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3. 2017 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference

Strategies for Assisting and Working with Socially Disadvantaged Producers

E'licia Chaverest

Summary

Alabama A&M University (AAMU) has over a 100-year history of working with minority producers and landowners, and promoting agricultural and rural development in Alabama. The Small Farms Research Center, the sole outreach arm within the College of Agricultural, Life and Natural Sciences, has over 20 years of proven experience working with minority landowners, limited resource and socially disadvantaged farmers. Further, AAMU and the Center have built-in capacity, experience and effective collaborative arrangements with grassroots organizations and partners such as the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, National Crop Insurance Service, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies, etc. The Center provides outreach and technical assistance to the target audience and communities through information dissemination (knowledge), education (learning), and empowerment (action). This presentation will discuss the many effective outreach, education, and training strategies for serving and assisting limited resource and socially disadvantaged producers, including new and beginning farmers. The presentation will discuss outreach strategies, including leveraged collaborative arrangements with USDA agencies, universities, local organizations, and other partners interested in the plight of limited resource and socially disadvantaged producers. Finally, the presentation will outline and highlight some of the outreach challenges encountered and share the many success stories enjoyed over the years.

Details

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