2020 Model State Program- University of Tennessee

View the project final report

Commodities

• Animals: bovine, goats, sheep, swine
• Animal Products: meat

Practices

• Animal Production: meat processing, meat processing facilities, meat product quality/safety
• Farm Business Management: agritourism, budgets/cost and returns, financial management

The University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University wish to continue the sustainable agriculture training the SARE program offers to Extension agents, specialists and other agriculture professionals. In
meeting training needs we will look to gather input from regional agriculture program leaders, Extension agents, program partners, producers and continued input from the state SARE Advisory Committee. The program assistant will continue to focus upon promoting/awareness of the SARE program. The state co-coordinators working with the program assistant will begin seeking out and providing opportunities for more in-depth training related to sustainable agriculture. This will help to develop training with a more direct program focus. All training opportunities provided will be in-line with the mission of SARE:
Profitability for the farm
Taking care of the water and land resources on the farm
Providing a quality of life that looks to research and education

We will also work with agriculture professionals that find other training opportunities to participate in as long as these trainings relate to the mission of the SARE program. These will be treated on a case-by-case basis and the determination of these trainings in meeting the mission of SARE will be determined by the state co- coordinators and the program assistant. All trainees will be required to report on their training opportunities so program impact can be determined and reported. Impacts will be provided in the annual SARE report and the proper Extension reporting areas.

Extension Agents, Specialists and other agriculture professionals (trainers) will be provided training that relates to and teaches them about sustainable agriculture. These teaching methods will be via in-service trainings, tours, conferences, educational meetings and participation in professional development activities that will center around the message of sustainability in today's agriculture environment. The expected outcomes of participants will be an increase in knowledge and awareness levels relating to sustainable agriculture, thus enabling the trainers to better communicate the benefits of sustainability to the clients they serve. The overall objective of this program is to relate to the producer/landowner the ideas of SARE: profitability of the farm over time, taking care of the soil, water and other resources and the overall quality of life to be enjoyed while involved in agriculture pursuits.