2018 University of Guam PDP Project

Project Overview

WSP17-006
Project Type: PDP State Program
Funds awarded in 2017: $39,999.70
Projected End Date: 12/31/2019
Grant Recipient: University of Guam
Region: Western
State: Guam
State Coordinators:
Dr. L. Robert (Bob) Barber, Jr.
University of Guam Cooperative Extension Service
Co-Coordinators:
Mark Acosta
University of Guam, Cooperative Extension

Information Products

Sheet Mulching (Fact Sheet)

Commodities

  • Agronomic: radish (oilseed, daikon, forage), sugarcane
  • Fruits: bananas, berries (other), citrus, figs, papaya, Soursop, breadfruit, pomegranate, jackfruit, avocado, mango, sweetsop, coconut, tamarind, ice cream beam tree
  • Nuts: seeded breadfruit, pacific almond
  • Vegetables: beans, cabbages, cucurbits, eggplant, greens (leafy), greens (lettuces), okra, onions, peppers, radishes (culinary), sweet potatoes, taro, tomatoes, morongai (horse radish tree), chaya (tree spinach), malabar spinach, water spinach (kang kong)
  • Additional Plants: coffee, ginger, herbs, trees, nitrogen fixing and mulch producing trees
  • Animals: fish, poultry
  • Animal Products: eggs, meat

Practices

  • Crop Production: agroforestry, alley cropping, contour farming, cover crops, crop improvement and selection, cropping systems, crop rotation, forest farming, intercropping, irrigation, multiple cropping, municipal wastes, no-till, nurseries, windbreaks
  • Education and Training: decision support system, demonstration, extension, farmer to farmer, focus group, mentoring, networking, technical assistance, workshop, youth education
  • Farm Business Management: agritourism, cooperatives, farm-to-institution, farm-to-restaurant, farmers' markets/farm stands, grant making
  • Natural Resources/Environment: carbon sequestration, drift/runoff buffers, hedgerows, soil stabilization, sheet mulching
  • Pest Management: eradication, mulches - general, mulches - living, mulching - vegetative
  • Production Systems: permaculture
  • Soil Management: composting, green manures, organic matter
  • Sustainable Communities: community development, partnerships, urban agriculture

    Proposal abstract:

    a) Topic(s) – In response to client requests, we will attempt to explore use of “You Tube” and
    social media (Facebook) for educational delivery/support and curriculum development. This
    period’s topics include but are not limited to: soil and water conservation practices, farm
    planning and development, record keeping, enterprise budgeting, permaculture, agroforestry,
    home, school, and community gardening, food security, and promotion of government
    programs.
    b) Context, justification and assumptions – The Guam Sustainable Agriculture Professional
    Development Program (PDP) is a part of the New and Veteran Farmer Program under the NIFA
    Guam Food Security and Global Hunger POW. The PDP program coordinates collaboration
    among agricultural support agencies/NGOs in the delivery of educational programs by providing support in collaborative curriculum development, demonstrations, and workshop delivery. In recent evaluations, a recurring theme in educational delivery was the desire for web, video, and social media formats for information delivery. Subject matter and core issue topics were identified in past sub regional conferences, then further refined by annual needs assessments though advisory meetings. The program facilitates multi-agency project planning to outreach professionals in their efforts to address the identified local and regional needs.
    c) Stakeholder and partner involvement - Over the year’s on Guam, the client base of
    agriculture professionals and paraprofessionals has grown. In this period we plan to reform the
    advisory group keeping representatives of core partners (NRCS, FSA, DoAg, CE&O, AES, and
    local ag consultants) hold a planning meeting then conduct focus groups of agricultural
    production sectors like; livestock, commercial vegetable, commercial fruit, market gardeners,
    aquaculture, and paraprofessional agriculture groups. Then invite the core partners and
    Narrative Guam State/Protectorate WSARE Implementation Proposal 2017/18
    representatives from these industry sectors to identify future program topics and update
    members on current program progress. These advisory member partner’s will be active
    partners in the education and outreach efforts of Guam’s PDP efforts.
    d) Inputs – The Guam WSARE PDP has three focus areas for professional training and program
    development. Inputs for each focus area follow: 1) Adapting New Farmer Curriculum with a
    focus on educational videos and social media for use by Outreach/Education Professionals
    that do not have agricultural backgrounds and delivery to nontraditional clients, by training
    professionals in use of this curriculum for use in home and subsistence gardener contexts. The
    program will attempt to integrate earlier developed curriculum into online videos like (You
    Tube) and utilize social media (Facebook) as client group network building. Inputs include; local Smith Lever funds, PDP funds, UOG CE&O new Community Healthy Living program staff and expertise from UOG: CES & AES & SBDC, NRCS and DoAG staff, and other agriculture, food, and health professionals. WSARE PDP will facilitate gardener need assessment, program planning, and coordination of curriculum development and role modeling. 2) Agricultural Professional Support for capacity building for technical support of agricultural producers including, subsistence producers and home market gardeners. In the past WSARE PDP effort focused on developing New Farmer curriculum for commercial producers and supporting agricultural professionals in workshop delivery. WSARE PDP funds will be leveraged with local Extension to support agriculture professionals’ trainings of island commercial and subsistence farmers.

