Progress 11/02/16 to 09/30/21
Outputs
Target Audience: Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program implemented the five-year Renewable Resources Extension Act (RREA) strategic plan covering FY 2017-2021 by providing outreach and education to forest and range landholders. Special effort was made to identify instances of Heirs' Property being experienced by members of the audience to provide them with estate planning leading to land transformation and resolution. As a result of program delivery participants' capacity to respond with best practice resource management, land transfer and stewardship practices to realize economic benefits were enhanced. This five-year RREA strategic plan programming increased capacity of target audience in noted areas, but it also illuminated the need to triple human capital hands-on outreach, education, and technical assistance in the field. To do so would likely increase the number of target audience participating, duration of prevention/intervention, and quality of their engagement such that the program gains sustainable traction and affords long term coaching and mentoring opportunities. Changes/Problems: This five-year RREA strategic plan programming increased capacity of target audience in noted areas, but it also illuminated the need to triple human capital hands-on outreach, education, and technical assistance in the field. To do so would likely increase the number of target audience participating, duration of prevention/intervention, and quality of their engagement such that the program gains sustainable traction and affords long term coaching and mentoring opportunities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Extensive training opportunities were provided: Outreach was the most conducted activity to inform and gain participation of the target audience in educational opportunities. Outreach was conducted through email, telephone, social media, Extension newsletter, survey and word of mouth. Mentoring and teaching were the second most conducted activities, both in-person and virtually. Since March 2020, 99% of education and mentoring activities occurred virtually as a result of the COVID Pandemic. In addition, extensive collaboration with the Alcorn Policy Center, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and other national and regional resource providers were used to educate project staff and target audience. Participants were given access (even scholarships) to all national, regional and local heirs' property workshops, seminars and conferences. Statewide our beginning farmer, rancher, land owner program was utilized to provide in-person and virtual training for target audience. Demonstration field events were also conducted and made available to target audience increase interactive/didactive learning. Professional development for staff was extensive, particularly as it related to heirs' property. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project results will inform design of successive outreach, education and collaboration strategies and will appear in the next FAMU Cooperative Extension Newletter and as a factsheet utilizing all the following platforms: email, telephone, social media, survey and word of mouth. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
G2-An existing initiative, North Star Legacy Communities was used to create opportunitiy for target audience to view their forest land as a income genergating enterprise beyond timber production. The iniative helps vulnerable communities build out existing assets (forests and range lands) as destination tourism attractors. G3. Additionally, numerous workshops and three conferences were conducted where target audience gained extensive education on production, management, heirs' property, estate planning, funding, networking and others. Also, The documentary, "How Property Law Is Used to Appropriate Black Land", originally named "Losing Ground" (ViceNews @ ShowTime, 2020) is an ongoing success story, winning a 2021 Peabody Award. Quest Love's Clip addressing the award: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CQaKiAALXB3/?utm_medium=copy_link and Full Documentary link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls3P_FicO7I. The documentary continues to reach target audiences within the United States, as well as, international audiences addressing the taking of property with an heirs' property designation. It is now being used in academic and professional development settings as a teaching tool, as well as, to educate heirs' property owners. The second of three segments features project staff, Dr. Sandra Thompson, bringing attention to heirs' property and its' economic vulnerabilities. The third segment features a heirs' property family with 400+ acres of forest land and the devastation resulting from a forced partition sale. Estimated total reach exceeds two-million. G4. Monthly communication occurred with Alcorn State Universities Policy Center and others of that stature to ensure that relevant and timely information was accessible for delivery to target audience.
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Progress 10/01/20 to 09/30/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program implemented the five-year Renewable Resources Extension Act (RREA) strategic plan covering FY 2017-2021 by providing outreach and education to forest and range landholders. Special effort was made to identify instances of Heirs' Property being experienced by members of the audience to provide them with estate planning leading to land transformation and resolution. As a result of program delivery participants' capacity to respond with best practice resource management, land transfer and stewardship practices to realize economic benefits were enhanced. This five-year RREA strategic plan programming increased capacity of target audience in noted areas, but it also illuminated the need to triple human capital hands-on outreach, education, and technical assistance in the field. To do so would likely increase the number of target audience participating, duration of prevention/intervention, and quality of their engagement such that the program gains sustainable traction and affords long term coaching and mentoring opportunities. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Extensive training opportunities were provided: Outreach was the most conducted activity to inform and gain participation of the target audience in educational opportunities. Outreach was conducted through email, telephone, social media, Extension newsletter, survey and word of mouth. Mentoring and teaching were the second most conducted activities, both in-person and virtually. Since March 2020, 99% of education and mentoring activities occurred virtually as a result of the COVID Pandemic. In addition, extensive collaboration with the Alcorn Policy Center, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and other national and regional resource providers were used to educate project staff and target audience. Participants were given access (even scholarships) to all national, regional and local heirs' property workshops, seminars and conferences. Statewide our beginning farmer, rancher, land owner program was utilized to provide in-person and virtual training for target audience. Demonstration field events were also conducted and made available to target audience increase interactive/didactive learning. Professional development for staff was extensive, particularly as it related to heirs' property. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project results will inform design of successive outreach, education and collaboration strategies and will appear in the next FAMU Cooperative Extension Newletter and as a factsheet utilizing all the following platforms: email, telephone, social media, survey and word of mouth. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
G2-An existing initiative, North Star Legacy Communities was used to create opportunitiy for target audience to view their forest land as a income genergating enterprise beyond timber production. The iniative helps vulnerable communities build out existing assets (forests and range lands) as destination tourism attractors. G3. Additionally, numerous workshops and three conferences were conducted where target audience gained extensive education on production, management, heirs' property, estate planning, funding, networking and others. Also, The documentary, "How Property Law Is Used to Appropriate Black Land", originally named "Losing Ground" (ViceNews @ ShowTime, 2020) is an ongoing success story, winning a 2021 Peabody Award. Quest Love's Clip addressing the award: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CQaKiAALXB3/?utm_medium=copy_link and Full Documentary link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls3P_FicO7I. The documentary continues to reach target audiences within the United States, as well as, international audiences addressing the taking of property with an heirs' property designation. It is now being used in academic and professional development settings as a teaching tool, as well as, to educate heirs' property owners. The second of three segments features project staff, Dr. Sandra Thompson, bringing attention to heirs' property and its' economic vulnerabilities. The third segment features a heirs' property family with 400+ acres of forest land and the devastation resulting from a forced partition sale. Estimated total reach exceeds two-million. G4. Monthly communication occurred with Alcorn State Universities Policy Center and others of that stature to ensure that relevant and timely information was accessible for delivery to target audience.
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Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The audience reached in the 2019 to 2020 reporting period totaled 775 through in person and virtual workshops. Field demonstrations and telephone consultations were conducted with 201 participants. The participants represented a cross section of emerging, new and existing forest and range lands owners, and greenhouse, and orchard operators. Additional demographic descriptors of the audience included heirs' property owners and veterans, particularly forest and rangeland associated. Social media outreach specifically about family heirs' property reached 1.3 million plus viewers, increasing awareness and knowledge about land loss prevention from heirs property. Changes/Problems:FAMU protocols prevented in personal engagement with clientele for the last six months of the reporting period due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, the project was challenged to quickly launch online instruction, easily accesible and understood by clientele. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided opportunities for traditional classroom workshops, one-on-one, and group consultations. In addition, clientele were invited/provided opportunities to participate in conferences and workshops. Also, flowing from Hurricane Michael's 2018 destruction of forest lands in Florida's Panhandle, the project connected affected landowners with federal 2021 re-forestry funding tied to Hurricane Michael. In context to Hurricane Michael, the FAMU forest-based instructional and recreational trail established through RREA funding was completely destroyed by Hurricane Michael. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dissemination efforts occur through the FAMU-Cooperative Extension Program's Newsletter, social media, and direct emails and telephone contacts. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Promote and offer more consultations and workshops that clientele can access through their smart phone applications.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 2 and 3 - The audience received research-based information on key topics: land and forest stewardship and estate planning, heirs' property resolution without displacement, natural and cultural resource restoration, preservation and packaging; destination tourism, funding opportunities, grant writing, contract development; fruit orchard inputs, management, marketing, and channel distribution; and silver pasturing, pest management, operation development, product and service development, financial management, record keeping, value added processing, organic farming, vermicomposting, nutrient management, green house 101, and marketing. Cumulatively, training, consultation and demonstration activities resulted in participants gaining knowledge and skills to transform ownership structure, productivity, and scale of operations. Additionally, learning outcomes included forest integration with other agricultural production, product/service packaging, and acquisition of capital. Goal 4 - Through the Southern Regional Development Center, worked collaboratively with Alcorn State University to promote policies that help forest-based heirs property owners access USDA programs.
