Producer Managed Efforts in Marketing of Livestock - Livestock Products

Producer Managed Efforts in Marketing of Livestock - Livestock Products

Summary

This project is proceeding well. There was an advisory committee meeting of multiple stakeholders on May 12, 2004. Representatives from non government groups, farmers, county and university level extension, animal and food science at the universities brainstormed the program topics and then selected program focus points. Since that time, presenters were selected from across the U.S. The project title was changed to better reflect its focus. The program sessions will cover entrepreneurship, food safety, licensing and permits, business planning and market planning. The regional train-the trainer workshop will be held here in Greensboro NC June 21-23, 2005. Communication has gone out to all SARE Coordinators (three times) in the Southern Region inviting them to participate or send representatives.
After the workshop it is expected that people will return to their states and territories to conduct training with the information and program materials presented at the train-the-trainer workshop. Materials and information distributed at the workshop will be available through a website for use and sharing. Evaluation will follow the process through the state level training to county reporting of impacts.
We are working with three consultants to help develop and design the program/ curriculum for use at the regional workshop, to design our website and to assist with the evaluation.

Objectives/Performance Targets

1. 1. After participating in the regional workshop educational programs, at least 25 extension faculty, 20 other agricultural educator- partners will have become informed about issues relating to marketing livestock products. They will then return home and will conduct Extension in-service training and other educational programs in their states and territories so that 500 field faculty and information providers from across the region will become knowledgeable about marketing livestock during the coming year.
   2. Of that number, after participating in the state level educational program, at least 10 extension faculty, 15 farmer partners and 3 non profit group partners who work specifically with limited resource farmers will demonstrate and report educational outreach programs in their counties or with their constituents so that 100 limited resource farmers will be knowledgeable about marketing livestock and livestock products in North and South Carolina, Virginia Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands.
   3. After participating in the educational program 15 sustainable agriculture coordinators or their designated representatives along with 15 partners will bring the information to their states/ territories for dissemination so that at least 2000 additional producers across the Southern region will be able to market livestock and livestock products in a more knowledgeable way or are able to dialogue with regulators and legislators about rules and regulations governing such marketing.

Accomplishments/Milestones

Campus Team established.
Core team established and functioning.
Curriculum, website and evaluation plan designed and functioning.
Regional workshop planned (agenda) and advertised (announcements).

Collaborators: