Empowering Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers to Investigate Nitrogen Management in High-Value Vegetable Crops

Empowering Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers to Investigate Nitrogen Management in High-Value Vegetable Crops

Summary

ALBA’s project, Empowering Socially Disadvantaged Farmers to Investigate Nitrogen Management in High-Value Vegetable Crops, met performance targets, completed deliverables, accomplished milestones, and achieved important outcomes during the reporting period. Nine ‘core’ SDA farmers were engaged in performing their own research in high-value vegetable crops; 66 SDA farmers attended two workshops and one field day event; change of nitrogen fertility management has been verified with 35+ SDA farmers. 

Objectives/Performance Targets

ALBA is on track for completing its deliverables. This includes: 2/2 workshops, 1/1 field day, 9/10 SDA farmer field trials, writing 1/2 adaptive research reports, and 0/1 public presentations on the project. The latter will likely be performed at a Fertilizer and Nutrition class at the local community college during the Spring 2015 semester.

Level of participation:

To date, 66 SDA farmers and agricultural professionals have participated in project trainings.

Quality of learning process:

Formal extensive interviews of three farmers to date have indicated that they are very satisfied with the learning process and that the trainings have had a major impact on how they do their job.  Informal interviews with the rest of the ‘core’ participants has indicated similar results and is verified by observable improvements in their crop management. The rest of the formal interviews will be carried out prior to the second adaptive research report.

Value of learning activities:

The Western SARE survey was administered at the end of each training, i.e., two workshops and one field day. The evaluation response rate has been 80% (53/66). To increase the reach and applicability of the survey, it was translated into Spanish.

Accomplishments/Milestones

Since the project start, more than 500+ farmers and agricultural professionals have been reached with project materials, including two postcard invitations to educational events. One article was published in The Californian related to the project (http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20130603/BUSINESS/306030016).

Direct technical assistance has been provided to nine SDA farmers to perform small fertilizer rate trials in cilantro and kale. Yield data was collected for all of these trials, as well as limited nitrate leaching data for one cilantro field. Furthermore, one replicated experiment was performed in ALBA’s demonstration field that examined the effect of nitrogen fertilizer rate on yield. Furthermore, an estimated 200 hours of technical assistance were provided to improve yield and quality of kale and cilantro reaching 35+ SDA farmers, including 10+ farmers planting these crops for the first time. This includes fertility management with soil tests performed with three farmers and fertilizer recommendations for 35+ farmers.

One workshop on Innovation and Experimentation in Organic Vegetable Crops was held in July 2013 with twenty-two participants in attendance. Two seasoned local farmer mentors were invited to present, Israel Morales (former grower for Earthbound Farms) and Jim Leap (USDA-ARS Field Technician, Beginning Farmer Mentor, and former UCSC CASFS Farm Manager) talked about setting up field trials, the importance of observation and innovation, and gave tips for managing fertility.

One workshop on Organic Nutrient Management was held in July 2013 with twenty-three participants in attendance. This training was presented by Richard Smith (UCCE Monterey County) and Nathan Harkleroad (ALBA) and included a discussion of the environmental and human health consequences of nitrate contamination of surface and groundwater; conventional versus organic approaches to nitrogen fertility; sources of organic nitrogen; timing of application of fertilizer; resources for application rates; and an exercise calculating total applied nitrogen.

One field day on Nitrogen Management in Cilantro was held in September 2014 with twenty-one participants in attendance. This involved observing the replicated treatments in ALBA’s demonstration field. An experienced non-ALBA cilantro grower was invited to share his experience in growing this crop in both conventional and organic systems.

Three farmers were extensively interviewed on their experiences in the project. Their experiences were included in ALBA’s first adaptive research report. Informal interviews were held with all nine ‘core’ participants to date to improve implementation of the project.

One adaptive research report has been generated. It is due to be translated into Spanish, formatted and distributed to ALBA’s network of 500+ SDA farmers and agricultural professionals by the end of February 2015.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Forty-nine SDA farmers and agricultural professionals have reported increased awareness of the training topics. Forty-eight reported that the trainings provided new knowledge; 46 that the trainings provide or modified attitudes and/or opinions. Furthermore, the participants reported that they would share information with at least 275 others. For complete results of the survey, see the attached table “Results of WSARE Outreach Program Survey”.

Specific changes to ‘core’ farmers’ management of these high-value vegetable crops is captured in the adaptive research reports. Among the changes documented include: using soil tests as a basis for nutrient management, nutrient budgeting, and “spoon-feeding” particular crops with liquid fertilizer to maintain crop quality and yield. All of ALBA’s 35+ incubator farmers have received coaching on what are generally considered appropriate application rates of nitrogen fertilizer for commercial production of these crops.

Although anecdotal, several farmers have reported reducing their fertilizer application in short rotation crops (for example, cilantro) that follow heavy feeding crops like broccoli. The reduced need for fertilizer in cilantro was supported by the results of a completely randomized experiment with four replicates in ALBA’s  demonstration field – the focus of the field day event. There was no difference in yield or crop quality with increasing application rates of nitrogen fertilizer. The cilantro had followed a crop of broccoli.

• Photo of Kale and Cilantro at ALBA
• Farmer Martin Rodriguez Participates in ALBA’s Cilantro Field Trial
• Farmer Bertha Hernandez Participates in ALBA’s Kale Field Trial
• WSARE Program Outreach Survey Results

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