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Page i Foreword Page ii Main Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 |
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' United States Department of Agriculture Science and Education Administration September 1980 Small Farm (S i Programs and Activities State Reports, 1979 Foreword As follow-up to the five USDA Regional Small Farms Workshops held in 1980, the USDA Small Farms Working Group has prepared this summary, by State, of the status of Small Farm Programs and activities. This is the first national attempt to record programs and services each State, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Guam are offering to the small, part-time and limited resource farmers. This summary was compiled from reports at the workshops and other information we have from the States. If we have missed a key program or accomplishments of small farm programs in your State, please do send them to us so we can recognize them in future reporting. To those not working with small farmers, you may be surprised at the on-going services available from the Cooperative Extension Service, Farmers Home Administration, Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, Soil Conservation Service, Forest Service, ACTION, Community Services Administration, State Departments of Agriculture and other Federal, State and local agencies and private and public organizations. Two key points need to be kept in mind: (1) Many small-scale and low-income farmers are not fully informed about the services which exist in their county; and (2) Many agency programs are suited for small farmers but are not identified for this clientele nor especially earmarked and conducted for them. To those working with small farmers, perhaps successful examples and ideas in other States can be adapted in your State as you continue to focus on small farm problems and work at solutions. And, perhaps the agencies and organizations with on-going programs for the small and part-time farm family will want to better identify their programs and services and extend their efforts to reach more of this segment of farmers. The "small farm" issue is a "people" issue--not a given acres of land--and should relate to the total net income of the family from all sources and the resources the family has to develop. At a minimum, we should treat the small farm family as members of the rural community who have particular needs--some of which are specifically theirs as operators of a farm which, though not large, is still an agricultural unit. ALEX MERCURE Assistant Secretary Rural Development and Chairman USDA Small Farms Policy Committee September 1980 Small Farm Programs and Activities State Reports, 1979 ALABAMA Horace K. Brown, Chairman Alabama Small Farms Committee ASCS, Room 714, Court Street Montgomery, AL 36102 The Bullock County Small Farms Project includes 23,000 acres in the southeastern part of the county in the Black Belt of Alabama. The objective is to increase the net income and standard of living of the farmers in the project. The objective will be accomplished through on-the-farm training that will enable the farmers to develop capabilities for improving efficiency and productivity. Training will stress farm management, farm planning, use of credit, studying livestock and crop production and marketing alternatives. Some USDA agencies will contribute staff for technical assistance; ASCS will provide $200,000 per year for three years; TVA will provide fertilizer valued at $5,000; FmHA will provide loans; ACTION will provide some $45,000 for VISTAS; CSA will provide three outreach workers; and the Cooperative Extension Service and Tuskegee will provide staff to train other staff and work with the farmers. ALASKA James E. Fisher, Chairman Alaska Small Farms Committee USDA Representative 2221 Northern Lights Blvd., Suite 126 Anchorage, AK 99504 In 1977, some small farm garden projects were started in the two villages of Ruby and Galena. In 1978, the demand for assistance included seven villages. In 1979, the demand was from 20 villages and involved about 600 gardens! In other regions of Alaska, there is a spurt of garden activity with many villages asking for assistance in technical help and seeds, etc. A summary suggests 1,800 to 2,000 gardens are now being worked in rural Alaska. The Delta Agricultural Project involves approximately 130,000 acres to be developed into grain farms. Presently 60,000 acres are in the process of being cleared and farmed, with an additional 70,000 acres scheduled for development the next two years. This area is part of 500,000 acres of proposed production, as a goal for 1990. Storage systems and transportation rates need to be developed for farmers. This report was prepared by Ovid Bay, Coordinator,Small Farm Programs, SEA-Extension, Washington, D. C. 20250 Large-scale farming is advancing at a fantastic rate in Alaska. And, the people of Alaska, at all levels, are embracing agriculture as one component in the drive to become less dependent upon imported foods and goods. Alaska is also deep in red meat production in rural Alaska. The 15 reindeer herds total some 18,000 head on the Seward Penninsula and 5,000 on Umnak and Nunivak Islands. However, this area supported more than 400,000 reindeer in the 1930's. There is need for research on range management, production techniques, disease control, slaughter facilities and inspection of the meat for market, development of grazing regulations to treat deer as domestic livestock, and the suggested appointment of Extension Agents to provide technical assistance to reindeer herders. Slaughtering on the range complicates health inspection of the meat and transportation to a market. There is good demand for the antlers. The Reindeer Herders Association is giving leadership to developing the reindeer industry. ARIZONA Julia Zozaya, Chairperson Arizona Small Farms Committee Department of Economic Security State Capitol Phoenix, AZ 85007 Arizona has a well-organized State Small Farm Task Force which meets quarterly to review progress, discuss problems, make policy, and direct activities. The membership is broad, including the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Office of Economic Planning and Development, Bureau of Land Management, the Navajo Tribe, Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, Bureau of Indian Affairs as well as USDA agencies, ACTION and CSA. Two counties have developed Resource Directory Guides to help small producers find agencies with programs and services for them. Small farmers have been added to agency mailing lists where they were not already on the lists. Under consideration is the feasibility of forming small-scale farmer/rancher cooperatives or associations to address their problems. This would allow them to buy and sell in volume, own and operate equipment that one alone cannot afford, and to bring together their best leaders in a problem-solving arrangement. The biggest problem encountered was that agency staffs considered their programs adequate for small farmers. The new USDA effort to reach more small farmers has now been accepted in Arizona and agency personnel, for the most part, are trying to achieve the goals established by the State Small Farm Task Force. - 3 - ARKANSAS Albert Murphy, Chairman Arkansas Small Farms Committee FmHA P. O. Box 2778 Little Rock, AR 72203 The biggest development for small farmers in Arkansas is the establishment of a South Central Small Farms Research and Extension Center at Booneville, Arkansas. The Science and Education Administration, Agricultural Research and Extension, is cooperating with the University of Arkansas and the Arkansas Childrens' Colony in an agreement to establish the Center on up to 1,000 acres within a total of 4,600 acres. Research and Extension objectives at this Center will include small fruits and vegetable research for the region represented and special attention to varieties for direct marketing, farmers markets and Pick-Your-Own operations. Animal-forage research will focus on using the maximum roughage for finishing beef animals as well as management of beef cow-calf enterprises on small farms in South Central states. The best combination of enterprises to make a subsystem for small farmers will be researched and packaged for distribution by Extension and for extensive demonstration purposes. The first phase of construction and hiring of a core staff will be in FY 80. Other small farm activity includes 396 loans by FmHA to small farmers in 1979 which included some funding of housing for labor for harvesting tomatoes. CALIFORNIA Clair Christensen, Chairman California Small Farms Committee Cooperative Extension Service 157 AOB-4 University of California Davis, CA 95616 The Small Farm Viability Project in California 1976-77 tried to grapple with a number of questions related to what can be done to make the family farm more viable. One of the Task Forces related to the subject of training, how information was getting to small farmers, the quality of this information, etc., and especially for Spanish-speaking small farmers in California. Some of this group are trying to move from farm worker status to farmer status. This is one of the most difficult groups to reach. Hence, if a system to develop better methods of making available resources more accessible to small Spanish family farms can be developed, it should be useful for reaching all small farm families. The "California Small Farm Family Assistance Project" is being developed by the people who were involved in the Task Forces of the Small Farm Viability Project as they continue to cooperate together. A proposal for funding is being designed. Already audio visual techniques in Latin America and other places are being studied. The objective is to make -4 - information to family farmers on programs and assistance available to them. This will be done by the development of an information system that will be maintained at the State and local level. Access to this system will be through the offices of USDA and State agencies at the county level mainly, but not limited to: Cooperative Extension Service, FmHA, ASCS, SCS, and Agricultural Commissioner. The information will be categorized by agency as well as function. The system will be developed in two steps: (1) cataloging and making the information available in the printed form; and (2) putting the information on the computer to be used as terminals become available at the local level. The Central Information Service, to be established at Davis, will include a "data bank", a "clearinghouse", and a "resource library" on agricultural information for small farmers. A dozen or more Federal and State agencies are members of the Small Farmer Information Access Council which will develop the Central Information Service. COLORADO Kenneth Oakleaf, Chairman Colorado Small Farms Committee Cooperative Extension Service Colorado State University Ft. Collins, CO 80521 About 60 percent of the farms in the Cortez area are under 100 acres, 70 percent are under 40 acres and 97 percent of the farmers have off-farm jobs. They started increasing rabbits to use unemployed labor; have designed a feed for rabbits, hired a manager and developed a market with a contract; two VISTA volunteers are making one-on-one visits with farmers and