Performing Department
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Non Technical Summary
Many agencies serve Oklahoma Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (BFRs), but no systematic and collaborative effort currently exists to develop new BFRs. This project will establish such a program and strengthen Oklahoma agriculture through activites focusing on experiential learning, apprenticeships, and mentorship of underserved BFRs. The primary emphasis will be supporting new specialty crop producers within the scale of $10,000 - $100,000 in sales to become more viable businesses and launching first time indigenous BFRs into sustainable farm businesses. Our program will work with farm apprentices and mentees to address the need to grow more growers and scale farms beyond $100,000 in gross sales. This project was developed through feedback and support from partners including numerous beginning farmers, BIPoC producers, and tribal nations. All project elements were identified based on feedback from a series of meetings held with stakeholders during the planning process. This program brings together multiple partners including Oklahoma State University, College of the Muscogee Nation, the OKC Food Hub, and others, to develop resilient farm enterprises to strengthen our rural and urban communities. Three primary objectives include: 1) To aggregate existing resources, develop new educational content to launch new farm or ranch enterprises including content specific to Mvskoke people and other Oklahoma indigenous communities, 2) Supporting and strengthening existing BFRs towards increased operational sustainability with emphasis on business planning for socially disadvantaged BFRs, and 3) Develop the partnerships, peer networks, resources, and program infrastructure to launch new BFRs and to sustainexisting early career BFRs through training camps, apprencticships, and mentorships.
Animal Health Component
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Research Effort Categories
Basic
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Applied
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Developmental
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Goals / Objectives
The primary goal of the project is to create a sustainable beginning farmer and rancher (BFR) development program in Oklahoma with special emphasis on underserved populations. Three primary objectives include: 1) Developing educational resources Oklahoma BFRs need for establishing new farm or ranch enterprises, 2) Supporting and strengthening existing BFRs towards increased operational sustainability with emphasis on socially disadvantaged BFRs, and 3) Developing the partnerships, resources, and program infrastructure needed to launch new, and to sustain existing early career BFRs.This new program will involve strategic partnership between OSU and the CMN. The program will address six of the BFRDP program priorities including: (a) Entrepreneurship and business training; (b) Financial and risk management training, including the acquisition and management of agricultural credit; (c) Diversification and marketing strategies, (d) Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships, (e) Food safety and recordkeeping, and;(f) economic revitalization, particularly in socially disadvantaged communities.The three primary objectives of the project include: Objective 1: To develop educational resources Oklahoma BFRs need for developing a new farm or ranch enterprises. This will be accomplished by: (a) Development of OSU/CMN BFR Websites and continued expansion of available resources such as new fact sheets, and other educational materials for Oklahoma BFR PREVIEW Date: Apr 03, 2024 Workspace ID: WS01242746 Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NIFA-BFR-010413 6 clientele: https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/beginning-farmer-and-rancher/, (b) Facilitation of a BFR Webinar Series - post COVID programming has shown that a combination of both online resources and in-person workshops is preferred by most people. This allows for more content delivery given people's busy schedules and limited travel resources. Each of the 10 webinars will reach 30 people plus additional downloads totaling an estimated 600 BFRs. (c) Facilitation of two BFR Bootcamp trainings - focusing on both production and economic/policy topics reaching 100 BFRs. Objective 2: Supporting and strengthening existing BFRs towards increased operational sustainability with emphasis on socially disadvantaged BFRs. This will be accomplished by: (a) Work with the CMN, the Delaware Nation, and Osage Nation to identify community members for BFR bootcamp participation with emphasis on socially disadvantaged BFRs. (b) Facilitating a BFR Conference in partnership with the CMN and other partners. Objective 3: Develop the partnerships, resources, and program infrastructure needed to launch new BFRs and to sustain early career BFRs. This will be accomplished by: (a) Development of the 7-month small-farm apprenticeship program including 24 participants over 2 years. (b) Development of a farm mentorship program formally matching 20 BFRs with a mentor for a year.
Project Methods
The approach undertaken by this project will follow a funnel approach. With the assumption that the level of depth, and the duration of the learning experience play a key role in moving BFRs along the path from interest in farming (Category 1 producers) to operating successful farm enterprises. The five project outcomes go from broad support to targeted efforts that help to move participants from an interest in farming toward the goal of farm ownership.For the success of a comprehensive Oklahoma BFR development program, we must consider how to provide robust learning experiences, opportunities for application of that learning, facilitated reflection, and individual conceptualization of ideas within the context of a supportive environment. This project will offer robust learning experiences in the form of virtual seminars, short courses, boot camps, and apprenticeship programs. Participants will have the opportunity toapply concepts by participating in strategic activities such as developing business plans and working on farms through apprenticeships. Participants will have the opportunity for reflection through participation in a BFR conference, and mentorship program. As BFRs participate in these activities, they will be supported in conceptualization and implementation of practices as they develop their enterprises.This project will use the theory of Experiential Learning (Kolb, 2015) to guide the development of educational activities. The philosophical roots of Experiential Learning are foundational to Extension and agriculturally based education broadly. Seaman Knapp, who is considered the father of the Cooperative Extension system, is known for introducing the model of demonstration into agricultural education and John Dewey is generally credited with developing the term Experiential Learning based largely on his book, Experience, and Education (Dewey, 1938). Coleman's (2022) Holistic Model of Experiential Learning, frames participant learning in the process, context of the learning environment, and the learning experience is framed by its level of intensity, duration, setting, and intended outcome, as well as the level of learner autonomy, and the influence of the instructor and peers. This model provides an excellent framework for conceptualizing the many elements at work in developing a robust experiential learning program for BFRs in Oklahoma and will be the guiding method for this project.Both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected during training programs to measure attitudes/perceptions, knowledge gain or change in behavior.This project will conform to USDA's policy on dissemination and sharing of results. Expected data will include: Primary data generated through participant surveys, questionnaires, and qualitative assessments. Examples of data may include participant demographic information, pre/post assessments, changes in attitudes, qualitative statements, and financial records from business planning. Data formats will include both raw and processed formats. For all primary data, the project team will ensure that IRB approval is attained and that the IRB requirements for storage, sharing, management, and dissemination of data are met. Data sharing, protection, and public access methods will include: Providing data upon request after peer review and publication or according to journal data sharing policies for any data published in conference proceedings or archival journals. Under University policy, the results of University Projects must be publishable, and researchers engaged in the project will be permitted to present at symposia, and national or regional meetings, and to publish in journals. Partners will have copies of any proposed publication or presentation at least thirty days in advance of the submission of such proposed publication or presentation to a journal, editor, or other third party. The annual reports will include progress on data sharing, publications, educational materials, etc.