Books
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Karki, U. and J.O. Idassi. 2015. Sustainable Agroforestry Practices in the Southeastern United States: Handbook for Training Field Extension and Technical Assistance Personnel.Funded by Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. Tuskegee University
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