making economic surveys with them, etc. Due to the long haul of live rabbits to a slaughter facility, there has been a 60 percent turnover in growers since the original group. The new slaughter house is encouraging new growers to start. Doug Lee, rabbit farmer, reported he has increased his production from 30 does to 500 and he thinks the producers now average about 250 does. He is getting 564 per pound live weight ($2.00 per rabbit) and believes his cost is $1.50 to $2.00 each at present. The "Four Corners Rabbit Producers Cooperative" has been formed at Cortez, Colorado, as a Small Farm Family Assistance Project. The Four Corners Regional Commission provided the "start-up" grants of $96,683. CSA made an interim grant for $47,960 and an application has been made to FmHA for a B&I loan. There are now about 40 producers and each has purchased $300 in co-op stock. Objective of the project is to increase the membership of the co-op to about 300 and increase the net income and improve the standard of living of these submarginal small farm families in 6 counties. -5- CONNECTICUT Ron Aronson, Chairman Connecticut Small Farms Committee Cooperative Extension Service University of Connecticut U-36 Storrs, CT 06268 The Connecticut Small Scale Farm Committee has been active over a year and 2 of the 12 members are small farm operators. The Committee serves several functions with the major one developing a list of 800 small farmers from data in the State Department of Agriculture. This list was compiled by Ellen Larivere from VISTA and has been made available to the agencies to make certain they are aware of the small farm clientele in the State. Another function of the Connecticut Small Scale Farm Committee is to improve communications between small farmers and agencies and organizations with services for them. A survey was mailed to the farmers on the mailing list to determine if they are aware of the agricultural services available to them. Then, farmers requesting information about an agency are contacted by that agency or organization. Perhaps the outstanding small farm program in the State is the 2-day Small Farmers Weekend held for people in the Tri-State Small Farm Program area. Extension agent Deborah Cole in Connecticut has served as program coordinator of the demonstrations, speeches, etc. A State Small Farm Plan of Action has been discussed, but at this point, it seems more workable to encourage each group to do those things that are consistent with their mission for the benefit of small farmers. DELAWARE Joseph Penuel, Chairman Delaware Small Farms Committee ASCS 176 W. Chestnut Hill Rd., Suite 7 Newark, DE 19713 The Delaware State Small Farm Committee has a membership of 10 which represents USDA agencies, the State Secretary of Agriculture, the State Office of Economic Opportunity and the State Economic Division of Affairs. The Delaware Small Farm Action Plan includes the following: Set up small farm committees in every county. Instructed each County Small Farm Committee to establish Small Farm Advisory Committees. These committees are made up of small farm owners. Requested each County Small Farm Committee to conduct public infor- mational meetings for small farm families. At these meetings small farm families were informed of all of the programs and services available to them through the local State and Federal Agricultural Agencies. The Small Farm Advisory Committee participated. -6- FLORIDA Clarence Edmond, Chairman Florida Small Farms Committee University of Florida Extension Service 3042 McCarty Hall Gainesville, FL 32611 The broad-based Small Farm Subcommittee of the Florida Rural Development Committee is emphasizing "small farm demonstrations" and "technical assistance" as their main thrusts to reach and help small farm families. During 1979 Small Farm Demonstrations included: --University of Florida: (1) Semimechanical harvesting of ripe tomatoes for small farms; (2) Forage/silage program for small beef cattle farms; and (3) a Swine parasite survey and followup. --Florida A&M University: Furnished funds for paraprofessionals to work (under county agent supervision) with small farmers. Peanut yields have more than doubled over a 4-year period and yields of sweet corn have more than tripled. --Sumter County: Help has been given to 140 small commercial vegetable producers, 105 backyard fruit growers, 70 small beef producers, and 15 small farmers with swine. --Gadsden County: A 1-acre Southern Pea demonstration produced 240 bu. of peas valued at $1,400, and a 1-acre demonstration of okra produced $1,000. --Small commercial vegetable producers in the four counties of Baker, Union, Bradford and Columbia: Faced with unsatisfactory marketing outlets, the efforts of the farmers, Extension personnel (who helped with a feasibility study), and various agency personnel have led to a cooperative with seven members. Members purchased an existing packinghouse and equipment, made marketing arrangements with a broker, and obtained operating capital from the Bank of Cooperatives. The co-op wants to expand its facility so it can include other interested farmers. --A total of 15 vegetable growers in 7 counties have improved their production skills by growing vegetables in demonstration plots or participation trials. In many cases, yields and profits have doubled or tripled. During 1979, Technical Assistance included: --FmHA: Provided training in finance to Southern Federation of Co-op members and targeted funds for limited resource farms. --SCS: Designed waste management systems for small swine producers, and provided designs for livestock watering systems for small livestock operators. --ASCS: Cost shared for: (1) reorganizing irrigation systems and for installing animal waste facilities on small dairy farms, (2) minimum tillage demonstrations on 37 farms in Alachua, Jefferson, and Levy Counties, and (3) establishment of permanent pasture and water control measures on Indian reservations. --Florida Department of Agricultural & Consumer Services: Provided an energy specialist to assist small farmers and is emphasizing conservation for small farmers. - 7 - GEORGIA Roy Cates, Chairman Georgia Small Farms Committee ASCS P. 0. Box 1907 Athens, GA 30601 The Georgia project on "Conservation Tillage Systems for Small Farms" involves seven counties located in the central part of the State. The total number of farms in the seven counties is 5,085 with approximately 1,000 meeting the definition of a small family farm. This project has been designed to demonstrate to small farmers methods of conservation tillage and residue management which will reduce pollution from non-point sources as sediment and chemical contamination runoff, and also protect soil from wind and water erosion. Specific responsibility of various agencies includes: --ASCS special ACP funding will be $200,000 per year for 3 years with cost- sharing for conservation practices. --SCS will provide technical assistance equal to about 5 percent of the project cost. --FmHA will participate to the extent small farmers qualify for operating, improvement and/or real estate loans. --Extension Service will provide educational materials and assistance through the present staffs in the counties and from Ft. Valley State College. --CSA and ACTION will help identify small farmers needing assistance. --EPA will provide $400 for educational support. --Local agribusinesses will provide $5,000 in production equipment and other needs. --The Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Georgia, will supply individual agencies research results on minimum tillage practices on request. This project is one of the 17 selected as Small Farm Assistance Projects. GUAM Dr. Wilfred P. Leon Guerrero, Director Cooperative Extension Service University of Guam P. O. Box EK Agana, GU 96910 Extension work in crop production is focused on the attempt to make Guam more self-sufficient in those crops which are native to or adaptable to conditions on the island. - 8- An Extension survey of 34 farmers assessed the pesticides they used and the crops they grew. Agents and specialists are completing publication of a "Control Guide for Insects, Mites, and Plant Diseases on Vegetables and Melons." The Extension pesticide specialist has been conducting a pesticide registration program this year for crops in Guam not currently listed with the Environmental Protection Agency. Two demonstration fields on drip irrigation were established on farmers' fields, and a field demonstration was conducted on soil fumigation with "vapam" for fruit growers. Two research fields were established to study soil and irrigation for expansion of small farm commercial applications. Basic work has been completed on publication of a "Farm Record Book" to be distributed to all agricultural producers on Guam. This will, hopefully, improve the availability of information regarding maintenance of financial records for purposes of credit, income taxes, social security benefits, and cost analysis of small farm operations. Livestock production on Guam is concentrated mainly on swine and poultry. The Extension veterinarian conducted almost 700 farm visits and approximately 350 telephone and office calls regarding animal disease problems. He administered preventive treatment to 45 head of cattle and 700 pigs. Curative therapies were applied to 62 head of cattle, 600 hogs, 21 goats, 4 horses, and several thousand layers. The Extension veterinarian conducted about 50 demonstrations on simple veterinary techniques like castration of animals and poultry vaccination. Approximately 25 percent of the demonstrations were for members of 4-H clubs. Agricultural agents make a total of approximately 600 farm visits per year to at least 53 percent of all producing small farms. District-wide farmers' meetings occur on an average of one per month (approximately 15 per year), and around 18 "workshops" on crop production techniques and problems are conducted on a yearly basis. Eight days of workshops on pesticide safety application and general philosophies were conducted for the farmers on Rota and Tinian by Extension agents and specialists sponsored by the Government of the Northern Marianas. Extension agents distributed cultural practice information and seeds to Guam farmers for two selected varieties of tomatoes that have been determined, by the Guam Agricultural Experiment Station, as most suitable for climatic and soil conditions on Guam. In the area of aquaculture, an Extension program on promoting small farm development is underway. Two privately owned farms harvesting freshwater prawns are a direct result of this emphasis thus far. New operations in saltwater prawns are planned. Currently, an operation exporting from 60 to 85 tons of eel per year to Japan is very successful. A cooperative program with the Agricultural Experiment Station has been underway for the past year to determine an economically feasible nutrient level for feeding prawns. -9- 4-H has stressed Agriculture as a career. Most of the emphasis has been in the schools with field trips and farm visitations with over 1,000 students participating in agriculture career activities. Approximately 1,200 4-H members and other youth participate in year-round activities of two horse clubs, one veterinary science club, and two garden clubs that maintain "mini-farms." In cooperation