2003 Annual Report for CS03-012
Sustainable Agriculture Innovations Lead to Rural Success
Summary
Canutillo, Texas, is a rural community located in El Paso County that is struggling to create economic development opportunities for its farm and non-farm businesses. The community, in many ways has lost its relationship to agriculture, forgetting that to build on the innovations in agriculture is to build the future for rural America. The Canutillo Independent School District (CISD) has stepped forward in a leadership role to solicit community input in the development of a strategy that links sound farm and non-farm economic development with sustainable agriculture and natural resource development. CISD implemented the Sustainable Agriculture Innovations Lead to Rural Success (SAILS) Project. The District was awarded $10,000 to develop an economic strategy through a series of community outreach sessions. The SAILS project is designed to solicit community input for the development of an economic plan that capitalizes on sustainable agriculture innovations revolving around the creation of an agricultural science and research center. Led by the local school district, the developed economic strategy will promote awareness of the successful link between agriculture and the community, contain elements of training for current and future agriculture employees, provide an agriculture business incubator, create a community center focal point for attraction of capital, and identify related community issues such as health, nutrition, and quality of life. A convened Advisory Group will collect input on activities, to include the creation of an agriculture science and research center at CISD, which recognizes and promotes the economic, environmental, and social interdependence between agriculture production and rural communities. The agriculture science and research center will be the focal point to educate and train youth and producers, develop and incubate entrepreneurial businesses related to agriculture in the community, and create a county-wide awareness about sustainable agriculture through identified activities. A plan will be developed from the collected information and presented to the community and the CISD Board of Trustees for adoption. This blueprint for economic development through sustainable agriculture will be disseminated across Texas for duplication in other rural communities.
Objectives/Performance Targets
Goal 1: Creation of a community development economic strategic plan, project SAILS, that identifies, promotes and links sustainable agriculture and community development through the creation of an agricultural science and research center.
Objective 1: Develop an improved understanding of the mutual benefits of sustainable agriculture to the rural Canutillo community and El Paso County at large.
Status: The Canutillo Independent School District has created the Sustainable Texas Agriculture Research (STAR) Advisory Group. This advisory group will develop outreach sessions on April 4, 2004.
Objective 2: Enhance opportunities for area farmers and ranchers to improve and/or develop sustainable agriculture practices.
Status: The Canutillo Independent School District has created the Sustainable Texas Agriculture Research (STAR) Advisory Group. This advisory group will develop outreach sessions on April 4, 2004. The outreach sessions will provide the necessary information to enhance opportunities for area farmers and ranchers to improve and/or develop sustainable agriculture practices.
Objective 3: Provide Education and training to high school students and incumbent workers in high tech. sustainable agriculture programs.
Status: The Canutillo Independent School District has created the Sustainable Texas Agriculture Research (STAR) Advisory Group. This advisory group will develop outreach sessions on April 4, 2004. The outreach sessions will provide the necessary information to provide education and training to high school students and incumbent workers in high tech. sustainable agriculture programs.
Objective 4: Develop a community center focal point for revenue generation.
Status: The focal point for revenue generation will be the Canutillo Agricultural Science and Research Center. Currently, Canutillo Independent School District has secured approximately $425,000 for planning, curriculum development and construction of the center. Additionally, the STAR Advisory group and the Canutillo Independent School District are establishing a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in order to solicit additional funding from private foundations specifically for the agricultural science and research center.
Objective 5: Identify related community issues such as health, nutrition, and quality of life and link sustainable agriculture.
Status: The Canutillo Independent School District has created the Sustainable Texas Agriculture Research (STAR) Advisory Group. This advisory group will develop outreach sessions on April 4, 2004. The outreach sessions will provide the necessary information to identify related community issues such as health, nutrition, and quality of life and link sustainable agriculture.
Goal 2: Develop and implement Outreach plan.
Objective: Creation of a template for economic development through sustainable agriculture.
Status: The Canutillo Independent School District has created the Sustainable Texas Agriculture Research (STAR) Advisory Group. This advisory group will develop outreach sessions on April 4, 2004. The outreach sessions will provide the necessary information to create a template for economic development through sustainable agriculture.
Planned Activities/Timeline:
The Canutillo Independent School District will complete the following activities by the specified dates. First, community outreach sessions will be scheduled at the April 2, 2004 STAR Advisory Group meeting. The outreach sessions will be conducted between April and August 2004. The advisory group will collect and synthesize information gathered from the session in September 2004. The budget for the plan will be finalized in October 2004. Resources are currently being identified and will continue to be identified through March 2005. The Final Sustainable Agriculture plan will be created by November 2004. The plan will be presented to the community in December 2004, and community input will be solicited until January 2005. The plan will be adopted in February 2005. The proposed plan will be presented to rural Texas communities and agriculture teacher community between January 2005 and March 2005. Additionally, information regarding the progress of the pan will be available on the Canutillo ISD web-site beginning in January 2005.
Accomplishments/Milestones
The SAILS advisory group was formed, and was named the Sustainable Texas Agriculture and Research (STAR) Advisory Group. Mr. Tedd Richardson and Laure Searls have been named Co-Chairs for the advisory group. Under the co-chairs are the Economic Development (outreach sessions, curriculum / planning, Organizations: FFA, 4-H, ect.), Finances (501(c)(3) Project Finances, Fund Raising Review), Fundraising (grants, donations, referrals, project phases, events), Public Relations (logo, letterhead, video, pamphlets, advertising: billboards, TV, radio, etc.) and Facility (Land preparation, contractors, classrooms, labs) Committees. Combined, these committees will provide the necessary information for the finalized sustainable agriculture economic plan. Additionally, the advisory group has been and will continue to meet on a bimonthly basis.
Research has been and will continue to be conducted. CISD visited an agriculture center in San Antonio. External funding opportunities have been researched and solicitation of external funding will continue. Also, CISD is planning on attending the SARE and Urban Agriculture Conferences in 2004.
Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes
The outcomes of the SAILS Project are tangible in the creation of a template document that can be followed for implementation. The outcomes are intangible in the heightened awareness and appreciation of a community and a county on the importance of agriculture innovations and practices to their economic and social well-being.
The two desired outcomes of the SAILS Project are: 1. To strengthen agriculture and southern communities through explicit linkages between sustainable agriculture and community development; and 2. To improve understanding of the benefits of such linkages.
With regard to the first outcome, CISD has created the SAILS Advisory group (Sustainable Texas Agriculture Research Advisory Group), and has facilitated community discussions on sustainable agriculture as a methodology for community economic development.