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Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Goal -2 and 3 • One Thousand Two Hundred and Ninety-One (1291) forest, range, farm and heirs' property owners participated in group workshops and conference presentations. The topics included, operation development, financial management, record keeping, value added processing, and marketing. Family Heirs' Property (FHP) owners also benefited from the above trainings and received individual and group consultations addressing stewardship and estate planning. Family Heirs' Property workshop also addressed origin of heirs' property, characteristics, harms, land loss prevention, and title clearing process. All participants gained knowledge and skills to transform the ownership structure of their landholdings to prevent land loss, engage in succession transfer and participate in wealth building activities. Social media outreach about Family Heirs' Property reached at least 6,008 residents increasing viewers' awareness and understanding of Family Heirs' Property and education and technical assistance resources at FAMU. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Faculty attended over 15 professional development events, including the 1st annual National Heirs Property Conference. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Traditional dissemination avenues were used, emails, social media, newsletters workshops, conferences, and consultations. Heirs Property workshops/training/presentations included the following: 1. Effective Strategies for Conducting Estate Planning Workshops for Heirs Property Owners. 2. Contextual Meaning Given To The Family Heirs' Property Title. 3. Family Heirs' Property: An Issue of Equity. 4. Transforming Family Heirs' Property into a Capitalistic Asset for Wealth Building. 5. Model Partnership Between Wildlife and Land/Forest Conservation Organization and Family Heirs' Property Owners. April 16-19, 2019; Tampa, FL. (NSS & NEES Joint Summit) 6. Navigating the Family Heirs' Property Title Clearing Process. 7. Florida: The Crisis of Family Heirs' Property Compounded by Natural Disasters. 8. Matthews Family vs. Relative, Private Developer, and State of Florida. 9. How Family Heirs' Property is valued in a capitalistic economy? 10. How to integrate Family Heirs Property into a capitalistic economy so that it is not lost, stolen, or forced into partition status? 11. How to step-up over conflict as a family and what is gained when you do? 12. Limited Liability Companies and Trusts work for Family Heirs' Property owners. 13. How the Uniform Partition of Heirs' Property Act benefits Family Heirs' Property owners? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue to work with the Southern Regional Development Center on the Heirs Property Steering Committee and Alcorn State University Policy Center to develop policies and funding mechanisms that provide direct benefit to families in mitigating the cost of heirs property title clearing.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
One Thousand Two Hundred and Ninety-One (1291) forest, range, farm and heirs' property owners participated in group workshops and conference presentations. The topics included, operation development, financial management, record keeping, value added processing, and marketing. Family Heirs' Property (FHP) owners also benefited from the above trainings and received individual and group consultations addressing stewardship and estate planning. Family Heirs' Property workshops also addressed origin of heirs' property, characteristics, harms, land loss prevention, wealth building through ownership of clear title property and the title clearing process. All participants gained knowledge and skills to transform the ownership structure of their landholdings to prevent land loss, engage in succession transfer and participate in wealth building activities as a result of the training provided. Social media outreach about Family Heirs' Property reached at least 6,008 residents increasing viewers' awareness and understanding of Family Heirs' Property and education and technical assistance resources at FAMU. Active and self-driven champions have developed from workshop training participants: One person created a workshop from what she learned while attending a project training series conducted in Jefferson County, Florida. This effort resulted in 221 additional people learning about heir's property. Another champion is developing a white paper that advocates for FAMU to take a proactive role to ensure that the student body gain FHP knowledge and skills. The concern of this champion is that many of the students at FAMU are connected to heir's property even if they do not know that they are. Critically, these students while attending FAMU are in the right setting to gain knowledge and skills that can help them help their families resolve the heirs problems and create wealth building enterprises tied to the land. Three Florida FHP families (10 people) attended the 1st National Heirs Property Conference because of the heirs property outreach and education service FAMU provides. Further, all three families have begun work on land transformation plans as a result of their conference participation and continued receipt of consultation/education from FAMU.
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Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience: Program effort this reporting period was targeted to forest and rangeland-based owners in north central Florida, with emphasis on Family Heirs Property landholders. Changes/Problems:No changes are problems resulted during this period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Service delivery for this reporting period included class room workshops, field days, television, and social media outeach. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?FAMU's family heirs' property (FHP) effort is strategically presented to communities with high instances of FHP which is all of north Florida. North Florida has a high concentration of family heirs' property because of its known history as having many plantations. Freed slaves over time became land owners and continued to generate income from agriculture. Today, much of this land is in the form of inactive forest land. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Service delivery for FY 2018-2017 reporting period will increase effort to Build capacity through enhanced connections with Sourthern Regional Development Center and Alcorn State University's Cooperative Extension Program. These collaborative partnerships will enhance both institutions' communication, education, and information delivery capacity, benefitting forest and range land holders in north Florida, Mississippi, and the entire Southern Region through education. It is anticipated that the education provided will increase the target audiences awareness, knowledge, and skills to generate sustainable income from their land holdings and engage in effective estate planning. Continue to offer workshops and social media outreach as mechanisms to educate FHP owners. Continue developing an online trainer-to-trainer education platftorm as a vehicle to expand the program's reach by increasing the number of community-based professionals and paraprofessional with knowledge and skills to assist the target audiences that they encounter in work and non-work settings. Continue educational opportunities via demonstration projects to promote economic opportunities for landowners.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal -2 and 3 One hundred and twenty-five (125) landowners (i.e., forest, range, and farm) participated in operation development and management workshops, including financial management, record keeping, computer basics, value added processing, and marketing through individual and group consultations. These consultations resulted in participants gaining knowledge and improving skills in how to better manage their operations to generate and increase economic productivity. Forty-eight (48) Family Heirs' Property (FHP) owners participated in individual and group consultations addressing stewardship and estate planning. Family Heirs' Property workshop topics included origins, characteristics, harms, land loss prevention, and title clearing process. These consultations resulted in participants gaining knowledge and skills to transform the ownership structure of their landholdings to prevent land loss and access to external resources. Social media outreach about Family Heirs' Property reached at least 800 residents in Leon and Gadsden counties, increasing viewers' awareness and understanding of Family Heirs' Property and education and technical assistance resources at FAMU. Demonstration project is being established to promote economic opportunities for landowners. This demonstration/training effort involves existing trees with the integration of crop/fruit production,as well as livestock production. Field day activities planned for Fall 2018 after establishment. Goal 4 Collaborated with Southeren Regional Development Center in writing and submitting a Family's Heirs' Property planning proposal to USDA/AFRI. Developed Family's Heirs' Property action plan for the Program Leaders Network's Community Resource Development committee. This action plan was adopted by both Family Consumer Sciences and Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees. Alcorn State University Cooperative Extension Program is active in SRDC' Program Leaders Network, which facilitates FAMU's ongoing collaboration with Alcorn.
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Progress 11/02/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Individuals and comunity forest and range land owners, rural homeowners with acreage. Changes/Problems:The collaboration with Alcorn State University did not materialize, and therefore will be removed from this program. However, information developed will be shared across the system via social media and newsletters. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Heir Property Seminar; Farm Fest; June 2017; 50 attendees How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?1 article - Thompson, Sandra; "Family Heir Property"; Cooperative Extension Quarterly Newsletter; Spring 2017 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Develop and conduct workshops/seminars series, training curricula and materials; information dissemination via newsletter, social media, as well as direct technical assistance. Maintain a database of limited resource landowners participating in program activities.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Direct and indirect contact were made with citizens, landowners and local community via seminars and newsletter. 50 participants gained knowledge in intergenerational land transfer and estate planning.
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