Agricultural Community Support Across Boundaries

Agricultural Community Support Across Boundaries

Summary

The goal of this project is to develop a list of actions that are needed to support agriculture and rural communities in Western North Carolina. All organizations have work plans but there are often needed projects that fall between organizational boundaries or require the expertise of several different organizations. Our goal is to agree on the most important projects and to lend support to the organizations that need to come together to accomplish them. A preliminary list of projects was developed in 2005 and is being reviewed by agricultural producers, agricultural communities and policy makers. This project was extended to August 31, 2006.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Goal One:
Provide a setting where creative community and agricultural leaders can work across boundaries
Objective 1-1: Assemble a diverse and cooperative working group.
Objective 1-2: Host a series of meetings to explore problems and opportunities.

Goal Two:
Identify projects related to strategic issues.
Objective 2-1: Assemble background information.
Objective 2-2: Reach agreement on a vision of “agricultural sustainability.”
Objective 2-3: Systematically examine the issues surrounding agricultural sustainability.
Objective 2-4: Select the most promising projects for implementation.

Goal Three:
Conduct outreach to test the strategic concepts.
Objective 3-1: Hold a workshop for policy makers.
Objective 3-2: Obtain feedback from area communities.
Objective 3-3: Prepare and publicize a project report.

Accomplishments/Milestones

A working group was assembled and met several times. Staff supplemented their ideas with concepts from a variety of sources in area communities and elsewhere. A projects list was developed and is being checked with farmers, community leaders, and elected officials. The most promising projects will be taken back to the working group for ranking and to obtain ideas on implementation strategies. A final report will be prepared and publicized.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

This project brought together people that often do not meet. It also helped agricultural and community leaders escape urgent issues for a moment and to focus on the longer range future. It also helped people focus on topics that are “not my job” but are needed to move our agricultural sector forward. As we agree on the most important of these projects, we are hopeful that a group effort will ensure adequate resources and implementation.