Model State Program - Program Assistant - Georgia

View the project final report

Commodities

• Agronomic: buckwheat, clovers, hemp, oats, peas (field, cowpeas), rye, sorghum sudangrass
• Fruits: berries (blueberries), berries (brambles), melons, peaches
• Nuts: pecans
• Vegetables: beans, cucurbits, greens (leafy), greens (lettuces), onions, peppers, sweet corn, tomatoes
• Additional Plants: ginger, native plants
• Animals: bovine, poultry
• Animal Products: eggs, meat
• Miscellaneous: medicinal herbs

Practices

• Animal Production: feed/forage, feed management, free-range, grazing management, grazing - rotational, pasture renovation, range improvement, rangeland/pasture management
• Crop Production: conservation tillage, cover crops, crop improvement and selection, cropping systems, crop rotation, food product quality/safety, high tunnels or hoop houses, irrigation, no-till, nutrient management, organic fertilizers, postharvest treatment, season extension, water management
• Education and Training: demonstration, display, extension, farmer to farmer, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research, technical assistance, workshop
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns, business planning, farm-to-institution, farm-to-restaurant, farmers' markets/farm stands, financial management, marketing management, new enterprise development, whole farm planning
• Natural Resources/Environment: soil stabilization, strip cropping
• Pest Management: biological control, cultivation, cultural control, disease vectors, field monitoring/scouting, genetic resistance, integrated pest management, mulches - general, row covers (for pests)
• Production Systems: organic agriculture, organic certification, transitioning to organic
• Soil Management: composting, nutrient mineralization, organic matter, soil analysis, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: local and regional food systems, sustainability measures, urban agriculture

The SARE Advisory Committee had a conference call on February 5, 2021 to discuss committee memberships, review activities for the year, and discuss future training needs. The SARE Logic Model training objectives are conservation tillage systems, organic production, grazing-based animal production systems, composting, direct marketing, and local food systems. The Committee decided upon trainings and conferences to support for the upcoming year that would address several of the SARE Logic Model training objectives. Specifically, the Committee felt that more opportunities needed to be present for training in organic peanut production, cover crops and conservation tillage, grazing, online marketing for farms, GAP programs, and grazing production systems.   In addition, travel support for Extension agents to attend conferences (National Grazing Lands Conference) were discussed. All of these activities increase knowledge and confidence in participating agriculture professionals which then translates to an increased ability to assist organic, resource-limited, and small farmers.

The SARE Advisory Committee had a conference call on February 17, 2022 to discuss committee memberships, review activities for the year, and discuss future training needs. The SARE Logic Model training objectives are conservation tillage systems, organic production, grazing-based animal production systems, composting, direct marketing, and local food systems. The Committee decided upon trainings and conferences to support for the upcoming year that would address several of the SARE Logic Model training objectives. Specifically we discussed holding joint in-field education programs between FVSU, UGA and the Rodale institute as well as separate hands-on training in hoop houses/high tunnels at the UGA Horticulture Farm. FVSU is also planning a GAP certification training program that we will support. A smaller cover crop training program has been planned for June our facility in Cordele, GA, featuring warm season cover crops. Further, we will continue to support the Journeyman Farmer Program that is designed to advance beginning farmers and ranchers in Georgia.

The long-term goal of the Georgia Model State Program is “increased use of sustainable agriculture practices by producers at multiple scales supported by a knowledgeable network of agricultural professionals ensuring a high proportion of diverse, profitable, and environmentally-friendly farm operations."  We plan to accomplish this by hosting workshops and educational opportunities, and offering scholarships to Extension agents and specialists, agricultural professionals, NRCS personnel, agricultural and environmental researchers, and community leaders.  The SARE Advisory Committee has used the Georgia Model State Program Logic Model to identify the following six areas of focus for training workshops and scholarships: conservation tillage systems, organic production, grazing based animal production systems, composting, direct marketing, and local food systems.