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  • From: "Liz Pike" <liz AT laughingbrookfarm.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] SSARE PDP grants
  • Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 14:24:32 -0500

This just came through on SANET. For those of you in Kentucky, Mississippi,
Arkansas & Tennessee, hit up your extension agents to get in on the
educational opportunities.

~Liz



SSARE has awarded five Professional Development Program grants totaling
$400,000. This year's winning projects reflect current producer interests in
small ruminants, direct marketing and value-added enterprises, according to
Jim Horne, PDP coordinator for Southern SARE.


"Proposals submitted to the Professional Development Program come from
extension agents and other ag educators seeking training that will help them
address questions farmers are asking them," he says. "So every year we get a
pretty good overview of what farmers are wanting to know to help them stay
in business and enjoy a good quality of life."


For example Sandra Bastin, a food and nutrition specialist with the
University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, was granted funds for a
project that responds to a recent change in Kentucky law allowing farmers to
process low-acid foods in home kitchens instead of having to build expensive
certified kitchens. Part of the law stipulates the farmers must attend a
Home-based Microprocessor Workshop. Dr. Bastin's SARE PDP project will teach
extension agents, food inspectors and other professionals how to conduct
such microprocessor workshops for their farmer clients.


Charles Flowers with the Mississippi State University Extension Service will
train 12 demonstration Sustainable Beef Teams made up of agents, producers,
veterinarians and bank loan officers. These multi-disciplinary teams will go
back to their communities and demonstrate sustainable beef production and
marketing to Mississippi cattle producers, eventually building a network of
such teams.


The Regional Goat Project, led by Kentucky State University small farms
specialist Marion Simon, will provide training to at least 1,000
agricultural professionals and farmers on all phases of sustainable goat
production and marketing in six southern states.


Veterinarian Ann Wells with the National Center for Appropriate Technology
is heading up a team to train agents and other educators in using grazing
livestock to manage natural resources. Training will take place at sites in
Arkansas and Tennessee. More than 130 educators from six states will receive
scholarships to attend one of the training conferences.


Betty King of the University of Kentucky's Community and Leadership
Development Department will train educators to help farmers survive the
steep learning curve associated with transitioning to direct marketing and
niche marketing.


The 2005 Southern SARE PDP call for preproposals was released March 1 and
includes some additional funds this year targeted for agroforestry training
in the Southern region. Those extra funds are coming from the NRCS National
Agroforestry Center to train agents to help landowners manage their
woodlands in ways that are good for the land and will return a profit for
generations to come. Submission deadline for preproposals is May 14, 2004.
For more information about SARE PDP projects or to obtain a copy of the PDP
call for preproposals, contact the Southern SARE office at (770) 412-4787 or
go to www.griffin.uga.edu/sare






  • [Market-farming] SSARE PDP grants, Liz Pike, 03/11/2004

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