Texas A&M University Training Grant- MSP22

View the project final report

Commodities

• Agronomic: annual ryegrass, barley, canola, clovers, corn, cotton, grass (misc. annual), grass (misc. perennial), grass (turfgrass, sod), hay, hemp, medics/alfalfa, millet, oats, peas (field, cowpeas), peanuts, potatoes, radish (oilseed, daikon, forage), rice, rye, sorghum (milo), sorghum (sweet), sorghum sudangrass, soybeans, sugarbeets, sugarcane, sunflower, triticale, vetches, wheat
• Fruits: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, berries (blueberries), berries (other), berries (strawberries), citrus, figs, grapes, melons, olives, papaya, paw-paws, peaches, pears, persimmon, plums, quinces
• Nuts: almonds, chestnuts, 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: herbs, native plants, ornamentals, trees
• Animals: bees, bovine, equine, fish, goats, poultry, rabbits, shellfish, sheep, swine, variety of fish
• Animal Products: dairy, eggs, fiber, fur, leather, honey, meat
• Miscellaneous: mushrooms, syrup

Practices

• Animal Production: animal protection and health, aquaculture, feed/forage, feed additives, feed formulation, feed management, feed rations, free-range, genetics, grazing management, grazing - continuous, grazing - multispecies, grazing - rotational, inoculants, livestock breeding, manure management, meat processing, meat processing facilities, meat product quality/safety, mineral supplements, parasite control, pasture renovation, pasture fertility, preventive practices, probiotics, processing regulations, range improvement, rangeland/pasture management, stocking rate, stockpiled forages, vaccines, watering systems, winter forage
• Crop Production: application rate management, beekeeping, biological inoculants, conservation tillage, cover crops, crop improvement and selection, cropping systems, crop rotation, double cropping, drainage systems, drought tolerance, fallow, fertilizers, food processing, food processing facilities/community kitchens, food product quality/safety, grafting, greenhouses, high tunnels or hoop houses, intercropping, irrigation, low tunnels, no-till, nurseries, nutrient cycling, nutrient management, organic fertilizers, plant breeding and genetics, pollination, pollinator habitat, pollinator health, postharvest treatment, shade cloth, strip tillage, varieties and cultivars, water management, water storage, winter storage
• Education and Training: decision support system, demonstration, display, extension, farmer to farmer, mentoring, networking, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research, study circle, technical assistance, workshop, youth education
• Energy: biodiesel, bioenergy and biofuels, energy conservation/efficiency, renewable energy, solar energy
• Farm Business Management: agricultural finance, agritourism, budgets/cost and returns, business planning, community-supported agriculture, farm-to-institution, farm-to-restaurant, farmers' markets/farm stands, financial management, market study, marketing management, risk management, value added, whole farm planning
• Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, carbon sequestration, drift/runoff buffers, grass waterways, habitat enhancement, riparian buffers, riverbank protection, soil stabilization, wetlands, wildlife
• Pest Management: biological control, competition, cultural control, mulches - general, physical control
• Production Systems: organic agriculture, organic certification, transitioning to organic
• Soil Management: composting, earthworms, organic matter, soil analysis, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: analysis of personal/family life, community development, local and regional food systems, new business opportunities, public participation, public policy, quality of life, urban agriculture, urban/rural integration

Texas’ Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Committee meets annually to oversee the state program for training agricultural professionals in concepts of sustainable agriculture. 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.

Another approach of the Texas Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Committee is to support travel of selected professionals to regional and national conferences on sustainable agriculture, with the intent of participants gaining knowledge and skills that they will share with other agricultural professionals in Texas.

Program evaluation will be accomplished with pre- and post-tests designed to measure knowledge gained by participating in educational programs. A subset of attendees will be mailed an additional survey instrument four to eight months after the training to determine if participants have adopted any of the sustainable concepts presented. The aim of the evaluation is to assess knowledge gained and to determine whether new knowledge will be applied in future programs for their clientele.

1) 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.

2) 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.

3) 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.

4) 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.

5) 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.