Professional Development Project: Working with Latino Agricultural Communities

View the project final report

• 2005 annual report

Commodities

Practices

• Education and Training: extension, workshop
• Sustainable Communities: ethnic differences/cultural and demographic change, leadership development, community services

This project’s purpose is to improve the capability of Extension, NRCS and other educators to develop and implement programs for Latino agricultural communities (LAC), including farmers, workers in production and food processing sectors and families. This Illinois-Michigan-Missouri project addresses “Serving Socially Disadvantaged Audiences.” Anticipated short-term outcomes among target audiences include: Greater awareness of characteristics and needs of LAC and of non-traditional methods to reach them; Improved knowledge of Latino communities’ concerns and challenges; Transformation in attitudes towards Latinos; Improved skills to assist Latino farmers/communities to identify and access their needs. Intermediate outcomes: New statewide plans-of-work for LAC in sustainable agriculture (SA); Additional SA and other programs for rural Latinos; Educators seek additional resources regarding Latino culture and communities. Long-term outcomes: Educators include Latinos in regular programming; Extension councils integrate Latino representatives; Increased participation of LAC in Extension/etc. programs. Inputs include: Requested and matching/in-kind funds, including time of Marinez and Garcia; Participants time; Time/resources provided by faith-based and non-profits. Activities: Workshops; Institutes; website with project materials; On-going consultations by project staff. Outputs: Written materials and PowerPoint presentations; New partnerships between Extension/etc., profits and nonprofits, New models for program delivery to LAC. Short-term outcome’s evaluation: pre-/post-test and interviews in awareness, knowledge, attitudes; Self-reporting of educators’ use of new/non-traditional methods. For intermediate outcomes: Reporting number/quality of new programs for Latinos; Educators’ perceptions of value and contributions of LAC; Plans-of-work assessed re programs for Latinos. For long-term outcomes: County progress reports and plan; Administrative support for Latino-oriented programs.

Short-term Outcomes- with respect to the target audience of educators include greater awareness of characteristics and needs of Latino farmers, families and communities; increased knowledge among educators of non-traditional methods to reach these audiences; and increased knowledge of Latino community concerns and challenges. Additional outcomes include participants making transformational changes in attitudes towards Latinos; improving their skills to assist members of Latino agriculture communities via programs offered by Extension, NRCS, and other organizations.

Intermediate Outcomes with respect to Practice and Policies are an increased number of Extension statewide plans of work for educational programs for Latino farmers in sustainable agriculture; a greater number of sustainable agriculture and other educational programs for rural Latinos; and agricultural and other educators seeking additional resources regarding Latino culture and communities.

Long-term Outcomes and Systemic Changes include agricultural and other educators include Latinos in regular programming in sustainable agriculture and related programs; Extension councils integrate Latino representative into decision making and program planning processes; and an increased participation of Latino farmers, producer and food processing workers, youth and families in programs offered by Extension, NRCS, and other organizations.