with the Extension Home Economics program, one 4-H club (serving 25 members islandwide) emphasizes nutrition, preparation, and preservation of local produce and livestock products. A sizable portion of some family farmers' crops is marketed at the roadside. Extension has instituted a followup survey of a previous study of roadside marketing outlets. Information about the programs of the Farmers Home Administration, which were only recently (1979) extended to Guam, is being distributed to Extension agents. HAWAII George Nakasato, Chairman Hawaii Small Farms Committee Cooperative Extension Service University of Hawaii Honolulu, HI 96822 The Hawaii Small Farm Committee proposed "Upgrading Technology Skills and Managerial Techniques of Small Family Farmers in Selected Rural Communities" as a Small Farm Family Assistance project. One of the major goals for the first year was to reach out and assist 200 small farm families in various communities in Hawaii County. Recent accomplishment reports indicate more than 200 were involved in 1979. Group teaching and training consisted mainly on short courses, organized classes and workshops in five communities. A total of 30 events were held covering many subjects such as farm credit, culture practices in vegetable and fruit production, drip irrigation, income tax management, small engines, pest control, and basic management. Total attendance was 1,124. A council of community agencies and farmers was formally organized on Molokai. It was named the Molokai Agricultural Coordinating Council and one of its primary missions is to serve as a catalyst to coordinate agency programs on Molokai. Membership includes a broad base. Current projects include a proposal to establish a tree nursey to grow 45,000 trees for a tree windbreak program for the Hoolehau area. Extension has added program assistants on a halftime basis to assist small farmers in Kona, Hilo and Kahuku. A group of small vegetable farmers were assisted in organizing the Kilauea Farmer Cooperative to purchase supplies and coordinate a marketing program. The "Community Ideas" newsletter mailing has been expanded to reach new small farmer clientele. - 10 - IDAHO Joe T. McCarter, Chairman Idaho Small Farms Committee FmHA 429 Federal Building 304 North 8th Street Boise, ID 83702 The Marsing, Idaho, FmHA office is working on a project at the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in conjunction with an EDA $2 million grant to the Tribal Council. Part of the grant applies to purchasing pumping and pipeline equipment for sprinkler irrigation development of approximately 2,000 acres of new land. The grant also provides for purchase of farm implements, sprinkler equipment, and a shop management building for a tribal enterprise in agriculture on an additional approximately 450 acres of land. The Tribal Council will serve as a water supplier for 9 young farm families that FmHA will furnish capital to purchase sprinkler equipment and operating loans to develop the remaining 1,500 acres on long-term leaseholds. This will be a model project and will help the Duck Valley tribe develop a better winter feed base for their cattle herd. This is the largest agricultural grant EDA has funded nationally and is an excellent example of interagency cooperation. The Twin Falls County Group reports FmHA, SCS, ACTION and Extension Service are cooperating in serving several small farm families with operating loans, technical assistance,and funds for housing insulation. ILLINOIS James Reifsteck, Chairman Illinois Small Farms Committee Farmers Home Administration 2106 West Springfield Avenue Champaign, IL 61820 The Illinois Small Farm Subcommittee is a subcommittee of the State Rural Development Committee. The subcommittee developed a policy statement which stated their goals, informed local representatives of subcommittee membership, encouraged formation of local committees to formulate plans for achieving the goals at the local level and outlined agency responsibilities. The Small Farm Subcommittee has spent some time reviewing examples of close cooperation of USDA and state agencies in three areas of Illinois with the idea of determining whether the same types of efforts could be applied elsewhere in the state. One of these areas is Brown County, Illinois, where a special 80 percent cost sharing was made available for conservation practices where farms averaged only 200 acres in size. The project was highly successful in achieving conservation goals and farmers in the area benefitted from an excellent outreach effort through an increase in using the services of other agencies. - 11 - The other two areas are in extreme southern Illinois where many of the farms are small and where some farms are operated by minorities. Special Extension advisors were hired for these two areas to work exclusively with small farmers. Detailed production and financial management assistance is given and the Extension Advisors work closely with FmHA, ASCS, and SCS to utilize all department services. The subcommittee held a special meeting to let local representatives inform us of the successes and problems experienced and to see if agency regulations should be changed to accommodate small operators. An Illinois Department of Agriculture Directory of Services has been printed and distributed. INDIANA James H. Stall, Chairman State Small Farms Committee Farmers Home Administration 5610 Crawfordsville Road, Suite 1700 Indianapolis, IN 46224 The Indiana Small Farm Task Force is a subcommittee of the State Rural Development Committee in Indiana. Local small farm activity is carried on by 18 Regional Rural Development committees. The State Small Farms Task Force included members from the Indiana Commission on Aging, Indiana Division of Commerce, ACTION, CSA, as well as USDA agencies and the Division of Forestry. One regional committee has held an "information meeting" for small farmers where USDA agencies reported services available and a panel on credit was held. Other county meetings like this one are planned. This regional committee held a field day in April 1979 attended by 250. The staff of Extension Service at Purdue was involved in preparing a set of five booklets on "Getting Started in Farming." These will be distributed in the North Central states and will be available for use nationwide. A conference on energy was held March 12-13, sponsored by Region 13-A and Purdue University at Vincennes University. A Forestry Field Day was held at French Lick on February 23, 1980. A Small Farm Energy Workshop is scheduled for October 9, 1980 and 500 people are expected to attend. The program will stress what is being done now in the areas of wood, onfarm alcohol production, solar heat, specialty crops for energy, and energy conservation. In FY 79, 25 percent of FmHA operating loans and 45 percent of farm ownership loans went to limited resource farmers. A plan will be proposed to Purdue University to get a graduate student to monitor various small farm projects and their success or failure. - 12 - IOWA Harold Laures Farmers Home Administration 873 Federal Building 210 Walnut Street Des Moines, IA 50309 Many young and beginning farm families in Iowa lack the resources and technical knowledge needed to provide adequate income for family living and to become financially established in farming. These families have a special need for basic education in farm business analysis and decisionmaking as well as consultation on making decisions they face in their early years of farming. The Extension Farm and Home Management program in several areas of the state and the Rural Family Development Program in the Creston Area are attempting to meet the needs of this clientele. The Farm and Home Management stresses recordkeeping and analysis, resource management, and business planning. Participants are expected to "graduate" from the program after a period of 3 to 5 years. The farm management and home management aides, trained and supervised by the county Extension directors and home economists, are employed in four counties (1979). They are working with over 100 families on a one-to-one basis, in developing cash flow projections for their farms, keeping records on the farm business as well as family living expenses. Farm visits, at least monthly, have as their purpose to bring out problems on individual farms. Several young farm wives were interested in recordkeeping. The aide and the county Extension director called in the state management specialist and held a 2-hour school for them at the Extension office. A followup session for the wives and their husbands is planned. The Rural Family Development Program in the Creston Area is a special educational program effort for limited resource farmers of any age. Plans are underway to re-establish the Iowa Small Farms Committee to relate to the problems of the small and limited resources farmers and families in Iowa. KANSAS Oscar W. Norby, Chairman Kansas Small Farm Committee Cooperative Extension Service Umberger Hall Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 66506 The Kansas Small Farms Subcommittee was one of eight established by the Kansas SCAC Committee. The subcommittee has a broad membership including USDA agencies, FCIC, State and Extension Forestry, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, ACTION and CSA. - 13 - An Extension Service area farm management specialist and the county agents in Franklin County in Southeast Kansas have started a demonstration small farm program. They will conduct a series of educational meetings and visits to small farms. All USDA agencies are participating. The 113,000-acre Soldier Creek Watershed project is funded by ASCS and includes a relatively high percentage of small farms. The Environmental Protection Agency is providing a 2-year grant to the Kansas Cooperative Extension Service to provide educational work in connection with the Soldier Creek project. A review by the Kansas Small Farms Subcommittee has determined that more than 50 percent and as many as 75 percent of the farms in several counties in the eastern half of Kansas can be categorized as small farms. KENTUCKY Thomas Howard, Chairman Kentucky Small Farms Committee ASCS Imperial Towers Office Building 333 Waller Avenue Lexington, KY 40604 The Fleming County Kentucky Small Family Farm Assistance Project, "The Economic/Environmental Improvement in Status of Small Farm Owners," was started in the fall of 1979. This county is one of Kentucky's 49 Appalachian Counties and the project encompasses approximately 150 farms of which 100 would be classified as small farms. The basic objectives of the project are threefold: (1) improvement in housing; (2) improvement in forestry; and (3) improvement in conservation. Census data indicates about 50 percent of the farm homes are below "standard housing." In the project area, through FmHA, Licking Valley Community Action Agency (LVCAA) with assistance of manpower through various CETA programs and the DOE's weatherization funds, 60 small farm dwellings will be improved. Approximately 80 percent of the Project Area is forestland. Much of the area has been used as an unauthorized dumping site. The County Executive Judge has inactivated legislation to assist in this project. The State Division of Forestry and the LVCAA have launched cleanup efforts. CETA enrollees in LVCAA