1995 Annual Report for ENC95-004
Local Sustainable Agriculture Team Building: A Sustainable Agriculture Training Model
Summary
The Michigan Team consisted of agricultural agents, NRCS field personnel, and professional farmers. There were actually two teams working concurrently with funding from North Central Region SARE, local funds, and Great Lakes Protection Fund monies. Farmers, ag agents, and NRCS personnel experientially learning sustainable farm management proved an exciting education format.
Many nonconventional sources were used as educational tools. Teams learned Holistic Resource Management and spent several days learning "community" from the Amish in central Ohio. The second team consisted of 36 equipment dealers, technicians, ag agents and farmers enrolled in several learning opportunities, including a trip to Ontario, Canada to visit several innovative farming and farm produce processing facilities. The three-day tour culminated with a visit to the Ontario Outdoor Machinery Show, including a stop and discussion on alternative crops.
The team approach allows reciprocal discussion and an "everyone a teacher, everyone a learner" attitude by the participants. This approach would work well in any learning situation, but seems especially useful in furthering sustainable agriculture education.
North Central Region SARE 1996 Annual Report.