Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will be joined by Emory University, veteran organizations, community-based organizations, and other public institutions to develop an outreach program of a Standard BFRDP grant application to provide technical assistance to both underserved populations and communities in Georgia and North Carolina. The following delineated objectives will be pursued: 1) Provide beginning ranchers, veterans, and other SDFRVs a low-cost small ruminant production and management practices; 2) Provide these clientele best agronomic practices including soil health fertility; 3) Develop for them, an inclusive and resilient diversified marketing strategies 4) Provide them training in Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies (CSATs); 5) Provide them with business and financial management training for improved access to credit; 6) Develop Curriculum on agricultural Entrepreneurship Education digital technologies that increase production efficiency, environmental sustainability, and profitability; and 7) Provide disabled veterans with Assistive technology and AgrAbility training to help in their operation. The major expected outcomes include: 1) Number engaging in climate-smart agricultural technologies for increased soil carbon and improved soil health; 2) Number practicing best livestock crop management practices- low-cost forage-based grazing and browsing for cost savings; production of new generation crops to establish niche markets for profits; 3) Number with improved credit to access loan and own farms, and ranches; and 4) Number that are computer literate and can process forms to participate in governmental programs. To achieve these outcomes, 12.5% of the budget is allocated for serving military veterans while 26.4% will go to socially disadvantaged, limited resource farmer workers (including immigrants).
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
(N/A)
Knowledge Area
601 - Economics of Agricultural Production and Farm Management;
602 - Business Management, Finance, and Taxation;
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships;
111 - Conservation and Efficient Use of Water;
604 - Marketing and Distribution Practices;
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;
307 - Animal Management Systems;
Subject Of Investigation
0110 - Soil;
0430 - Climate;
6210 - Farmer cooperatives;
6220 - Marketing, processing, and supply firms other than cooperatives;
6299 - Marketing, general/other;
Field Of Science
2070 - Meteorology and climatology;
3020 - Education;
3100 - Management;
Goals / Objectives
The overarching long-term goal of this proposed project is to increase the likelihood that SDFRVs, beginning or military veteran farmers and ranchers will own or operate successful farms and ranches. This will be done by disseminating production agriculture, marketing, business and finance, and climate-smart knowledge and skills (planting cover crops, irrigation management, adding cost-effective organic amendments like leaf mulches or composts produced from food waste or animal waste, etc.); financial and digital entrepreurship education; inclusive and resilient marketing strategies appropriate for small-scale and limited-resource farmers and ranchers who are at the beginning stage of farming and ranching. Keeping in mind their resource need, the project staff will educate them on the potential of simple land management practices that are smart in conserving resources (soil, water, and environment) while obtaining food and nutritional security. Particularly, we will consider unique circumstances and social contexts while addressing concerns of beginning farmers and ranchers through informal educational programming so that we can shed light on their developments over time, and track future trajectories (Niewolny and Lillard, 2010). There will also be a very strong focus on equity in accessing updated information on climate-smart agricultural technologies (CSATs). Thus, the project envisions to expand the boundaries through our trainings, workshops, field days, educations, and outreach activities to promote socially disadvantaged, limited resources beginning farmers and ranchers in Georgia and North Carolina, particularly those from underrepresented and underserved and minority communities.Goal 1: Small ruminant producers, veterans and ranchers in small ruminant production for long-term will be trained sustainable practices through low-cost management practices that will lead to enhanced animal well-being, increasing producer efficiency which is vital to the success of farm profitability and sustainability. Implementing low-cost husbandry practices that are both practical and effective will allow producers to make subtle, but impactful changes. Emphasis will be given to producers utilizing forage-based systems for grazing and browsing. Educational materials will be developed for producers.Goal 2: We will conduct workshops on soil sample collection, preparation and sending the sample to NCDA/GADA ARS Lab for analysis. Workshops on Nutrient management and fertigation of New Generation crops will be held for beginning farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, and other SDFRVs.Goal 3: Training modules for Niche farming (New Generations crops) and Niche marketing; Direct marketing strategies, Vertical integration, Producer alliance, and Cooperative marketing will be developed for beginning farmers, ranchers, and other SDFRVs to help provide them multiple marketing channel opportunities. Producing new generation crops/niche farming brings to these producers, new markets while vertical integration provide them with opportunities for engaging in both retail and wholesale marketing. Concepts of Producer and or Cooperative Marketing will provide them with cost saving at the input markets from bulk purchases while getting better prices from the output market due to bulk sales. Finally, direct marketing (including institutional sales, sales to local grocery stores and restaurants, local farmers' markets, tail gating, Pick Your Own, and e-marketing), all bring the producer into direct contact with the consumer eliminating all middle men, which results in larger marketing margins. The potential benefits from these alternative marketing models will be clearly explained to workshop participants.Goal 4: Modules for Climate-smart agricultural technologies will be developed to train beginning farmers, ranchers, veterans, and other SDFRs. These include planting cover crops, irrigation management, adding cost-effective organic amendments like leaf mulches or composts produced from food waste or animal waste. Keeping in mind their resource need, we will educate them on the potential of simple land management practices that are smart in conserving resources (soil, water, and environment) while obtaining food and nutritional security. Efficient irrigation practices will be discussed and simple irrigation designs will be covered in a classroom setting. At least three low- cost soil moisture sensors or methods will be demonstrated in field exercises so that producers will get and understanding of moisture use rate of soils on the land area they have under cultivation. The use of atmometer will be discussed in class discussions on each site under the topic of global water quantity and water/ hydrologic cycle. Such instruments will not be expensive and should be easy to use by the participants. Finally, we will also focus on equity in accessing updated information on CSATs. Thus, we envision to expand the boundaries through our trainings, workshops, field days, educations, and outreach activities to promote socially disadvantaged, limited resources beginning farmers and ranchers, veterans particularly those from underrepresented and underserved and minority communities.Goal 5: Training modules on business plan and value-added business plan preparations; financial planning (including Basis of Credit, Balance sheet, Income statement, and Cash flow; and Recordkeeping) will be developed to train beginning farmers, ranchers, veterans, and other SDFRVs for improved credit access. Workshop participants will be exposed to the importance of acquiring knowledge in these business and financial planning tools.Goal 6: Venues for four 3-credit hour regional workshops on agricultural Entrepreneurship Education Digital technologies will be developed both face-to-face and virtually in North Carolina and Georgia each year related to education targeting youth beginning farmers, ranchers, and veterans. Existing modules on Agricultural Education, Agricultural Entrepreneurship, Computer Applications and Digital Technologies will be enhanced to deliver the education training program for approximately, 50 program participants. Dr. Yeboah will lead the Agricultural Entrepreneurship training while Drs. Faulkner and Ekwemalor will lead the Agricultural Education and Computer Applications. They will be supported by Dr. Yeboah's graduate student who is pursuing a PhD in the Application of Data Science to Agriculture. The computer instruction will include Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and Outlook for Email. Fifteen selected beginning youth farmer, rancher, or veteran, who are ready to go into any production agriculture and or natural resource related business activity will receive hands-on training at the North Carolina A&T University Farm and will be provided a stipend up to $1,000/yr. to complete the program. Drs. Gayle and Dari, the leads for the project's natural resource management initiative will be responsible. Goal 7: This project provides veterans with the resources needed to succeed in agriculture. Our database will contain a professional network of veteran's resources. Our AgrAbility-focused partners (NC Assistive Technology Program and Annett Stevenson Consulting Group, a veteran organization) will expand the list of potential and existing community partners with contact information. These two organizations will offer service capacity through innovative educational programs designed to advance individual capabilities, adapt new technologies, and deliver program content through appropriate educational venues. Each year, three regional outreach training events for disadvantaged farmers/ranchers, family members, and veteran farmers focusing on assistive technology, medical resources, disability
Project Methods
The beginning farmer, rancher, veterans, and other SDFRVs training modules will be offered locally face-to-face, and synchronously through webinars. The sessions will be recorded and will be freely available open-source via a one-stop platform. Here the project will share learnings and insights by featuring the work of beginning farmers, ranchers, and other SDFRVs members in blogs, social media, published briefs, presentations, and online events. This will build the capacity of the clients 'Network members to foster and sustain effective collaborations and promote the use of climate smart practices; inclusive and resilient direct marketing strategies including e-marketing; basic livestock management practices; soil health and nutrient management; entrepreneurship and digital technologies; and Assistive technologies and AgrAbility, and the necessary resources. There will also be hands-on training demonstrations on farmer/rancher's field, which include soil water testing, laying out drip irrigation tubes, culling and ear tagging of small ruminants. Classroom trainings, conferences, field days, and policy briefs to lobby state officials.