are developing fire trails and logging roads with guidance from the Forestry Service. Wood recovered helps needy families heat their homes. ASCS, with technical help from the State Division of Forestry, will cost-share installing Timberland Improvement Measures as well as needed tree planting. SCS is providing technical supervision in the development of Livestock Watering Facilities, Cropland Protection and Establishment of Vegetative Cover. In addition to the involvement of the agencies mentioned, the Bureau of Social Services, Bureau of Social Insurance and the Bureau of Manpower have offered their expertise and services as needed. - 14 - LOUISIANA Ed Courtney, Chairman Louisiana Small Farms Committee FmHA 3737 Government Street Alexandria, LA 71301 As part of the followup to the Regional Small Farm Conferences in 1978, Parish Small Farm Rural Development Committees were formed. Also, the Extension Service produced and distributed a Directory of Resources available locally to farmers. Plans for 1980 include five demonstration farms with specific enterprises in each parish; a new processing plant for catfish; and a Small Farm Family Assistance Project in West Carroll, East Carroll and Madison parishes. Progress on the Small Farm project includes: --FmHA made loans in excess of $2 million in FY 79. --ASCS made available $200,000 in ACP cost-sharing funds for small farmers in the project area in FY 79. --SCS is providing technical assistance for conservation practices. --Southern University will select demonstration farms in each parish and employ small farm specialists. --Extension Service will provide educational and management assistance in each of the three parishes. --CSA and ACTION will form a Limited Purpose Agency to handle the programming of these two agencies and identifying resources through USDA, HUD, foundations, etc. MAINE Ken Growe, Chairman Maine Small Farms Committee SCS USDA Building University of Maine Orono, ME 04473 All eight small farmer delegates to the Regional Small Farm Conference in Maine in 1978 have been invited to meet with the State Small Farm Committee and two of them are members of the committee. The committee has wide representation of all agencies, State Department of Agriculture, State Forestry, Maine State Planning Office, VISTA, CSA, REA, and others. A Maine Small Farm Plan of Action has been prepared and addresses the needs and concerns of small farmers. It has been distributed statewide. - 15 - One of the key small farm projects is the Kennebec Valley Vegetables Co-op which is an important facility for those small producers. The new storage building will feature solar energy to provide heat both for the storage building and the greenhouse to provide storage for vegetables and to produce seedlings for possible sale to the members. The needs of small farmers in Maine include more information on how and where to secure credit, and how to raise hogs and sheep. The Extension Service is setting up a series of workshops in the state to address these questions which will probably include a resource person from FmHA. Maine now has five district offices set up to handle the FmHA effort to serve more small and limited resource farmers and their families. MARYLAND Elwyn Deal, Chairman Maryland Small Farms Committee Cooperative Extension Service University of Maryland Simon Hall College Park, MD 20742 The Maryland Small Farms Committee is an additional standing committee of the Maryland Rural Affairs Council which corresponds to a state Rural Development Committee. Total of 34 agencies and organizations are represented on the MRAC. As a followup to the Regional Small Farm Conference in Maine in 1978, the small farm delegates were invited to a 1-day session with the USDA state agencies and farm organization heads in Maryland to review recommendations from the conference and their own concerns. Representatives of the MRAC Small Farm Committee attended the regional small farm meeting in Essington, PA., as well as representatives of USDA, CSA and ACTION. On January 24, a meeting of selected agencies and private institutions which deal with farm credit was held to develop plans for areawide financial management seminars. Three meetings were held beginning on March 29 and covered such topics as financing for silos, storage structures, farm machinery, and operating loans. MASSACHUSETTS Judith Gillan, Chairperson Massachusetts Small Farm Committee NE Small Farm Institute Box 937 Belchertown, MA 01007 The State Rural Development Committee's Small Farm Subcommittee has representation from the New England Small Farmer Project, the New England Small Farm Institute, county Extension Services, the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, the Massachusetts Food and Agriculture Coalition, the Tri-State Small Farmer Program, Farmers Home Administration, and other USDA agencies. S16 - The State Small Farm Plan of Action includes specific actions in the areas of capital and credit, production, marketing, land use, sources of income, and quality of life. Action is being taken through education, research, organization and outreach, and work on regulations and policies. The Small Farm Subcommittee has found and assigned someone to work on each specific action. For example, one action was to develop a credit handbook to help guide small farm families to sources of credit. This was done by the New England Small Farmer Project in conjunction with state Extension researchers and Farmers Home Administration personnel. The New England Small Farmer Project began in April 1979 with the placement of a VISTA staff person in each of the six New England states. They are assisting small farmers to develop new markets and resources, and seek to make connections between small farmers and policymakers. The project's overall goal is to help preserve and promote a strong agricultural base for New England. It is funded by USDA, CSA, and ACTION. It is presently in the process of developing programs with Cooperative Extension Service to provide production and management technical assistance to small farmers. Another new component of the project will be to provide information on community economic development to farm communities in the coming year. The New England Small Farm Institute is a private, nonprofit small farm training center now being established at the discontinued farmstead of a state school in Belchertown, Massachusetts. It will provide both residential and nonresidential hands-on small farm training, and serve as a demonstration farm for the small farm community in New England. MICHIGAN Chester Wright, Chairman State Small Farms Committee ASCS 1405 S. Harrison Road East Lansing, MI 48823 The Michigan Small Farms Task Force was formed as a followup to the Regional Small Farm Conferences in 1978 and as requested by USDA. Two of the members attended the Small Farms Conference in Iowa. In a research study by Ralph Hepp and associates at Michigan State University, the interviews identified three groups of small farmers: (1) part-time farmers-- 48 percent; (2) part-retired farmers--19 percent; and (3) full-time small farmers--33 percent. Small farmers (grossing under $40,000) are important to Michigan agriculture because they represent about 65 percent of the farms, cultivate two-thirds of the land, harvest 60 percent of the hay, soybeans, and wheat; 50 percent of the corn; 33 percent of the fruits and vegetables; 50 percent of the sheep and lambs; over one-third of the milk and pork; and 10 percent of the eggs. The Upper Peninsula Project entitled "Reach Out to Help Small Farmers" was funded from ASCS-ACP special funds and has been very successful because all USDA agencies are working together. - 17 - Cooperative Extension Service is training volunteers in some counties to provide technical help and assistance to others with less experience or training. Part of the obligation for participating in these special training efforts is to contribute volunteer time working with others in their community to upgrade their knowledge and skills. Some of the programs are titled Master Gardener Program, Master Canner Program and the Big Sheppard Program. Also, there is a series of publications aimed at small and part-time farmers. Next step in the Michigan Small Farms program is to survey each county about their small farm situation. Questions will deal with general information about the small farm, disadvantaged areas, location of minorities involved in farming and any special needs, and recommend priority projects, services or financial needs. This plan has been submitted to the state. MINNESOTA Loren Luschen, Chairman Minnesota Small Farms Committee FmHA 252 Federal Courts Building 316 Robert Street St. Paul, MN 55101 The Minnesota Small Farm Task Force has been in existence since early 1979. The members include a small farmer, Minnesota Rural Development Council, ACTION and the Office of Economic Security in addition to USDA agencies. Several USDA agencies have worked closely with the Governor's Rural Development Council and assisted in projects to assist small and family farms which includes: --Opportunity Farming project in northern Minnesota where retired farmers are assisting existing limited resource farms with technical advice and supervision by the Extension Service. --Farmstead Cheese is a project assisting farmers to produce cheese on the farm for sale locally and nationwide. --Sheep Farming project is developing training programs in sheep raising through a Vo-Tech correspondence course. --Rural Venture Ag Center project involves private and public funds tied in with the Control Data Corporation to provide training and production farming advice through a computer and educational materials program. MISSISSIPPI Rupert Johnston, Chairman Mississippi Small Farms Committee Cooperative Extension Service Box 5426 Mississippi State, MS 39762 The State Small Farm Committee has encouraged the counties in Mississippi to form county small farm committees and to include small farm operators on the committees. - 18 - One project has been to hold a Small Farm Conference in every county in Mississippi where representatives from four USDA agencies and the Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) explained how their organizations can help improve small farm family income and resource use. Community Services Administration (CSA) and ACTION helped with the conferences. A total of 2,514 small farmers attended the county meetings, and 1,518 completed surveys of their needs. For example, 531 wanted ASCS assistance in cost-sharing for soil and water conservation practices; 422 indicated a need for operating loans from FmHA; 384 wanted information on crop production practices and 392 on marketing information from Extension Service; 560 wanted help from SCS to determine needed conservation measures; and 236 asked for advice and assistance from MFC on forestry practices. These requests were routed to the appropriate agency for action. The Small Farm Family Assistance Project in Winston County is underway. All USDA agencies, CSA, ACTION, and the Mississippi State Employment Service are cooperating in an effort to focus their assistance on small farm families in the county. The county had approximately 1,900 farms in 1977, with an average size of 140 acres. In 1974, the average age of the farmers was 54 years