Entrepreneurial Sustainable Agriculture for Latinx and Limited-resource Producers in Missouri

The field research activities started with an outreach evaluation survey to assess knowledge, skills, and on-ground sustainable systems among 50 Latino producers in 2 regions of Missouri. This initial assessment is helping the program to have a before-program evaluation tool. The program also aims to enhance collaboration with the Missouri-Granjero Cooperative (MGC), where we has a network of Latino farmers and the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture (CCUA) who facilitate training. Data help us to know knowledge and facilitate training that align with sustainable agriculture.

In this first stage, using a mixed-methods approach, we collected data to assess current knowledge and on-ground activities among farmers. This mixed- methods approach consisted of a survey interview to collect cross-sectional data about awareness, skills, knowledge, attitudes towards sustainable agriculture techniques. Simultaneously, we use direct observation qualitative techniques while conducting face-to-face interviews. We also seek to explore photovoice techniques to to interpret.  We are still in the evaluation stage and research analysis of data.  We are striving to replicate that survey in the last quarter of 2024, it will help to assess our impact on adopting sustainable practices among farmers.  We started the educational approach after data collection. Our pilot training to train farmers in sustainable agriculture in the last quarter of 2023. A selection criterion will lead us to select producers for this program. 

This progress report we show data analyzed in SPSS software, still pending is analysis of views and feeling in a qualitative way to identify whether the farmer is willing to implement specific sustainable technologies (soil regenerative techniques, high tunnels systems other climate control techniques). This methodology will also help to identify Latino producers with the best potential to complete the training and implement the new knowledge in their farms. 

In the second stage of the program, we offered a pilot workshop to instruct an Entrepreneurial Sustainable Education approach methodology developed in a previous NCR-SARE program. Our first training was delivered from October to December 2023. The training was in the Spanish language; all participants were Latino farmers. The program will offer an English translator as needed; most of the program personnel are bilingual. We trained 14 farmers in our pilot training, we are going to start another 12 session training in May 2024, then another one in September to achieve our end goal of training 30 farmers in the central west region and in the southwest area of Missouri.

The educational approach proposed will mix three components; a) in-classroom sessions, b) on-farm demonstrations and c) on-ground implementation of sustainable systems. Four in-class workshop-sessions will provide participants with the theoretical tools to enhance their understandings of sustainable agriculture, show them how to access conservation programs such as the NRCS-EQIP, RD and FSA program.

Year 2023.

In 2023, we offered our pilot workshop.

As described in our methodology we followed the Entrepreneurial Sustainable Agriculture educational approach, which offer us flexibility to alternate inside and outside educational activities. For instance, we conducted four in-room sessions, and alternated farm visits then demonstrations activities. We follow the proposed educational model of mixing classroom sessions, farm sessions and on farm activities demonstrations (4-4-4). 

All sessions are designed to address the SARE principles of sustainability as follows:

1. In-room education. It includes the instruction of workshops over four in-class sessions. Information presented at each workshop might be adjusted to guarantee that producers receive the appropriate information to acquire the knowledge and skills to experience and learn about sustainable production methods. Instruction of sessions during the pilot training were as follows:
   1. Module One: Sustainable Agriculture
   2. Module Two: Access to community networks and agribusiness tools
   3. Module Three:  Sustainable management of soil and water (climate change training approach)
   4. module Four: Business model for Sustainable Agriculture 
2. Farm Visits  

1. Farm visit one. Midleton All natural Meat farms
2. Farm Visit Two. Manejo Sustentable de Praderas y Carga Animal en Potreros.
3. Farm visit Three. Nutrición Animal y Manejo Sustentable de
   Forrjes para el Primavera verano- toño-Invierno
4. Farm Visit Four: Implementación de Prácticas Sustenables.

3. On-farm demonstration activities

We selected four farmers to conduct activities on their farm, such as soil testing, cover cropping, and livestock paddock management. in addition, we collected among fifty Latino farmers 50 soil samples, each farmer is being educated on implementing soil management with sustainable/regenerative techniques. Soil samples generally showed very low pH levels, mainly because most farmers receiving soil samples are livestock producers and don't amend their soils or grow grass systems. Still, most don't have soil testing experience and were unaware of lime use to move soil pH to alkaline levels..

On-farm demonstrations. Four on-farm demonstrations exposed participants to sustainable practices. In this first farm visit sessions we mainly focus on livestock producers practices. On-ground implementation activities: On-farm demonstration activities help link Latino producers to on-ground implementation of sustainable farm practices. The program advisory made by co-principal investigators was supportive of on-ground implementation activities, farmers' mentors, and program personnel.

Attached to this progress report is the outline of training in a different region of Missouri. We already have people demanding it.

Pilot training evaluation. An evaluation of the pilot training comes from:

1. An end-of-session evaluation survey was collected at each training session (in-room and on-farm demonstrations).
2. A 'before' and 'after' evaluation survey was included in the evaluation. 

• A short open-question interview was offered to collect perceptions on training and program improvement.

Current evaluation of our fist training observed positive impact on skills and knowledge gained among participants. Below are some evaluation indicators we collect from the 14 participants in the pilot training. 

All participants were male, and most (57.1%) were older than 50 years. 

1. Knowledge of Sustainable Agriculture before training and after training.

We used Likert scale evaluation questions to know the skills and level of knowledge gained after training. Forty-two % of responders reported an increase in skill, knowledge, and awareness on sustainable agriculture after training.  

2. Knowledge of water management before and after training also showed a significant increase of 42.9 %, moving from poor to good skills and knowledge to "very good" knowledge. 

3.  Regarding their gain of knowledge on soil management, we also observed significant increase (57.1%) moving up in a scale from poor knowledge to a very good knowledge after training.

4. knowledge and awareness of climate change was also evaluated. We observed very positive response on this indicators, after training eight farmers (57.1%) of the attendance reported an increase in their perception and knowledge on climate change.

Evaluation charts were attached in the add media link. The format didn't allow us to add tables correctly in this narrative.

Extended no cost extended grant in 2024

Workshops series two and three. The second educational training series will start in the spring (program attached) and will continue until the end of June 2024. a final series will be offered in another region from July to September. Then survey evaluation assessment second round will be collected.

 We have now solved many issues related to the best educational approach to educating Latino farmers and guiding them in implementing sustainable production systems. Similarly, we will be able to have a good number of applications filed at the NRCS-EQIP programs to receive grants to install high panel tunnels and other geothermal practices. We expect a lot of interest in these programs for Latino producers because of the link they create between training, accessing resources, and on-ground implementation of farming activities. Workshop two will teach another 10 Latino producers with the same educational approach used during workshop one training. The Latino Farmers' Advisory group will help to get other farmers involved in this region. We have already received the support and interest of Latino producers in attending the training offered in this program for the spring and fall.