Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience: Audience Emphasis: African American Asian or Pacific Islander Hispanic or Latino Immigrant producers Limited resource producers Military veterans Native American Organic producers Small farms Specialty crop producers Traditional commercial producers Urban producers Women Changes/Problems:Project Summary/Major Initiatives and Changes: The Alabama Beginning Farms (ABF) Program at Auburn University was initiated in 2015 as a partnership between two nonprofit agencies, three producer organizations, and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System/Auburn University as the backbone organization. This project is specially geared toward low resource farmers and military veterans getting into farming. As part of the ABF program, we have conducted a statewide Stakeholder meeting in Montgomery, AL, and documented the needs of producers statewide through event and newsletter surveys on a continued basis. ACES/AU has also developed a project logo, website, and a broad communication and educational toolkit that include the Farming Basics electronic curriculum and mobile phone app. Crotovina and Farmscape Solutions, along with additional Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs), have developed a unique farm planning tool adapted from the Vermont New Farmer Program. From 2015-2018, ABF program has reached 1,824 participants directly via 45 educational events and 90 educators/crop advisers via 6 professional development events. We have completed 33 webinars reaching 495 trainers/educators and 93 publications consisting ofhandbooks, slide charts, bulletins, posters, blog articles, independent magazine & newspaper articles. Two social media channels have 1,725 subscribers while the E-newsletter reaches 2,635 subscribers indicating large increase in demand for information and wide support from the farming communities across Alabama. Overall, 82 farmers have started farming, we have helped 120 farmers start farming, and improved farming success of 77 small producers many of whom are low-resource and veteran farms. We have reached 70% white, 20% black (including the Black Belt of AL), and 10% Hispanic & American Indian communities who self-identify as 59% male and 41% female. The ABF has saved $506,00 to small producers in consultancy fees and saved $2.5 million worth of crop statewide. Overall return on investment (ROI) is estimated to be 10:1 which is increasing annually. Keys to success for the program: Deep collaboration is the key ingredient to social level changes through the Alabama BFRD program. All collaborators need to combine their strength, examine their weaknesses, and think about the future goals in order to develop a harmonious plan that is practical and rewarding for everyone involved. Evaluations and documentation of milestones occurring throughout and beyond the life of grant is critical. The Alabama BFRD has a dedicated team of internal evaluators who document successes and utilize producer feedback continuously to improve program delivery. We have recently released a program impact video that is available on the Alabama BF website. Unexpected results of the project: Social level or grassroots coalitions and networks that formed between new producers and various partners on this BFRD project was unusual. We had to come up with an innovative way to document such efforts on our new Alabama BF website. In short, the Alabama BFRD grant was a "catalyst" for organized effort and social change that we are proud of. We also realized that to design national level and high-quality educational material takes longer period of time than anticipated. Group effort and motivation are critical and so is farmer involvement in developing educational materials. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? We have established the Alabama Beginning Farmer website (www.alabamabeginningfarmer.com) as a gateway to all information along with these other resources: Farming Basics Online Course (4CEUs for ag professionals): https://aces.catalog.auburn.edu/courses/acesfarmingbasics01 Alabama IPM Communicator/Beginning Farmer E-newsletter Signup and Archive: www.aces.edu/ipmcommunicator Beginning Farmer Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkNoAmOtt___MKj6IBxvWzOdWP0btBq4D Commercial Horticulture Monthly Webinars Topics: https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/ipm-farming/alabama-beginning-farmer-program/ Social Media Channels (Facebook): Alabama Vegetable IPM, Extension Commercial Horticulture Team Twitter: @AlabamaIPM Producers are directly being contacted or beginning farmers are seeking out on-farm assistance from the Technical Service Providers (TAPs) or the Regional Extension Agents (REAs) with strong commercial horticulture backgrounds. We are also assisting some livestock and hay producers as needed with collaboration from other extension teams and specialists. Educational events organized by Alabama Extension, statewide agencies (NRCS and FSA), and producer conferences are being used as a platform to provide continuous training and support to beginning farmers. The Alabama BF program is rapidly expanding with the development of many new bulletins and national publications that is strengthening the outcomes and impacts of this project. Many county level or grassroot teams have formed with new producers, Extension agents, TAPs, and statewide agency partners collaborating to impart education and support to producers. Such grassroots partnerships are listed on the Operation Grow website of the Alabama Beginning Farmer website. 