and about half of the farmers in the county worked more than 100 days off the farm. The 1970 census reports 36 percent of the farm residents in this county had income below the poverty level. Only 30,000 acres of the county's 387,000 acres are suitable for row crops. Approximately 500 families will take part in an expanded commercial vegetable program in Winston County; 124 families with 200 acres of pimiento peppers; 45 families with 26 acres of finger hot peppers; 52 families with 41 acres of Jalapeno peppers; 272 families with 299 acres of southern peas; 54 families with 100 acres of cucumbers; 87 families with 100 acres of okra. Many families are producing more than one vegetable crop. A model community canning plant will be established in the county to can or freeze food for local families. Funds for the cannery are being obtained primarily through CSA. This project has triggered activities designed to update and improve 14 other community canning plants in the state. The county small farm conferences and the Small Farm Family Assistance Project are recent activities. Mississippi has a large number of small farms and they have been served by various programs of USDA\agencies. Recent small farm activities have been augmented by the addition of resources from CSA and ACTION. MISSOURI John Harvey, Chairman Missouri Small Farms Committee FmHA 555 Vandiver Drive Columbia, MO 65201 The Missouri Cooperative Extension Service has had one of the more extensive small farm programs in operation in the Nation. It is called the "Missouri Small Farm Family Program" and actually enrolls families to have direct one-on-one contact with paraprofessionals who are called "education assistants." It was started in 1971. - 19 - Approximately 2,000 small farm families are now enrolled in 33 counties and are served by 38 paraprofessionals who are usually hired from the area they serve and often are retired successful small farmers. They are supported and supervised by the local county Extension agent and work closely with local staff of other USDA agencies and other agencies and organizations--Federal, State and local. The Missouri program stresses improving quality of life for the family as well as improving income from the small farm. Of the 1,835 families taking part in the gardening program, a total of 131,113 quarts of food were produced and preserved--worth an estimated $52,445. Home weatherization practices were used by 489 families with cost savings ranging from $18 to $310 per family. During one year, 192 families began keeping records of both living and farm business expenses. For the most part, Missouri small farmers are increasing income with improved farm management and increasing crop yields and livestock and dairy production on the same acreage. The records for 1977 show: --40 percent of all participating families, or 717 families, had an increase in total gross income averaging $1,047 per family. That is a total increase of $750,000 for these families. --670 families had a net income increase of $454, while 151 families had a decrease in total net income. The Missouri Small Farm Committee has undertaken a small farm swine project in the Bootheel. This is a cooperative effort by USDA agencies, ACTION and CSA with the Bootheel Agricultural Services, Inc. Cooperative (BASIC). This project is still in the development stage with a goal of placing five sows and one boar with each of 15 producers. MONTANA Wallace B. Edland, Chairman Montana Small Farms Committee FmHA P. O. Box 850 Bozeman, MT 59715 Although Montana has an image of large ranches, there are a sizable number of small landowners in the state. In a 1974 survey, 11 counties in the mountain areas reported 500 or more landowners with less than 49 acres. Five of these counties reported small landowners were more than 50 percent of the rural popula- tion. A Small Farm Newsletter has been initiated by the Cooperative Extension Service and is edited by Allen Bjergo, Community Development Agent. This letter has a circulation of 1,500 in the three counties of Missoula, Ravalli and Mineral. Bjergo is starting a Direct Marketing Newsletter which will circulate to consumers and to the media as well as small farmers trying to sell direct. - 20 - NEBRASKA D. D. "Bud" Riblett, Chairman Nebraska Small Farms Committee Farmers Home Administration 308 Federal Building 100 Centennial Mall North Lincoln, NE 68508 The Nebraska Small Farms Committee has proposed a Limited Resource Family Livestock Project and program. The loans to qualified applicants will be supplied by the Farmers Home Administration to support one of the following: --A small beef herd of 20 to 25 cows. --A 4 to 20 sow farrowing or feeder pig swine operation. --A 4 to 20 cow dairy herd. --A flock of 20 to 30 ewes. At midway in Fiscal Year 1980, 22 loans had been made for beef; 4 loans for dairy cows; and 6 for swine projects. ACTION, Community Services Administration and USDA agencies of ASCS, SCS and Extension Service will provide technical service as the project develops and the small farmers seeking to join the project effort are identified. In a closely allied program, the Lincoln ACTION Panel has received a grant to provide service to three Southeast Nebraska areas--Blue Valley Community Action (BVCA), Southeast Nebraska Community ACTION Council (SENCAC), and Lincoln ACTION Program. This project is designed to locate the low-income farmers and ranchers and help them become aware of the USDA resources and technical assistance available to help them raise their standard of living and improve their net income. NEVADA Al Pasquale, Chairman Nevada Small Farms Committee ASCS P. O. Box 360 Reno, NV 89504 The Walker River Indian Reservation Ditch Lining Irrigation Project is proceeding rapidly and should be completed by April (1980). A total of 30 participants are spending about $22,000. The Four Corners Regional Commission is providing the Indians with a grant to supplement the cost-share contribution. Purpose of this project is to line irrigation ditches on the private 20-acre allotments--approximately 660 linear feet of ditch. - 21 - The objective is to prevent water loss due to excessive seepage. This seepage is creating soil waterlogging problems in some areas and insufficient water for irrigation in other areas. The lining of the ditches will also greatly reduce erosion and silt pollution in the Walker River and Walker Lake. The lining of the irrigation ditches will eliminate the need to develop a new water source to supply water, and result in substantial energy savings. ASCS funding for this project is $80,000 and the Four Corners Regional Commission $30,000. FmHA is providing loan support to individual Indian farmers. The improved water supply should increase production for the small farmers involved in this project. NEW HAMPSHIRE John Damon, Chairman New Hampshire Small Farms Committee Cooperative Extension Service University of New Hampshire Taylor Hall Durham, NH 03824 Much progress has been made by the Small Farms Committee. The New Hampshire delegates to the Regional Small Farms Conference at Poland Spring, Maine, have organized themselves into a task force and are being supported and assisted by the State Small Farms Committee as needed. The Poland Spring Report provides an excellent base for the committee to work from, but the task force needs to identify specific issues within New Hampshire. The State Small Farm Action Plan follows the lead of the Small Farm Delegates. Initial priority has been given by the delegates to finance, food policy, marketing, and land use. A survey of the needs of the New Hampshire small farmers is underway with 3,500 questionnaires. Small Farm projects and activities include newsletters to identified small farm families, meeting with the New Hampshire Resource Development Executive Committee, meeting with credit agencies, having representatives at the Governor's Conference on Food Policy and at the Structure of Agriculture Hearing, and co-sponsoring a Farmers Market meeting. VISTA workers have been very fruitful in many ways. We are encouraging the movement of ideas and felt needs by small farm families from the local area to the state level. The greatest need as we see it now is in the area of marketing and management including public policy. - 22 - NEW JERSEY Lawrence Suydam, Chairman New Jersey Small Farms Committee FmHA 1 Vahlsing Center Robbinsville, NJ 08691 Small farmers have been invited to the State Rural Development meetings to discuss concerns and suggestions of needs in New Jersey. They are considering three meetings in the state with USDA agencies and other interested parties to make presentations of services available to small and limited resource farmers. The state committee is reviewing projects such as hog operations which may be possible small farm demonstration projects. During Fiscal Year 1979, a total of 210 operating loans were made; 27 of these loans were made to limited resource farmers. Out of the 51 farm ownership loans made, 14 were made to limited resource farmers. In fiscal year 1980, to date 13 loans were made to limited resource out of 23 operating loans and 7 loans to limited resource from 12 farm ownership loans. NEW MEXICO Jose Herrera, Chairman New Mexico Small Farms Committee Cooperative Extension Service Court House Annex, P.O. Box 2170 West Branch Las Vegas, New Mexico 87701 The New Mexico State Small Farm Committee has prepared a Plan of Action which includes a Small Farm Family Assistance Project called the "Northern New Mexico Sheep Improvement Program." The project proposes to improve small farm production through increasing flock production by adding at least 20 head per flock with improved production and management practices. The Northern New Mexico Community College will have the leadership and responsibility for this sheep project. Local small farmers will be trained as paraprofessionals to assist local cooperators in this small farm program. NEW YORK Van C. Travis, Chairman NYS Small Farm Committee Cooperative Extension 102 E. Roberts Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 Cooperative Extension in New York has during the past 6 years conducted two pilot projects working with limited resource diary farmers. In addition to the limit of size (less than 40 cows), soil resources and adequate financial resources, these people are generally limited in their ability to collect information to use - 23 - in their decisionmaking processes. The major objective of the two projects has been to improve the ability of the individuals to make better decisions that result in improved family living. The use of a paraprofessional aide working intensively with the families was also tested as a means of reaching this audience. The use of the aide has proven highly successful. Extension agents supervise the activities of the aide and serve as a resource to that person. About one-half of the participants benefitted in a measurable way from the program. One-half of that group (25 percent of total) will continue to use their newly learned skills after the program has ceased. They will continue to derive benefits and improve their status without the intensive help of the aide. About 25 percent of the participants discontinued farming. Project Reach in Steuben County is using a FmHA grant to conduct an educational program for "homesteader" type farmers who are seeking an alternate lifestyle. The New York State Small Farm Committee of 10 includes members representing ACTION, Community Services Administration, NYS Department of Labor, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, NYS Department of Commerce, and USDA agencies. NORTH CAROLINA Dalton McAfee, Chairman North Carolina Small Farms Committee Cooperative Extension Service North Carolina A&T University 312 North Dudley Greensboro, NC 27411 The North Carolina Agricultural Extension Program at A&T State University cooperating with N. C. State University Extension developed and implemented the Farm Opportunities Program. This program has provided educational and technical assistance to approximately 940 small, low-income farmers. The key thrust is to help people identify and solve their farm, home and community problems through the use of on-the-farm assistance executed by paraprofessionals called "agricultural technicians." Presently there are 28 agricultural technicians working intensively with an average of 40 marginal income farmers in 23 of the 100 counties in the state of North Carolina to: 1. Increase family income. 