    Other inputs include: staff support from UOG CES & AES, DoAG, GCC culinary program, and
    NRCS as they also assist each other in training delivery. The WSARE PDP program will support
    curriculum development, training in its use, maintaining demonstration sites, and assisting
    Narrative Guam State/Protectorate WSARE Implementation Proposal 2017/18
    partner groups in delivering trainings to their client groups. The PDP program will also conduct
    strategic planning sessions with farmer, agricultural professionals, and community groups to
    identify new topics. 3) Delivering New and Veteran Farmer Trainings by developing curriculum
    and demonstrations for trainings for clients that want to begin agricultural production. Our
    multi agency outreach group has identified three types of producers; subsistence/producers
    (those striving to reduce the family food bill and increase food diversity by gardening), market
    gardeners (gardeners who produce a surplus for sale as a first step to larger commercial
    production), and commercial producers (those who derive a significant portion of their income
    from agricultural production). For inputs, local support is available from Northern and Southern
    Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), Farmers’ Co-Op, Guam DoAG, MCA, UOG Small
    Business Development Center (SBDC), and GCC culinary program. This core group regularly
    works in smaller partnerships to obtain outside funding for targeted efforts.

    e) Outputs -

    1) Adapting New Farmer Curriculum with a focus on educational videos and
    social media for use by Outreach/Education Professionals that do not have agricultural
    backgrounds and delivery to nontraditional clients, (a) target audience includes community
    leaders, local health professionals, veteran support, teachers and outreach professionals
    concerned with developing gardening programs and community clients. (b) Activities and
    methods include curriculum trainings, client workshop series and set up of new demonstrations
    where PDP team models recommended practices. (c) Products beyond fact sheets and Power
    Point presentations will involve posting on web and You Tube videos.
    2) Agricultural Professional Support, (a) target audience is island ag. professionals. (b)Activities include the development of a new curriculum materials to add to the existing New Farmer Narrative Guam State/Protectorate WSARE Implementation Proposal 2017/18
    series.  (c)Products are workshop materials, extension fact sheets, field demonstrations, and use of new media.
    3) Delivering New and Veteran Farmer Trainings, (a) target audience includes commercial
    producers, market gardeners, and subsistence/gardener producers. (b) Outputs include New
    and Veteran Farmer trainings, events and media. (c) Products will include curriculum in new
    formats and on the web and social media pages, and new grants.

    Project objectives from proposal:

    Outcomes –

    1)New advisory group formed and provided input from industry focus groups.
    2) Island Outreach professionals will utilize the adapted curriculum for new and veteran
    producers in workshops and maintain demonstrations on recommended practices.
    3) Harder to document but expect new gardens initiated, and increased production and
    consumption of fruits and vegetables by island families, adoption of sustainable practices
    taught by these producers.
    4) Agriculture and non-agriculture professionals conducting workshops promoting home, school
    and community gardening efforts utilizing recommended practices. Increase in home, school,
    and community gardens.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.