Alcorn State University Model State Program 2023

View the project report

Commodities

• Fruits: berries (strawberries), melons
• Vegetables: carrots, cucurbits, eggplant, greens (leafy), greens (lettuces), okra, onions, peas (culinary), peppers, sweet corn, tomatoes

Practices

• Crop Production: cover crops, crop improvement and selection, crop rotation, fertilizers, greenhouses, high tunnels or hoop houses, intercropping, irrigation, nutrient management, organic fertilizers
• Education and Training: demonstration, display, extension, on-farm/ranch research, technical assistance, workshop, youth education
• Pest Management: biological control, chemical control, cultivation, cultural control
• Production Systems: holistic management
• Soil Management: composting, organic matter, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: community development, urban agriculture

Mississippi Sustainable Agriculture Model Plan of Work is a culmination of the involvement of the State Sustainable Agriculture Committee. This committee is composed of representatives from both 1862 & 1890 Extension Organizations, Federal and State Government Agencies, NGOs, and farmers. Alcorn State University looks to continue the collaborative efforts for sustainable agriculture training through education and outreach programs on relevant topics for Extension agents, NRCS field staff, agriculture professionals, farmers, and landowners. These training programs help build interest and strengthen farm production practices, especially in the areas of soil health management, integrated pest management, home/community gardening, and overall community farm-to-table connections in the food system for underserved communities across Mississippi. Training goals will be reached by means of in-service education, conferences, workshops, demonstrations, field days, field trips, and publications. The different media sources of the stakeholders will also be used to help reach the different focus groups set forth in this plan. Training materials developed by SARE will be incorporated into the training for extension staff. Attendance at National/Regional Conferences will be encouraged as a means of further professional development in sustainable Agriculture. Some training may be conducted jointly between both land grant universities in the state. Evaluation will be done using the logic model by the evaluation team. As a result of these training activities increases knowledge and confidence for farm production in participating agriculture professionals which then translates to an increased ability to assist resource-limited and small farmers in underserved communities across Mississippi.

In 2023, ASU MSP project objectives will focus on training extension agents, agriculture professionals, and farmers to increase knowledge in sustainable agriculture for all farmers throughout Mississippi. To accomplish our mission the specific objectives will be:

1. Continue the existing and establish new extension trainings and programs on new and emerging solutions to address sustainability in small farm production.
2. Increase the knowledge and application of soil health management, integrated pest management, intensive small-scale vegetable production, organic production, and home/community gardening by organizing workshops around the state.
3. Increase the participation of minority, women, and limited resource farmers and professionals for the SARE-funded professional development opportunities.
4. Provide educational materials on sustainable agriculture to extension agents, agriculture professionals, and farmers
5. Develop a broad base of interest and skills in agricultural sustainability among extension agents and other professionals for underserved communities in MS.

Sustainable Agriculture has long been associated with either environmental, organic production, or only limited resource farming practices. While sustainable agriculture encompasses these issues, it involves much more. Traditional agriculture producers benefit and utilize sustainable agriculture practices that prove more economical and/or improve the quality of life and the community in which they live. However, few farmers report a lack of accessible information on sustainable agriculture production practices and also a lack of support from local agricultural agents regarding sustainable agriculture. Extension agents need research-based information on sustainable agricultural production practices to support extension programming in this area.

One training objective is to educate twenty to thirty Extension educators on sustainable agricultural production practices to help support Extension programming with a better understanding of the mission of the S-SARE program: “to expand knowledge and adoption of sustainable agriculture practices that are economically viable, environmentally sound and good for all members of the community.” Demonstration of economically viable and environmentally sound practices that work is the best method to increase the adoption of those practices by farmers. In general, Farmers tend to accept information more readily from other farmers through field days, farm tours, or individual discussions. Other target audiences for this training objective include educators, researchers, commodity organizations, agri-business leaders, community leaders, and the general public with program delivery through workshops, seminars, conferences, in-service training, and mass media. Each committee member has the expertise they share with people they interact with and through participation in group gatherings. Knowledge is often transferred through these individual relationships.

Our State Sustainable Agriculture Committee has determined specific training topics based upon the critical needs of the State.  Many educational programs and research efforts already focus on critical issues of Mississippi and incorporate sustainable agriculture concepts in the programs. In Mississippi, there is a close working relationship between the Universities, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, MS Dept. Ag and Commerce, MS Farm Bureau, Board of Animal Health, Commodity Organizations, and Dept. of Environmental Quality.

Thus, this program will allow us to address a wide audience, including Extension agents, mentor farmers Extension specialists, and NRCS field staff. Such a diverse group will be able to provide our audience with both education and training on sustainable crop production practices. We intend to conduct five hands-on training workshops and twenty to thirty participants at each workshop. Training provides one with a response to a typical or predictable condition, while education provides one with the ability to respond to new and different situations. Therefore, our audience will be knowledgeable in both economic and ecological subjects and will have the tools to make a better decisions.  Educational resources developed by the professionals will be used during the training workshops. The overriding goal of this training is to develop and distribute research-based information on sustainable production strategies that will influence the ability of small-to-mid-size farms to compete and thrive by making decisions to safeguard the In 2023, ASU MSP project objectives will focus on training extension agents, agriculture professionals, and farmers to increase knowledge in sustainable agriculture for small farm production practices.