Transcript Program Overview PowerPoint

Opportunities
for Sustainable
Agriculture
Awareness, Education,
and Implementation
in Idaho and Washington
Developed by Ariel Agenbroad
Today’s Topics
• Present principles of Sustainable Agriculture
appropriate for Small Farms
• Introduce an overview of Cultivating Success
–
–
–
–
–
Background
Goals
Methods
Results
Future
• Invite questions and comments
Sustainable Small Farms are…
• Environmentally sound
–
–
–
–
Promoting biodiversity
Preserving habitat
Conserving natural resources
Reducing dependence on fuel &
chemical inputs
• Economically viable
– Providing a living wage for farmers
and farm workers
– Direct marketing, cooperatives,
alternative crops…buy local!
• Socially responsible
– Contributing to community food
security and positive quality of life
What is Cultivating Success?
A collaborative educational program
for Idaho and Washington State
Started in 2000
And funded through
generous grants from:
USDA Risk Management Agency, USDA SARE,
USDA Higher Education Challenge Grants,
and USDA CSREES Western Center for Risk
Management Education
Goal of Cultivating Success
Create and implement educational
programs to increase the number
and foster the success of
sustainable small acreage farmers
and ranchers in Idaho and
Washington.
Achieving the Goals of CS…
• Offer a series of courses that provide
beginning and existing farmers with
– planning and decision-making tools
– production skills
– support necessary to develop sustainable
small acreage farms
• Connect students with farmers and exposes
them to real world situations
• Use a community-based, experiential
approach
• Courses may be taken alone or in a series for a
Cultivating Success Certificate
Target Audience
• Audiences
–
–
–
–
Academic students
New and experienced farmers
Latino & Hmong farmers
Agricultural professionals
Locations
• Courses are offered through
– University of Idaho & Washington State University
• On Campus
• Compressed Video
• Online Hybrid
– ID and WA Cooperative Extension
• 25+ locations
– On farm
• Short courses
• Apprenticeships
• University Farms
Course Modules
• Overview of Sustainable Small Farms
SUSTAINABLE SMALL ACREAGE FARMING & RANCHING
• Experiential Learning
ON FARM APPRENTICESHIP
• Business Module
AGRICULTURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
• Sustainable Production Module
ORGANIC GARDENING AND FARMING
ORGANIC FARMING PRACTICUM
ECOLOGICAL SOILS MANAGEMENT
SUSTAINABLE SMALL ACREAGE LIVESTOCK
PRODUCTION
• Sustainable Food Systems Module
SCIENCE, SOCIETY AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
FIELD ANALYSIS OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
WORLD AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
Sustainable Small Acreage
Farming & Ranching Overview
• Course details
– Students take a realistic look at their
goals and resources, evaluate what
type of small acreage enterprise is
right for them, and complete a whole
farm plan for the future.
– Course consists of classroom
lecture, guests speakers and farm
tours
– Students have volunteered on a
campus farm in exchange for credit
Sustainable Small Acreage
Farming & Ranching Overview
• Environmental focus:
– Crop rotations
– Cover cropping
– Integrated pest and weed
management
– Grazing and pasture
management
– Waste management plans
– Smart water use
– Soil building and
conservation
Agricultural Entrepreneurship: Building
a Sustainable Small Farm Business
• Course details:
– The “Next Step”
– Hands-on, Ag focused business planning and
market development
– Guest speakers are experienced practitioners
from the community & region
» Students create a working business
plan for their small farm enterprise
On Farm Apprenticeship
• Students work one-on-one with a
farmer-mentor
• Hands-on experience in all aspects
of production and marketing over a
farming season
• Apprenticeship farms are certified instructional
farms (12 trained, 7 sites certified including UI
& WSU organic farms)
• Site-specific curriculum associated with the
operation
• Farmer Mentors receive on-going assistance
Program Results
• Over 25 locations at county Extension offices and
college campuses in WA and ID have offered or are
currently offering Cultivating Success courses
• 913 students have attended at least one Cultivating
Success course (2005 numbers!)
• 81% of participants are
farmers, ranchers,
or agricultural
professionals
Students surveys reveal…
• 100% increased their understanding of
sustainable agriculture after completing
Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and
Ranching Overview
• 100% of these students are likely to use what
they learned on their farms or in their work
• 98% rated the program as effective in potentially
increasing the number and success of small
farms in ID and WA
What are students saying?
“Good development of the
concept of sustainability
and how it can be applied
(and is being applied) to
small farming and
ranching.”
The most important things you learned?
• “Importance of diversity.”
• “Economic value of sustainability.”
• “Importance of knowing about compost and soil
testing.”
• “How to plan and evaluate a sustainable
operation.”
• “Small farmers around the globe share many of
the same challenges.”
The most important things you learned?
“Importance of small farms to the
community and of the community to
small farms – They must be
interconnected to succeed and be
sustainable over time.”
“How interconnected the environment on
the land is…such as looking at insects in
the area, soil quality, water etc. before
choosing the farm site.”
“Farming is about relationships: farm to
earth, bugs to soil, farmers to
customers, farmer to farmer.”
Future of Cultivating Success
• What is the future of small farms?
• Continually survey students,
farmers, ag professionals
• Results consistently identify
barriers to achieving success:
– Prohibitive land and capital costs
– Many consumers are not educated
– Limited access to markets and
processing options for many
Room to grow…
• But many exciting ideas hold promise:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Community Supported Agriculture
Naturally raised meat and dairy
Agritourism
Farmers Markets
Niche Markets
Organics
Looking Back…
• Opportunities for sustainable agriculture
awareness, education and implementation
on Idaho’s Small Farms and Universities
through
– A series of courses designed for (and with)
beginning and experienced farmers, students
and agricultural professionals
– Connecting students with farmers and
real world situations
– Using a community-based, audience driven,
experiential approach
To Find Out More…
www.cultivatingsuccess.org