2020 Model State Program- Texas A&M University

View the project final report

Commodities

• Agronomic: annual ryegrass, barley, buckwheat, canola, clovers, corn, cotton, flax, grass (misc. annual), grass (misc. perennial), grass (turfgrass, sod), hay, hemp, hops, medics/alfalfa, millet, mustard, oats, peas (field, cowpeas), peanuts, potatoes, radish (oilseed, daikon, forage), rapeseed, rice, rye, safflower, sorghum (milo), sorghum (sweet), sorghum sudangrass, soybeans, sugarbeets, sugarcane, sunflower, triticale, vetches, wheat
• Fruits: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, berries (blueberries), berries (brambles), berries (cranberries), berries (other), berries (strawberries), cherries, citrus, figs, grapes, melons, olives, papaya, peaches, pears, persimmon, pineapples, plums
• Nuts: almonds, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia, pecans, pistachios, walnuts
• Vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucurbits, eggplant, garlic, greens (leafy), greens (lettuces), okra, onions, peas (culinary), peppers, radishes (culinary), rutabagas, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips
• Additional Plants: coffee, ginger, ginseng, herbs, native plants, ornamentals, tobacco, trees
• Animals: bees, bovine, equine, fish, goats, poultry, rabbits, shellfish, sheep, swine
• Animal Products: dairy, eggs, fiber, fur, leather, honey, meat
• Miscellaneous: mushrooms, syrup

Practices

• Animal Production: animal protection and health, aquaculture, feed/forage, feed management, feed rations, free-range, genetics, grazing management, grazing - continuous, grazing - multispecies, grazing - rotational, herbal medicines, heritage breeds, homeopathy, inoculants, livestock breeding, manure management, meat processing, meat processing facilities, meat product quality/safety, mineral supplements, parasite control, pasture renovation, pasture fertility, preventive practices, processing regulations, range improvement, rangeland/pasture management, stocking rate, stockpiled forages, vaccines, watering systems, winter forage
• Crop Production: agroforestry, beekeeping, biological inoculants, catch crops, conservation tillage, continuous cropping, contour farming, cover crops, crop improvement and selection, cropping systems, crop rotation, double cropping, drainage systems, drought tolerance, fallow, fertigation, fertilizers, foliar feeding, food processing, food processing facilities/community kitchens, food product quality/safety, forest farming, forestry, forest/woodlot management, grafting, greenhouses, high tunnels or hoop houses, intercropping, irrigation, low tunnels, multiple cropping, municipal wastes, no-till, nurseries, nutrient cycling, nutrient management, organic fertilizers, plant breeding and genetics, pollination, pollinator habitat, pollinator health, postharvest treatment, row covers (for season extension), season extension, seed saving, shade cloth, strip tillage, stubble mulching, terraces, varieties and cultivars, water management, water storage, windbreaks, winter storage, zone till
• Education and Training: decision support system, demonstration, display, extension, farmer to farmer, focus group, mentoring, networking, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research, study circle, technical assistance, workshop, youth education
• Energy: anaerobic digestion, biodiesel, bioenergy and biofuels, biofuel feedstocks, byproduct utilization, energy conservation/efficiency, energy use, geothermal, renewable energy, solar energy, wind power
• Farm Business Management: agricultural finance, agritourism, apprentice/intern training, budgets/cost and returns, business planning, community-supported agriculture, cooperatives, farm-to-institution, farm-to-restaurant, farmers' markets/farm stands, farm succession, feasibility study, financial management, grant making, labor/employment, land access, market study, marketing management, new enterprise development, risk management, value added, whole farm planning
• Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, carbon sequestration, drift/runoff buffers, grass waterways, habitat enhancement, hedges - grass, hedges - woody, indicators, riparian buffers, riverbank protection, soil stabilization, strip cropping, wetlands, wildlife
• Pest Management: biological control, competition, compost extracts, cultivation, cultural control, disease vectors, economic threshold, eradication, field monitoring/scouting, genetic resistance, integrated pest management, mulches - general, mulches - killed, mulches - living, mulching - vegetative, mulching - plastic, physical control, prevention, row covers (for pests), sanitation, trap crops, weather monitoring, weed ecology, weeder geese/poultry
• Production Systems: agroecosystems, aquaponics, dryland farming, holistic management, hydroponics, integrated crop and livestock systems, organic agriculture, organic certification, permaculture, transitioning to organic
• Soil Management: composting, earthworms, green manures, nutrient mineralization, organic matter, soil analysis, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil physics, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: analysis of personal/family life, community development, community planning, community services, employment opportunities, ethnic differences/cultural and demographic change, food hubs, infrastructure analysis, leadership development, local and regional food systems, new business opportunities, partnerships, public participation, public policy, quality of life, social capital, social networks, social psychological indicators, sustainability measures, urban agriculture, urban/rural integration, values-based supply chains

The program involves a multifaceted effort that provides training opportunities for County Extension Agents, FSA personnel, NRCS personnel, producers, and other agricultural professionals and also incorporates concepts of sustainable agriculture in existing, state-wide training efforts. These training opportunities include conferences, field meetings and workshops held at various locations in Texas.

Projects designed to train Extension agents from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Prairie View A&M Cooperative Extension will meet agent's requests for sustainable information to assist local farmers. Concepts of sustainable agriculture have been and will continue to be disseminated through new agents’ training, leadership training, seminars, workshops, farm tours, publications, websites, manuals, videos and other events (e-mail, telephone contacts, farm visits, etc.).

Sustainable agriculture training for agents, agency personnel and mentor farmers should show impacts across Texas with advances in the areas of food and fiber production, environmental awareness and protection, organic, IPM and alternate production methods, marketing, farmer cooperation and development of multi- disciplinary teams to reach common goals. Administrative success stories and awards should reflect these programs teaching sustainable practices.

Extension agents and other Extension personnel will indicate an increased knowledge of sustainable agriculture and sustainable production techniques by reporting contacts, outcomes and narratives regarding educational activities on monthly state-wide reports available to program coordinators in the form of contacts, subject material, narratives, evaluations and on-farm contacts or sustainable demonstration projects.

• Annually conduct training for new employees of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (AgriLife) and the Cooperative Extension Program (CEP) at Prairie View A&M University regarding sustainable agricultural practices and Southern Region SARE programs. Goal of training 20 new employees.
• Annually include USDA - Farm Service Agency (FSA), USDA- Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Credit System personnel in seminars and trainings regarding sustainable agriculture practices and Southern Region SARE programs held locally or on a state-wide basis. Goal of training 20 USDA and Farm Credit personnel.
• Annually participate in three outreach efforts, such as field days and industry conferences, to inform producers and agricultural professionals regarding the SARE program. Goal of reaching 500 agricultural professionals.
• Maintain a website to provide timely and updated information related to SARE and the SARE grant program to Texas clientele. Goal of 500 “hits” on updated website.
• Annually conduct training for Extension agents and agency staffs to learn to instruct socially disadvantaged farmers, landowners and community leaders, including African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, women and persons who have limited resources of land, labor and capital regarding sustainable agriculture practices and Southern Region SARE programs. Goal of training 20 Extension agents and/or agency personnel.