2. Introduce appropriate technology and management techniques. 3. Increase family knowledge about and use of public agencies. 4. Encourage the family to work together in setting and working toward reachable goals. "Extension Teletip" has been developed as a telephone answering service for home gardeners and small farmers. Teletip provides over 150 (1 to 3 minute) - 24 - taped telephone messages on home gardening and food preservation topics. The Teletip service is now statewide and the topics are advertised by direct mail and the local media. The North Carolina Direct Marketing Committee has recommended a proposal be developed to: e Contract a mobile unit as a direct marketing project. * Employ an area Extension agent to assist in developing vegetable markets in the northeast portion of the State. A North Carolina State Small Farm Task Force has been established by the State Rural Development Committee. It is composed of representatives from USDA agencies, CSA, ACTION, Commission of Indian Affairs and the Forest Service. The State Small Farm Task Force is recommending a pilot project for small farmers in Columbus, Johnston and Yadkin counties in the south-central, southeastern and northwestern sections of the State. The project would tie in with County Rural Development Panels and local organizations as well as USDA agencies, CSA, ACTION and others. The 1862 and 1890 Extension Services will provide a para- professional for each county, as well as a county staff person to provide leadership and supervision of the paraprofessional. The program coordinator will be at A&T State University. NORTH DAKOTA Ray Scheetz, Chairman North Dakota Small Farm Family Committee Farmers Home Administration Box 2355 Bismarck, ND 58501 To provide maximum assistance possible under this program, the individual members of the State Small Farm Family Committee were each assigned County Rural Development Committees. They made contacts by phone and in most cases a personal visit to give guidance and assistance in developing the Small Farm Family Program. Another important part of the Small Farm Family program in North Dakota was the development of the directory of assistance available to small farm families. The directory which is entitled, 'The Directory for Services Available to Small Farm Families of North Dakota," was put together by the committee and designed to provide basic information on state and Federal programs available and provide a contact point for obtaining assistance or additional information on these programs. Twenty thousand copies have been published through the pooling of funds obtained from four USDA agencies and three state agencies. The directory is to be used by any group, institution, business or individuals who are working with small farm families and rural residents in North Dakota. Anyone desiring a copy of this directory can contact any local USDA agency within the State. The ACTION agency has authorized the placement of 16 locally recruited volunteers to assist the local County Rural Development Committees in the Small Farm Family Assistance project. - 25 - Another project in North Dakota is the work study farm at the Standing Rock Community College at Fort Yates. This project involves 12 young people from within the Standing Rock Indian Reservation who are getting actual farming experience along with a classroom curriculum. The project has been funded with a Department of Labor grant for $560,000. The grant funds were used to purchase cattle, machinery, irrigation equipment and student labor. FmHA will work with the students on loans needed as they start farming. Soil Conservation Service, Agricultural Stabilization & Conservation Service, and the Cooperative Extension Service are now and will continue to give technical assistance. The program is available to Indian and nonIndian people. OHIO Ted Jones, Chairman Ohio Small Farms Committee Cooperative Extension Service 2120 Fyffe Road Columbus, OH 43210 The Ohio Small Farm-Family Program is a multiagency coordinated effort to provide assistance to small farm families. The program was initiated on a pilot basis during the fall of 1979. The County USDA Committee determines if and when the program will be initiated in a given county. County Extension agents have the leadership role in working with the County USDA Committee in organizing the county small farm family program. Ohio is using an enrollment form to find and identify the small farm families who wish to participate. They voluntarily complete the enrollment form and return it to the county Extension office, or contact any of the county offices of the cooperating USDA agencies. After the enrollment forms are returned, the County USDA Committee reviews the forms and plans and conducts the county program. Specific program needs identified and checked on the enrollment form by the small farm family are incorporated into the planned program. The County USDA Committee coordinates resources from agencies and other interested county organizations supporting the small-farm family program. Extension will prepare the publications, newsletters and other educational materials needed to conduct the program. OKLAHOMA Frank Evans, Chairman Oklahoma Small Farms Committee FmHA USDA Agricultural Center Building Stillwater, OK 74074 The Oklahoma State Small Farm Committee has prepared a Plan of Action to implement a Small Farm Family Intensive Assistance Program. The project area is 11 counties - 26 - in Eastern and Central Oklahoma with a large percentage of the population full blood or part Indian blood. There are other minorities, too. Many of the farmers work off-farm part time. The overall objective is to increase farm income and improve the quality of life for families living on small farms The project will start with 10 families in each county with a 50 percent annual increase in participants anticipated. Agency involvement includes: The Cooperative Extension Service will provide an agricultural program of farm management and a home economics program in consumer education, food and nutrition and clothing (value about $220,000). Community Services and ACTION have a two-pronged plan: (1) to establish a Professional Small Farm Management Advisory Service that will include staffing to work with the small farmers as well as supervision; and (2) to improve the quality of life by enrolling families in their numerous social services, rehabilitative, educational and job opportunity programs (funding about $75,000). -- FmHA is planning total loans of about $8.7 million for small farmers with limited resources who qualify in the 11-county area. -- ASCS set aside about $100,000 of ACP funds for this project in FY 79. -- SCS will provide technical assistance at an estimated $22,000 level for the small farmers in the project. The Kerr Foundation will cooperate in the project and provide technical manage- ment assistance. OREGON John Van Calcar, Chairman Oregon Small Farms Committee ASCS Federal Building 1220 S. W. Third Avenue Portland, OR 97204 The State project on small farms started in 1978 with a special effort in Polk County carried out by John Burk, Extension agent. Total of 19 percent of the small farms in Oregon are in three counties--Polk, Marion and Yamhill. This is a little over 4,000 small farms. The project includes 40 farms from 4 to 400 acres in size. The farm families are a cross section of this group and many of them work off-farm to supplement the income from the farm. Main object of the project is to coordinate any and all government and private programs which may help these small farm families; and to select a group of experienced farmers--mostly retired people--who will be advisers to these small farmers on how to improve the managanent of their resources including marketing. A byproduct will be to improve the community. - 27 - It is anticipated the results from this project will be applicable to the rest of Oregon and neighboring states. The Director, Ken Willmart, has been hired on Extension funds. It has not been easy to determine what each farmer needs and which needs the project will address. Neither are the solutions easy. Getting enough funds is a major hurdle. If ASCS funds for ponds for livestock could also apply to irrigation for a small acreage, it would be very beneficial to some farmers. The regulations do not include underground drainage because that is considered a production practice. A complete summary of each of the 40 farms is being prepared to form a base of knowledge. The summaries will include farm plans and resource and financial plans. This planning will take high priority and agencies will have to free up their personnel time in order to meet the goals cooperatively. Communications between leadership and the 40 small farmers must be speeded up. This also applies to sponsoring some meetings with private industry, banks, PCA'S, marketing associations to inform them of the project and the opportunity to join in working with these small farmers. PENNSYLVANIA Fred King, Chairman Pennsylvania Small Farms Committee Federal Building 228 Walnut Street, Box 905 Harrisburg, PA 17108 After the Northeast Regional Small Farms Conference, the Pennsylvania Rural Development Committee (RDC) established a Small Farms Task Force. The Task Force reviewed potential small farms project proposals to be submitted to the U. S. Department of Agriculture for consideration for funding from the Small Family Farms Assistance Project. In February 1979, the RDC conducted a workshop for Pennsylvania's local RDC. The Small Farmer Delegates who attended the Northeast Regional Conference were invited to attend the workshop as guests of the RDC. A brief presentation was made by one of the delegates. Local RDCs were encouraged to work with either delegates or other small farmers in their county to develop plans to address the needs of their small farmer neighbors. In February 1980, Fred King, Pennsylvania's Director of Farmers Home Administra- tion, was selected to be chairman of the RDC's Small Farm Subcommittee. Mr. King is identifying appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies and individuals interested in developing a State Action