10 publications are now available in FarmAnswers.org are also available to educators: Insect pest scouting for crucifer crops (2015) Alternative Vegetable IPM Recommendation Slide Chart (2014) BFRD Introductory Video (2015) Beneficial insects, spiders, and mites in the southeast (2014) High tunnel crop production iBook for new and beginning farmers (2014) Proper use of approved insecticides in organic farming systems (2014) Insecticides for organic commercial and backyard vegetable production (2015) Tomato insect pests and scouting methods (2015) High tunnel pest exclusion system: A novel strategy for organic crop production (2015) Home Garden Pest Management Guide (2016) How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Digital Program Resources (ADA Compliant): Major program website: www.alabamabeginningfarmer.com Farming Basics Mobile App: Free to install on any device! Farming Basics Online Course (4CEUs for ag professionals): https://aces.catalog.auburn.edu/courses/acesfarmingbasics01 Alabama IPM Communicator E-newsletter Signup and Archive: www.aces.edu/ipmcommunicator Beginning Farmer Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkNoAmOtt___MKj6IBxvWzOdWP0btBq4D Commercial Horticulture Monthly Webinars Topics: https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/ipm-farming/alabama-beginning-farmer-program/ Social Media Channels (Facebook): Alabama Vegetable IPM Extension Commercial Horticulture Team Twitter: @AlabamaIPM Promotional Materials Developed: Alabama BFRD Project Bookmarks: To provide a list of project resources in attractive format Alabama BFRD program postcards: To raise awareness about beginning farmer resources Alabama Beginning Farmer Logo: This is the program logo. Alabama Beginning Farmer Website: This website is the gateway to all information related to the beginning farmer program in Alabama. Alabama Beginning Farmer Brochure: Producers, educators, crop advisers Farming Basics Online Course Blog: Producers, educators What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Obj. 1.Conduct stakeholder feedback meetings and develop a three-year action plan for various aspects of the grant. Establish a communication system among all project participants. Need assessments have been completed in a variety of manners that include a.) paper-based workshop surveys; b.) on-farm interviews by the Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs); c.) facilitated discussion groups. Below are some findings. A. Alabama Small Farm Stakeholder Meeting in Montgomery (n = 52, one event) The purpose of this meeting was to promote communication and collaboration among our small farm stakeholders. We developed a course of action for the identified priorities that are: >>Marketing: Development of an on-line tool to assist producers in determining a suitable market for their products marketing their products >>Business Planning: Promotion of AGPLAN.umn.edu, an online tool for developing a farm business plan >>Farm Services Case Management: A filing system and standards of procedures to use the data management system will be developed for user training. >>Communication: Recruitment of potential new and beginning farmers; hands-on producer training; promotion of the beginning farmer electronic curriculum across all stakeholder groups. >>Economic Development: Groundwork for training/networking interns, aspiring and beginning farmers; and develop the narrative of farming as an economic development activity. Increase in new collaborative activities among the members of the Alabama Small Farm Stakeholder Group to benefit beginning farmers Producer action: Develop, Topic: Interpersonal, family, and business relationships When measured: Stakeholder meetings (in-person and virtual) Estimated Number: 25, Actual Number: 18 How verified: Number of new and existing partnerships, increase in new producer clients (BFs) Obj. 2. Develop electronic curriculum and phone app as distance education resources that will be used by Regional Extension Agents, incubator farms and Technical Assistance Providers as the basic Beginning Farmer trainingn materials. Digital Program Resources (ADA Compliant): Major program website:www.alabamabeginningfarmer.com Farming Basics Mobile App: Free to install on any device! Farming Basics Online Course (4CEUs for ag