Progress 02/15/22 to 02/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences for the 2022 OAK Conference project broadly includes farmers, agricultural professionals and researchers using organic practices and those interested in learning more about organic and sustainable agriculture in Kentucky and the southeast region of the US. This project met farmer stakeholders' demand for opportunities to network with each other to discuss production challenges and learn about new techniques and resources they can use while connecting with industry, research and the broader community of sustainable agriculture stakeholders throughout the region. The project focused on the development of educational content deliverables for beginning farmers (10 years or less), as well as advanced farmers. Specific farmer stakeholder segments are detailed below. The conference series was designed on the cusp of the post-COVID window, when it was critical to deliver at-scale knowledge transfer and grow momentum and support for farmers using organic practices. The conference series offered a virtual event and two smaller in-person events that were open to all interested researchers, farmers and other stakeholders so that information shared would have the broadest impact and the networking among different stakeholder types was active. All three events were publicized nationally with a focus on Kentucky and the broader southeastern region. OAK farmer members, organic industry partners, researchers, extension agents, government partners and other agriculture stakeholders and partner organizations all contributed to the vision and agenda for the 2022 conference series. All of these groups were also target audiences participating in the Conference programming and benefiting from the content shared during the events. In total, 686 individuals attended the 3 part conference series (440 Virtual Conference, 127 West Kentucky In-Person Conference, 119 Northern Kentucky Conference). With NIFA-AFRI support for major expenses associated with the project, OAK was able to leverage other funds to offer reduced registration and 394 scholarships. Details on the target stakeholder participants during all three conference events: Attendees were from a total of 17 states, with the majority (87%) being from Kentucky and 8% from the southeast region outside of Kentucky. Farmers (Beginning to 10 years or less): 48% Farmers (Experienced - more than 10 years): 22% Farmers (Aspiring farmers - not currently farming): 19% Students: 10% Veterans: 4% Black, Indigenous, People of ; background- font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;" aria-level="1"> Farmland Owner (non-operator): 5% Extension: 9% Research: 10% Farmer Participants during the Virtual Conference reported: 62% had diversified produce 19% had broad acreage row crops 27% had livestock Farmer Participants at the Northern Kentucky Conference reported: 74% had diversified produce 7% had broad acreage row crop 21% had livestock Farmer Participants at the West Kentucky Conference reported: 51% had diversified produce 46% had broad acreage row crop 39% had livestock Overall Farmers reported 22% manage certified organic operations 46% use organic practices but are not certified 11% use conventional practices 5% active transition to organic 16% did not specify The annual Conference provided a critical mechanism for the dissemination of information to support a regional increase in foundational knowledge of organic and sustainable agriculture systems. Farmers and researchers participated in the program planning, ensuring relevant content. In 2022 this resulted in sessions and speakers addressing production practices that focused on minimizing ecological impacts, promoting soil health and biodiversity, improving crop quality and ensuring food safety, while also supporting open conversations about regional challenges and opportunities related to production, markets and research needs. Finally, the conference series was designed with key discussions and networking opportunities to foster lasting connections to support the ongoing adoption of solutions in organic production. This culture of sharing and engagement was a hallmark of the events and provided a welcoming and valued feedback loop identifying challenges and research opportunities, with the ultimate goal of allowing farms to increase yields and encouraging increased acreage to go into organic transition. Changes/Problems:The OAK Conference Advisory Committee and OAK staff made no major changes to the approach for the 2022 Conference Series. We are grateful for the partnerships that made the three events possible as it was a highly collaborative approach to reach significantly more people than previous years while still being creative and flexible as COVID-19 continued to unfold for our communities. While providing both virtual and in-person programming was an important programming design in 2022, we learned that it requires significantly more staffing capacity than expected to develop, promote and host these three large events in three distant locations back to back. In short, the 2022 Conference Series was important to deliver for our stakeholders in the region and we gained information onnew priorities topicsfor future conferences. At the request of stakeholders and supported with insights from OAK staff and the Planning Committee, in future years OAK will focus efforts on offering a singular event that provides 3 full days of in-person programming and delivers recordings of in-person sessions. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project delivered sessions and networking opportunities, connecting Kentucky and other Southeastern farmers with technical advisors and researchers who shared sustainable production content and resources farmers can put to use in the field. In total the Conference Series delivered 39 sessions, convening 686 farmers and agricultural professionals for a combined 5.5 days of learning and networking across the three-part conference series. 92.2% of attendees said they learned something new they would put to use on their farm to advance their operation in the coming year. Additionally 61 agricultural professionals accessed the event to learn about organic practices and access professional development opportunities in organic and sustainable production. Professional development opportunities were further accessed by participants that chose to claim Continuing Education Units (CEUs). CEUs were available to agricultural professionals through Extension (KERS) and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (Agricultural Pesticide Applicator Certification CEU) and 17 individuals accessed the project for related formal professional development. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results of the 2022 Conference Series were disseminated to the Kentucky agriculture network through email, newsletters, social media and report summaries to conference partners via OAK's communications channels. Soon after the conference series was complete in the spring of 2022 OAK shared program impact summaries with collaborators, speakers, sponsors, industry partners and attendees. OAK was able to record all the virtual sessions and most of the in-person sessions. This provided an expanded opportunity for participation for those who were not available to participate at the time of the original events and provided an added bonus to many hoping to access the conference content and conversations. Dissemination through OAK's communications network reached 3,000 stakeholders and recordings have been viewed over 2,500 times. The recorded sessions are available on OAK's website (https://oak.memberclicks.net/oak-conference-2022) and through OAK's YouTube channel: Virtual Conference Sessions 2022: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVbNZ-guznA0JOe8b3t2HjJTVdtojntBE Western Kentucky Regional Conference Sessions 2022: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVbNZ-guznA3mKdysEGkYu-yFmOl0mvuN Northern Kentucky Regional Conference Sessions 2022: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVbNZ-guznA2Osk_Q9OGsyC58yxDlnFIQ What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The 2022 OAK Conference Series engaged farmers, researchers and agricultural professionals who gained knowledge about sustainable and organic farming practices to increase productivity and resilience of farming operations and to increase the relevance of research and technical assistance. By increasing networking and foundational knowledge transfer among stakeholders this project supported broad gains in knowledge, adoption of production practices centered on plant and soil health, applying improved foundational knowledge about organic and sustainable practices and employing new methods for making management decisions to overcome production challenges, improve farm profitability and increase regional conservation efforts. Ultimately, the research, resources and policy needs identified by stakeholders will influence long-term outcomes and further adoption of organic practices. O1 Provide inclusive learning for stakeholders. O1 Major Activities #1 Coordinated Conference Series Offered low cost registration and scholarships Provided Continuing Education Units (CEUs) O1 Data #2 Demographics 686 attendees 394 scholarships Farmers beginning: 48%, experienced: 22%, aspiring: 19% BIPOC: 18% Extension & research: 19% 22% certified organic operations 46% organic practices not certified 11% conventional practices 5% active transition to organic O1 Discussion #3 The conferences engaged 686 attendees, exceeding the project goal. The affordability of events and scholarships eliminated common financial barriers to participate. The accessibility of a virtual event provided expanded opportunities for people throughout the region to join in sessions and conversations. The two in-person regional conferences offered different agendas, appropriate for the farmer audiences in those geographic locations. 70% of participants identified as farmers with 48% beginning farmers and 22% experienced farmers, demonstrating the agenda delivered relevant content tailored to a variety of experience levels. 18% of conference attendees reported they were Black, Indigenous or People of Color, illustrating that the Conference Series was accessible and inclusive from event promotion, speaker representation, registration and session facilitation. 22% of farmer participants managed certified organic farms, 46% used organic practices but were not certified and 11% used conventional practices, demonstrating that an interest in learning more about organic practices is a priority. O1 Outcomes #4 91% of participants reported that the content accessed through the Conference Series was "good" or "excellent". 