Project Overview
Commodities
Practices
Proposal abstract:
The program involves a multifaceted effort that provides training opportunities for County
Extension Agents, FSA personnel, NRCS personnel, producers, and other agricultural
professionals and incorporates concepts of sustainable agriculture in existing, state-wide training
efforts. These training opportunities include conferences, field demonstrations 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 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 alternative 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 onfarm contacts or sustainable demonstration projects.
Project objectives from proposal:
) Forty AgriLife and CEP Agents will increase knowledge in sustainable systems and the
SARE program through participation in PDP activities. Agents will also be introduced to the
SARE grant program and encouraged to submit appropriate proposals as requests for
proposals are called.
2) Thirty USDA and FCS staff will increase knowledge in sustainable systems and grants
available for agriculture producers for establishing sustainable practices on their operations.
3) At least 500 Texas citizens, who are not employed by USDA, will become more
knowledgeable of Sustainable Agriculture practices through active participation in the Texas
Sustainable Agriculture Program. Although certain in-service training sessions will be
limited to USDA employees, farmers and landowners will be invited to participate in most of
the SARE-PDP training programs held in 2023-2024.
4) Although the primary audience is Extension agents and agency staff, 75 socially
disadvantaged farmers, landowners and community leaders including African-Americans,
Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, Alaskan Natives, Refugees, Asians,
Immigrants, military veterans, women and persons who have limited resources of land, labor
and capital, will also be invited and will become more knowledgeable and accepting of
Sustainable Agriculture practices through active participation in the Texas Sustainable
Agriculture Program. At least five of these minority farmers will submit SARE Producer
Grant proposals during 2023-2024.