professionals):https://aces.catalog.auburn.edu/courses/acesfarmingbasics01 Alabama IPM Communicator E-newsletter Signup and Archive:www.aces.edu/ipmcommunicator Beginning Farmer Video Playlist:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkNoAmOtt___MKj6IBxvWzOdWP0btBq4D Commercial Horticulture Monthly Webinars Topics:https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/ipm-farming/alabama-beginning-farmer-program/ Social Media Channels (Facebook):Alabama Vegetable IPM Extension Commercial Horticulture Team Twitter:@AlabamaIPM ACES has also developed an introductory video for producers (https://youtu.be/HMUbapBaS6A), project logo, website (www.aces.edu/beginningfarms), and a communication toolkit that include templates for the electronic curriculum and mobile phone app (under development in ACES). Website and BF welcome video views totaled 2,789 since launch in December 2015. We have access to 1725 subscribers through social media pages for rapid information transfer. Alabama IPM Communicator, a weekly e-newsletter (www.aces.edu/ipmcommunicator), is a critical tool for beginning farmers. We currently have 2635 subscribers in our database with 35% beginning farmers. Obj. 3. Provide one-on-one assistance and small grouptrainingto producers through active collaboration with the Technical Assistance Providers and nonprofit producer agencies. Overall, 82 farmers have started farming, we have helped 120 farmers start farming, and improved farming success of 77 small producers many of whom are low-resource and veteran farms. We have reached 70% white, 20% black (including the Black Belt of AL), and 10% Hispanic & American Indian communities who self-identify as 59% male and 41% female. The ABF has saved $506,00 to small producers in consultancy fees and saved $2.5 million worth of crop statewide. Overall return on investment (ROI) is estimated to be 10:1 which is increasing annually.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Kelly, N., J. Miles, K. Conner, E. Sikora, E. Vinson, and A. Majumdar. 2017. Citrus Pest Identification and Management Guide. ANR-2270. Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University. Circulation: 500. [Online] https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/ipm-farming/citrus-pest-identification-and-management-guide/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Majumdar, A., N. Kelly, and L. Wells. 2016. Cowpea curculio management in Alabama. Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University. ANR-2313. [Online] http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-2313/ANR-2313.pdf
- Type:
Books
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
J.F. Walgenbach, G.G. Kennedy, P. Smith, R. Bessin, A. Sparks, D. Riley, A. Majumdar, M. Layton, F. Hale, and A.L. Morgan. 2009-current (annually updated). Insect Control for Commercial Vegetables. In Southeastern U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook (G.J. Holmes and J.M. Kemble, eds.). ANR-1344. Annually updated - the 2020 edition has USDA NIFA/BFRD mention.
- Type:
Books
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Majumdar, A., Reeves, M., and A. Chambliss. 2014. High Tunnel Crop Production: Training Guide for New and Beginning Farmers. ANR-2157. Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University. [Online] https://store.aces.edu/ItemDetail.aspx?ProductID=18531
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Majumdar, A., A. Chambliss, H. Fadamiro, R. Balusu, A. Randle, and H. Willis. Revised and reprinted annually (first print in 2015). Organic Vegetable IPM Slide Chart (formerly called Alternative Vegetable IPM Recommendation Slide Chart ). ANR-2190. [Online] https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/farming/the-organic-vegetable-ipm-toolkit/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Majumdar, A., B. Carter, A. Stokes, H. Willis, A. Chambliss, D. Carroll, E. Schavey, C. East, and N. Kelly. Revised and reprinted annually (first print in 2015). Home and Market Garden (Urban Farm) IPM Toolkit. ANR-2397. Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University. [Online] https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/farming/home-and-market-garden-urban-farm-ipm-toolkit/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Farming Basics Online Course
The online course with 5 topic areas and 27 learning modules has been completed for producers and educators.
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Major program website: www.alabamabeginningfarmer.com
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Alabama IPM Communicator E-newsletter: www.aces.edu/ipmcommunicator
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Beginning Farmer Project Training Videos
There are 55+ training videos and webinars that are available through the playlist on YouTube. These videos are also linked via the Farming Basics Mobile App.
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