Plan and will present his plans for the Subcommittee for the upcoming year. - 28 - PUERTO RICO Roberto Valquez Rico, Chairman Small Farms Committee Agricultural Extension Service University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus Mayaguez, PR 00708 In a project known as "El Melon" on the hills of Coamo in south-central Puerto Rico, 24 farmers are involved on a 300-acre site. The lack of water in this area is a real problem. Two deep wells have been developed into a water system by SCS to supply water for a poultry enterprise, livestock, and small irrigation systems. Two large water tanks with a combined capacity of 100,000 gallons supply water for agricultural uses to the 24 farms which average 7 to 40 acres. (The Puerto Rican administration purchased the idle farmland and divided it into 24 farms with a very low interest rate to the farmers.) Each farm has a poultry building for 10,000 chickens with 50,000 pounds of production every 8-9 weeks. A second building is under construction on each farm with plans for a third one. As secondary enterprises, many of the 24 farmers are cultivating truck crops and vegetables and beef cattle and goats on pastures. This project has been successful, others are being considered. RHODE ISLAND Donald McArthur, Chairman Rhode Island Small Farms Committee SCS 46 Quaker Lane West Warwick, RI 02893 The 10-member Rhode Island Small Farm Committee is active and has a Plan of Action that is using the target approach in the whole state. The Small Farm Assistance Project is the bull's-eye and the State Plan of Action includes these objectives: " Conservation measures to contribute to the solution of water quality problems in Providence and Washington Counties for small farms using $20,000 ASCS funds. " Encourage conservation throughout the county. * Provide financial aid to small farmers in need of credit. o Provide expertise in production and marketing of farm products on small farms. * Locate and develop groups of small farmers so they can adequately deal with health, economics, and social welfare problems. Accomplishments of the Small Family Farm Assistance Project in Providence County include getting $15,000 committed on the Special ACP funding, targeting $500,000 for - 29 - limited resource loans through FmHA, 35 onfarm visits by USDA professionals to provide conservation planning and application assistance to small farmers, contacting Food Coops to initiate contracting fresh produce from small farmers, and plans to organize a Farmers Market in 1980. Other small farm activities have included: Small woodlot management workshops statewide, $2,500 Community Action Fund grant to assist in the development of the 4rmer's Market, close liaison with the Southern Rhode Island and East Bay Small Farmer Associations to provide education and information assistance. SOUTH CAROLINA K. G. Smith, Chairman South Carolina Small Farms Committee FmHA P. 0. Box 21607 Columbia, SC 29221 A State Small Farm Committee composed of members from USDA agencies, Human Development Council, ACTION and CSA has developed a program relating to the problems small farmer delegates presented at the Southeast Regional Conference in 1978. The Small Farm Committee recommendations include: -- Establish pilot areas to serve small farmers in Williamsburg, Sumter and Orangeburg counties and identify 50 farmers to start. Leadership responsibility is to be with Extension Service. SAppoint a state level task force to develop educational, information and training program. This should include training and assistance in financial management and alternative crops and production practices to increase net family income. SDemonstrations should be used to reach small farmers and include feeder pig production and marketing, home gardens, marketing vegetables and other horticultural crops. Provide information to small farmers through tours, workshops and mass media. SOUTH DAKOTA Maurice L. McLinn, Chairman South Dakota Small Farms Committee FmHA 200 4th Street, S. W., Room 208 Huron, SD 57350 The South Dakota Small Farm Task Force was formed early in 1979. It included ACTION, CSA, Vocational Education, private sector (Control Data Corp.) and USDA agencies. One of the first accomplishments was the Directory of Small Farm - 30 - Opportunities which lists the programs each agency has for local people. CSA paid for printing 10,000 copies with Extension Service preparing the copy and handling much of the distribution. Most of the 10,000 copies are already distributed. Small farmers report they like them. Sixty of the 67 counties in the state have now established County Small Farm Committees which are made up of five small farmers. Idea is to give small farmers a voice in what changes are needed in services and programs to help them. A third thrust on small farm issues was to propose a special project--the Charles Mix Small Farm Project. The County Small Farm Committees held meetings where other small farmers in the county were invited to discuss their concerns and needs with agency leaders and others. The State Small Farm Advisory Committee put together a summary report from the county reports. This activity caused agency personnel to take a hard look at how current programs might be adjusted within current guidelines to expand assistance to small farm families. A VISTA program is being developed and will consist of 12 VISTA volunteers located around the state to advise small farmers where they can obtain assistance. SCS added a staff position to assist small farmers; Extension Service added a position to work with small farmers; the FmHA loan volume has increased substantially to over $2 million. ASCS will budget some $75,000 for cost-sharing; CAP has assisted 66 families with weatherization; the Extension home economist has conducted home management meetings with wives of the small farmers in the project; and the State Department of Vocational Education is exploring interest in starting Farm Business Records classes. More rapid progress could be made with more Federal dollar support. Restructuring of agriculture and its programs in the future must give strong consideration to the needs of the small farm operators to maintain a viable rural America. TENNESSEE Lloyd Downen, Chairman Tennessee Small Farms Committee Cooperative Extension Service University of Tennessee P. 0. Box 1071 Knoxville, TN 37901 The Small Farm Committee in Tennessee is a subcommittee of the State Rural Development Committee. It includes members from both the 1862 and 1890 Extension Services, Agricultural Experiment Stations, TVA, CSA and ACTION as well as FmHA, FS, ASCS and SCS. Tennessee does not have one of the 17 selected small farm projects, but special effort to help small farmers is significant as follows: The Extension Service has an educational program for small farmers in effect in all 95 counties with additional resource staff for small farm families in 51 counties. Forty-one paraprofessionals are working with small farmers in 41 counties and 10 professionals are working with small farmers in 10 counties. - 31 - The Small Farm Project with ACP funding was initiated in 1978 with $220,000 with over 500 farmers participating in the two county area. Total ACP funding to date is slightly over $750,000. Additional funding from RC&C brings the total cost-share amount to almost $1 million. Over 50 pit-type ponds were constructed, mostly on small farms of less than 40 acres where an adequate water supply did not exist. Also, 40 embankment-type multi-purpose reservoirs were constructed. All of the ponds were stocked with bass, catfish and bluegill. Plans for 1980 include planting 200 acres to pines, cooperating with the Tennessee Division of Forestry and the Hiwassee Land Company which will furnish the trees and equipment for this project. FmHA is working to improve the living conditions of watershed residents and has financed 100 new houses. TEXAS Dempsey Seastrunk, Chairman Texas Small Farms Committee Agricultural Extension Service Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843 The Texas Small Farm Committee is building on previous small farm pilot projects and results. Emphasis is being given to working with the entire farm family and especially the lower one-third income level with three clientele identified: (1) full producers who want to become commercial-sized farmers; (2) part producers who may be part retired and have different goals, etc.; and (3) nonproducers who work full time off the farm but want the quality of living in the country. It takes more Extension staff time to reach three different clienteles. We need ways to consolidate skills and technical recommendations on how to reach and teach small farm families, and an effective small farm effort must have an individual from each USDA agency with field offices assigned to small farm programs with some budget commitment. The Texas Extension Service has been one of the pioneers in testing the use of paraprofessionals in one-on-one working with small and part-time farmers. Net farm income increased an average of 48 percent from 1970 to 1974 for small-scale farmers enrolled in the Texas program. Also, there was a substantial increase in the number of farmers who took advantage of other government and Extension programs. Texas has now expanded this program to 15 counties and gives preference to farmers with gross agricultural sales under $5,000 per year. UTAH Maynard Wankier, Chairman Utah Small Farms Committee FmHA 5311 Federal Building 125 South State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84138 The State Small Farm Committee for Utah has a farmer member, William Rigby, as well as representatives from ACTION, CSA, State Department of Agriculture and the - 32 - USDA agencies of FmHA, ASCS, SCS, and Extension Service. The committee has identified the Emery Canal Realignment project as a worthy one that could be developed and would involve 53 small farmers in the proposed canal lining project. VERMONT Bill Shimel, Chairman Vermont Small Farms Committee Cooperative Extension Service Morrill Hall University of Vermont Burlington, VT 05401 In the Small Farm program area, the push is not to dairy but to diversify and especially to vegetables on both sides of the river, making better use of small plots of land. We are finding this is especially for strawberries, carrots, etc. FmHA has gone up as much as 100 percent in loan volume the past few years in dairy farming. The heavy demand for credit has exhausted the supply for 1980 already in some states in the Northeast. The national office of FmHA may be able to shift some funds to states which have run out, but this volume of applica- tions for limited resource and emergency loans focuses on a real problem. The State Department of Agriculture in Vermont is considering a grant to the Control Data Corporation which wants to do a study on educational material for small farmers. VIRGINIA 0. W. Cundiff, Chairman Virginia Small Farms Committee Hutcheson Hall VPI & SU Blacksburg, VA 24061 In Virginia, the State Small Farm Task Force is a subcommittee of the State Rural Development Committee with 12 members including USDA and State agencies, ACTION and CSA. The Virginia Agricultural Credit Study Committee has developed and printed an Agricultural Credit Handbook for use by lenders and farmers, and supported the first "Virginia