1. Home
2. Conferences
3. 2015 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference

A Networking Approach using Extension Agents, Subject Matter Specialist, USDA and State departments of Agricultural Personnel have Successfully Assisted Immigrant and Other Minority Farmer in Delaw

Andy Wetherill

Summary

In the past, Extension educators conduct site visits and provide risk management consultation to producers about their farming operations in isolation. At later stages, subject matter specialists, and Departments of agriculture and USDA personnel were invited by the extension agent or producers to address specific needs on the farm. In these situation, the solution to farmers problems were delayed or were late and did not benefit producers. Inevitably, producer made decisions that were not timely, or make decisions that were contrary to the advice given.

When a cadre of Extension educators, university state and federal specialist provide technical assistance to immigrant and minority producers, it increases the magnitude of agricultural activity that is generated by those producers in Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region.
For the past three years, Delaware State University Small Farms Programs has adopted a new strategy of involving subject matter specialist, state departments of agriculture and USDA personnel into their regular plan of work and soliciting their involvement on farm site visits and consultations. These personnel and specialists were invited to visits farmers from the planning production and marketing stages of their operation. Thus, producers had access to these specialist and experts on a more frequent basis. As a result, farmers were able to receive current and relevant information to help them make agribusiness decisions in a more timely fashion. .
The impact that resulted from the new approach has been significant an increase in agricultural and economic activity is the result.

Details

---