Developing Resilient Agricultural Research and Education System to Enhance Sustainability

For over 30 years, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has used the image of a three-legged stool to define what we mean by sustainable agriculture. The definition comes out of the original 1990 Farm Bill that established the program. The three legs of the stool include research that will enhance the environmental quality of the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends, research that will sustain the economic viability of farm operations, and; research that will enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole. The USDA reports that Socially Disadvantaged Farmers, Ranchers, and producers from underserved communities need a greater connection to technical assistance resources to gain ownership of sustainable and profitable farms. Production costs can be variously affected by sustainable production methods. Labor costs are often higher than in the conventional system. The higher labor costs are often attributed to the increased time required for monitoring and managing pests on sustainable farms. Although Cooperative Extension units provide much-needed information, the fast past of innovation leaves many of these producers out of sync with the federal programs available. The purpose of this Project is to, through partnerships with community-based organizations, non-profits, and governmental entities, develop research and education efforts that employ Experiential and Integrative approaches (Demonstrations, on-farm tours, field days, workshops, and curriculum development) to provide education on improving the well-being and quality of life of over 200 underserved farmers and ranchers, and other socially disadvantaged in North Carolina. The Project will facilitate peer learning and connection while promoting hub members' work and successes by providing a platform for collaborative action. This will include key evidence-based factsheets, blogs, Twitter feeds, community handbooks, community calendars, and community discussions that provide key insight for farm decision-making. Workshop attendees will answer a few survey questionnaires pre –and post-workshops to gauge their understanding. The success of this Project will be measured through evaluation metrics. Evaluation (formative and summative) and program coordination will be integral to the Project. The evaluation provides the basis of evidence-based feedback aligned with the project activities and proposed project outcomes. The formative evaluation approaches include observations, interviews, focus groups, and pre-and post-surveys. The evaluation will deploy an iterative process with rapid feedback cycles to provide just-in-time information and support the project team in making decisions. The team will maintain a web portal through which the Project can leverage ongoing support and ensure that each training session stays on task toward success. In the thorough evaluation process, we will gauge initial learning resulting from the workshops and longer-term outcomes such as improved soil quality to farm strategic, informed decision-making.