Agricultural Lenders School." The Virginia State University Bureau of Economic Research and Development has been awarded an initial grant by CSA to establish a Small Farm Development Center at Virginia State University. This grant will provide for the development of a process model on how effectively to transmit resources directly to the small farmer. - 33 - The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service has a specific small farm family program providing intensive assistance to farmers in the eight counties of Brunswick, Floyd, Lee, Montgomery, Prince Eduward, Smyth, Southhampton and Washington. The program consists of a paraprofessional (technician) under the direct supervision of a county Extension staff member. The technicians works closely one-to-one to help the farmers and farm wives make the best of their available agricultural resources, adopt approved management practices, and consider new or different enterprises that might help increase their farm incomes. A survey of 244 small farmers participating in the Virginia project indicates dramatic changes in farm sales over a 2 to 3 year period: 11 percent increased over $2,000; 35 percent increased $1,000 to $2,000; 28 percent increased $1,000; 25 percent no change; and 1 percent declined. The Extension staff helped farmers initiate two new Farmers Markets in 1979. Farmer markets are getting increased interest in Virginia with 19 now in operation and 10 more areas discussing the idea. VIRGIN ISLANDS Dr. Darshan S. Padda, Director Cooperative Extension Service College of the Virgin Islands P. O. Box L, Kingshill St. Croix, VI 00850 The Cooperative Extension Service audience is mostly small farmers. Additional staffing including paraprofessional staff and special Extension aides were added in 1979. Also, a new Extension office was opened on the island of St. John to meet the educational needs of that community. Other services include: Dairy herd improvement was conducted for the first time in the Virgin Islands and dairy farmers are enthusiastic about this technical tool. Publications have always been a bottleneck. This was solved by preparing 20 Gardener's Fact Sheets for small farmers and home gardeners. Small livestock production--sheep, goats, swine and poultry--is a major agricultural enterprise in the Virgin Islands. Focus throughout the fiscal year was directed toward increasing size of herds and improving the quality of animals through selective breeding. An agricultural development program was instituted at Camp Arawak and at the Boys Club. A hydroponic vegetable garden was established as a demonstration at the Boys Club. The first phase of a soil analysis lab was completed on St. Thomas Island. The Extension agent helped farmers organize the Virgin Islands Cooperative Society. - 34 - The Community Rural Development program has assisted in providing technical assistance to small farmers on plots rented from the government. Instruction in human nutrition through outreach activities taught 212 homemakers how to take care of their families better. Total of 63 homemakers who are participants in the food stamp program were helped to plan wise spending of their stamps to get the most nutrition for the family. During the year, whenever it was possible, every attempt was made to encourage participants to use locally grown and available foods in order to cut costs while securing foods that were fresh and nutritious. WASHINGTON Les Liebel, Chairman Washington Small Farm Committee Washington State University Pullman, WA 99163 A new help for small farmers in the State of Washington is the Washington Small Farm Resources Network,which is a CSA and ACTION supported project that began in November 1979. The Network Project will focus on assisting 35 farms around the state to improve their net income through reduced costs of inputs, improved production, and better marketing opportunities. Specific projects include a new Farmers Market in Walla Walla; solar design work and information, including a survey of currently available alcohol hardware and information; assisting existing farmers markets to improve grower participation and to accept food stamps; helping organic farmers develop a certification and consumer information system; assisting a Native American group to develop a large "contract-U-pack" operation; improving access to small-scale harvesting, cleaning, and packing equipment. A survey of 30 farmers drawn from referrals by Extension Service; Bulk Commodity Exchange, Seattle; local CAPs; and cooperative distribution groups gave these results: The expressed need of over 48 percent included the following services: referral to specialists organize workshops organize assistance for direct marketing organize machinery coops organize conferences secure low-interest loans provide information on small farm legislation information on new production methods e food stamp acceptance by direct markets. The Cooperative Extension Service is assisting limited resource farmers with farm management and marketing problems. Pilot small farm programs are underway in three counties--Spokane, King, and Clark. - 35 - A State Extension specialist (farm management) has been hired to work part-time coordinating a statewide farm management educational program to develop educational materials. A joint Cooperative Extension Service and State Department of Agriculture effort in direct marketing is underway in Washington and Oregon. The purpose is to assist producers with direct marketing of their products. WEST VIRGINIA Frank Glover, Chairman West Virginia Small Farms Committee SCS P. O. Box 865 Morgantown, WV 26505 The Upper Pocatalico Watershed Small Farm Project has goals and objectives to solve soil and water conservation problems, increase farm production and income, as well as improve marketing opportunity and housing. There are approximately 500 individual family units in the watershed, most of which are small farmers. A total of 116 farms are involved in applying the $200,000 ASCS funding, $100,000 FmHA loans, $50,000 CSA funding for weatherization, $15,000 ACTION funding for VISTA staff, and $15,000 SCS technical assistance for the project. The Extension Service will assist in providing alternatives for additional income, as well as conducting information and education programs. The West Virginia Department will provide assistance on livestock and vegetable production and improving marketing techniques. The West Virginia Department of Natural Resources will provide assistance for forestry practices with special attention to woodland management. WISCONSIN Carroll Lodahl, Chairman Wisconsin Small Farms Committee FmHA First Financial Plaza, Suite 209 1305 Main Street Stevens Point, WI 54481 The Wisconsin Small Farms Subcommittee presently is reporting and working under the direction of the State Rural Development Coordinating Committee. Wisconsin's USDA agencies are serving small farmers with the following major programs and with ongoing programs: The ASCS Yellow River Watershed Special Project is in an area of small dairy farms and involves approximately 110 farms. Over half of these have critical erosion and pollution problems. The objective of this project includes improving - 36 - the water quality of the Yellow River by controlling the amount of sediment from soil erosion and controlling pollution from animal wastes that enter the river. The total cost of completing the project will be $316,000 over a 4-year period. The FmHA made loans to 254 limited resource farmers totalling $22.5 million in 1979. Farmers receiving these loans average 27 years in age, had total 182 acres with 117 acres of that cropland, and 37 livestock units. The Wisconsin Extension Smaller Farms Program has concentrated in six counties where the incidence of low income among farm families is the highest (Marathon, Richland, Vernon, Crawford, Taylor and Wood). The program uses Extension area farm management agents (professionals) and Extension agricultural aides paraprofessionalss). Net farm income increased about $2,500 per farm compared with the year before they entered the program. About 200 farmers are currently involved, i.e., are receiving two or more onfarm instructional visits per month. When farmers started in the program, few were milk testing, using artificial insemination, soil testing or forage testing. However, after a year on the program, nearly all of the farmers had started these practices. The Soil Conservation Service established a goal of working with 2,000 small farm operators in Wisconsin in 1979. This goal will be increased to 3,000 per year for the next 5 years. SCS field personnel are aware of the high priority placed on assisting small farmers. WYOMING Rudolph W. Knoll, Chairman Wyoming Small Farms Committee Farmers Home Administration P. O. Box 820 Casper, WY 82601 A State Small Farm Committee has been organized and meets on a regular basis to plan, discuss, and evaluate small farmers' needs and problems. The committee consists of two small farm representatives as well as USDA agencies, ACTION and CSA. Middle management rural development committees consisting of district or area representatives from the USDA agencies, State agencies, and others have been organized and they are assisting in the small farm efforts. Also, county rural development committees have been organized and are helping to identify small and family-sized farmers and ranchers. They are now assisting in conducting the informational-type meetings. A farmers market was started in Worland in 1979. A Directory of Services Available to family-type farmers and ranchers in Wyoming was prepared and printed in February 1980. Future projects proposed for FY 80 include: (1) alternative energy sources (family-sized); (2) joint ownership of equipment; (3) training for off-farm employment; and (4) sheep production with farm flocks. *U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1980 0-310-945/SEA-255 The USDA Small Farm Working Group reports to the USDA Small Farms Policy Committee at the Assistant Secretary level and includes the following assignments: Northeast Liaison Midwest Liaison Doug Sellars Soil Conservation Service Room 6117 U. S. Department of Agriculture Washington, D. C. 20250 Southeast Liaison Lynn Pickinpaugh Farmers Home Administration Room 5314 U. S. Department of Agriculture Washington, D. C. 20250 Southwest Liaison Mansy Pullen Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Room 3601 U. S. Department of Agriculture Washington, D. C. 20250 Northwest Liaison Warren Post Forest Service Room 4207 U. S. Department of Agriculture Washington, D. C. 20250 Executive Secretary Craig Ahlberg Farmers Home Administration Room 4131 U. S. Department of Agriculture Washington, D. C. 20250 ACTION Representative Theon "Skip" Bell ACTION 806 Connecticut Avenue, N. W. Washington, D. C. 20525 Carl Deitemeyer Economics, Statistics and Cooperatives Service Room 550-GHI U. S. Department of Agriculture Washington, D. C. 20250 Indian Affairs Coordinator Stuart Jamieson Farmers Home Administration Room 5021 U. S. Department of Agriculture Washington, D. C. 20250 Communications Coordinator Ovid Bay SEA-Extension Room 6811 U. S. Department of Agriculture Washington, D. C. 20250 CSA Representative Jack Ramsey Community Services Administration 1200 19th Street, N. W. Washington, D. C. 20506 |