Project Overview
Commodities
- Vegetables: General vegetable production
- Additional Plants: cut flowers, ornamentals, Plants used for dyes
Practices
- Crop Production: fertigation, high tunnels or hoop houses, irrigation
- Education and Training: display, extension, networking, workshop
- Pest Management: cultivation, cultural control
- Production Systems: hydroponics
- Soil Management: soil analysis, soil quality/health
- Sustainable Communities: community services, food hubs, public participation, sustainability measures, urban agriculture
Proposal abstract:
The University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University look to continue the sustainable agriculture training the SARE program offers to Extension agents, specialists and other agriculture professionals. In meeting training needs we gather input from regional agriculture program leaders, Extension agents, program partners, producers and others, along with state co-coordinators. The program assistant will promote awareness of the SARE program, along with a secondary focus on the SARE grant programs, encouraging utilization and promotion of this program while tracking grant recipients within the state. The state co-coordinators working with the program assistant will seek to provide 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 overall mission of SARE.
We will work with agriculture professionals that find other training opportunities to participate in as long as these trainings relate to the mission of SARE. 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 Extension reporting areas. Department information sheets will be developed on major program impacts/research.
We wish to re-vamp our advisory committee to include new members and others willing to assist with program planning and promotion.
Project objectives from proposal:
- SARE Promotion of Agriculture Planning Days, Professional
Development Association Meetings, and other events to promote the
TN SARE Program – Opportunities to promote, educate and offer
ideas about the SARE program in TN are valuable to continue to
expand the program. These planning days and events will be used
to accomplish these goals. Reports on previous sustainable
agriculture programs conducted, giving Extension Agents the
opportunity to speak about their sustainable agriculture
opportunities, and our SARE display at these meetings and events
will be helpful in promotion of SARE. Included in this
budget is travel expense for the Program Assistant to attend
these events. - Sustainable Agriculture Trainings for Agriculture
Professional will provide an opportunity for up to six
professionals to attend sustainable agriculture trainings - these
trainings will feature the Pick TN Conference and a 2-day farm
tour of sustainable agriculture farms in Tennessee. Farms
to visit will represent a cross-section of various sustainable
agriculture enterprises. This tour may be done on a
regional basis over the next three years, or just various places
across the state. These visits will provide agriculture
professionals the opportunity to see and learn from these
different farm ventures. - These educational opportunities for agriculture professionals
will focus on trainings designed by the SARE program assistant,
such as the Sustainable Agriculture Training held annually the
day before Pick TN. The second day of this training is held
at the Pick TN Conference and allows agents to spend one day at
the conference learning about different subjects relating to
sustainable agriculture. Various speakers include Extension
personnel, industry representatives and producers. Other
professional opportunities will be considered for trainees to
attend such as the SOWN Conference (the new SSWAG to begin in
2025), the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference, as
well as other closely related trainings and activities. - In each of these areas we will work with Tennessee State
University to reach Extension Agents and Specialists who may have
an interest in these training and professional development
activities.