Puerto Rico 2023-2024 MSP - Program Assistant

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Commodities

• Agronomic: sunflower
• Fruits: melons
• Vegetables: beans, broccoli, carrots, cucurbits, eggplant, greens (lettuces), okra, peppers, radishes (culinary), sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes
• Additional Plants: herbs

Practices

• Crop Production: catch crops, conservation tillage, contour farming, cover crops, crop improvement and selection, crop rotation, drought tolerance, fertigation, fertilizers, intercropping, irrigation, no-till, nutrient cycling, nutrient management, organic fertilizers, pollination, row covers (for season extension), varieties and cultivars, water management
• Education and Training: demonstration, display, extension, mentoring, networking, on-farm/ranch research, technical assistance, workshop, youth education
• Farm Business Management: agricultural finance, budgets/cost and returns, business planning, e-commerce, farm-to-restaurant, financial management, grant making, labor/employment, marketing management, new enterprise development, risk management, value added
• Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, habitat enhancement, soil stabilization
• Pest Management: biological control, botanical pesticides, chemical control, compost extracts, cultivation, cultural control, disease vectors, field monitoring/scouting, mulches - general, mulching - vegetative, mulching - plastic, physical control, prevention, traps
• Production Systems: agroecosystems, organic agriculture, organic certification, transitioning to organic
• Soil Management: composting, organic matter, soil analysis, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: community services, leadership development, partnerships, quality of life, social networks, sustainability measures

The scope of the proposed work is to educate and develop capacities and competencies using different learning methods to promote sustainable agriculture practices among extension faculty members and local farmers and producers. We will emphasize resilience as a tool for sustainable agriculture when facing the effects caused by climate change and the consequences of natural disasters. Puerto Rico depends on the importation of most of its food (85%), with the particularity of having first quality land and excellent weather conditions throughout the year favorable for the growth of multiple crops. We want to offer tools to all participants so that they obtain the skills and competencies to produce with greater economic viability in their operations and in harmony with the environment. As part of the learning strategies, the Puerto Rico Agricultural Extension Service (PRAES) will use the demonstration of methods, field days and excursions to show and encourage the implementation of sustainable practices to preserve natural resources for present and future generations.

The funds will be used to promote sustainable agriculture using different learning approaches and methodologies.

1. Course in farm administration with an emphasis in sustainability components. This course is for farmers and ranchers, we estimate the participation of 30 local farmers and ranchers. This course will consist of six (6) different meetings to complete 30 contact hours. Educational resources will have mileage and per diem expenses covered. The topics that we are going to teach include:

1. The Importance of the Agriculture Sector
2. Risk Management in agribusiness
3. Inventory
4. Balance Sheet
5. Pay roll and employer obligations
6. Income and Expenses
7. Cash Flow, Budget
8. Basic concepts of Marketing
9. Perspective of sustainable agriculture in programs of the PRAES

In the final day we will invite other government agencies to promote their programs, including USDA - FSA and NRC, PR Department of Agriculture, and share what SARE offers.

2. From Conventional to Sustainable - Transitioning Topics (New group). Through a questionnaire we will establish the level of knowledge, experience, and skills. Train the trainer’s capacity building will define sustainable agriculture, organic, agroecology, environmentally friendly, tropical, and the effects of climate change over agricultural production.

Process for sustainable certification – certified natural process – development of process by farmers from the ground up with support of PRAES Faculty. The topics are Soil fertility: Management, compost, cover crops, organic matter, chemistry, soil chemistry, physics, and biology.

Integrated Plague Management: natural and biorational plague management. Land and Water conservation techniques: engineering and agronomic. Seed production: local varieties. This initiative will last six days, including graduation and participant certification. It will provide 30 contact hours with classroom and field work. Participants will meet every three weeks. Participants consist of 15 Extension Faculty and 5 lead farmers. No more than twenty persons. Audience and educational resources will have mileage and per diem expenses covered.

3. The project will promote sustainable practices in the bean crop production for small producers. Bean crops are a valuable source of protein and fiber for the human diet. This crop is very popular in the Puerto Rico’s daily diet. The frequent consumption of string beans has many benefits for human health. In terms of sustainable practices, beans contribute to restore nitrogen to the soil and improve its quality. This crop also will be using as a rotational crop and cash crop given the opportunities to the producer to maintain an inflow and improve soil properties. To carry out this objective will be planning to establish two demonstrative fields. The first one at the Gurabo Experimental Station of the University of Puerto Rico and the other in a private farm (to be determined). The main objective of those demonstrative fields is to show and promote sustainable practices and the proper management in sustainability practices. We expect to increase the level of conscience in participants, using different demonstrative outreach methods. Extension faculty will have mileage and per diem expenses covered.