83% of respondents reported that they would be likely to share something they learned with a peer, indicating a broad reach. CEUs were claimed by 17 individuals for professional development. O2 Connect farmers with sustainable production content and experts. O2 Major Activities #1 Coordinated Conference Series Provided opportunities for stakeholders to connect O2 Data #2 See conference agendas, sessions and speaker bios in the Summary Report Offer 39 sessions 75 experts connected with farmers O2 Discussion #3 The Conference connected farmers with technical advisors, researchers and other experts who shared sustainable production content and resources, see the Summary Report for details on the 39 sessions offered. Panels, keynotes, farm tours, lightning talks, demonstrations and community discussions proved accessible and engaging, increasing connectivity among interdisciplinary stakeholder groups. O2 Outcomes #4 Conference attendees indicated that as a result of being exposed to new information and becoming aware of resources, 92.2% reported they were "definitely" or "most likely" to implement something they learned on the farm that season. Conference sessions supported producers in applying a change in knowledge and management decision-making on topics from nutrient budgeting and soil balancing to crop planning and rotational grazing. USDA representatives and grant recipients showcased funded research and discussed opportunities available through USDA OREI, NIFA, NRCS and SARE programs. O3 Identify current production challenges and research needs. O3 Major Activities #1 Collected stakeholders' top production and business challenges Captured research needs via registration form, sessions and post-event survey O3 Data #2 Top production challenges Weather and climate change 16% Improving soil health 15% Weed management 12% Crop planning 10% Pest and disease 9% Regionally adapted seeds and breeds 5% Top business challenges Labor 14% Farm infrastructure 11% Aggregation 10% Profitability 9% Stakeholder identified needs Develop nutrient budgeting tool for small organic farms. Conduct organic seed breeding for brassicas and cucurbits adapted to the region. Develop organic corn and small grain rotation enterprise budget with guidance on management, yield and economics through a 3 year transition. Assess capacity of Kentucky nurseries producing agroforestry planting stock and certified organic annual transplants. Research on organic no-till in Kentucky identifying management and economic viability. Conduct KY organic industry assessment. Explore economic analysis of the Biologically Enhanced Agricultural Management (BEAM) bioreactor in Kentucky climate. Technical assistance: crop planning and nutrient budgeting. Strategies to build on-farm resilience in response to extreme weather. Value chain development for wholesale organic products. Expand peer learning and mentorship programs. Coordinate learning opportunities on the Farm Bill. Highlight need for: increased funding for organic research; opportunities in organic markets; technical assistance; increased EQIP funding for conservation practices. O3 Discussion #3 From seed and breed genetics that are selected for success in the Southeastern growing conditions to organic no-till enterprise budgets and the economics of soil balancing and identified the need for an economic analysis of management strategies and a timeline to improve farmland with poor soil health, participants identified topics that could support their decision making process and refine production practices in the region. An overall organic industry economic assessment for the region that highlights impacts, infrastructure and projected growth should be conducted to illuminate the opportunities for farmers. O3 Outcomes #4 The collection of these results sets the stage for a change in condition for organic agriculture in the region that could lead to increased regional market opportunities for organics; increased productivity from farms using organic practices; increased soil health; improved water quality; improved farm incomes; and improved farm resilience. The results of identified challenges and specific actionable steps are detailed in the Summary Report. O4 Create and share Summary Report. O4 Major Activities #1 Collected stakeholder input Prepared and disseminated summary report O4 Data #2 Production and business challenges, research needs (see details above in O3) O4 Discussion #3 This project highlighted sessions and opportunities to access and apply research findings and engage with on-farm research in the future. Through continued conversations and considering that investment in organic research in the southeast region has historically been lower than other regions, there is a high need for more research leadership and organic farmer participation in the region. O4 Outcomes #4 Project outcomes in the Summary Report highlight identified production challenges and opportunities for organically-minded farmers. The report is available on the event webpage https://oak.memberclicks.net/oak-conference-2022 and includes full conference agendas and future research needs, setting the stage for changes in conditions for the region. As a result of conversations nurtured in this project, partners are collaborating on complementary projects to address some identified priority areas.
Publications
|