VSU Small Farm Outreach Gets $600,000 To Assist Farmers And Ranchers
Virginia State University’s Small Farm Outreach Program (VSU-SFOP) is receiving nearly $600,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to help socially disadvantaged, veteran farmers and ranchers (SDVFR) in the Commonwealth. It is the second time, SFOP has been awarded funds through USDA-NIFA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).
“We’re grateful for the renewed commitment from USDA-NIFA to support small disadvantaged farmers, ranchers and veterans,” said SFOP director William Crutchfield. “We will use these funds to continue our training and outreach efforts to help new and beginning farmers build successful and sustainable businesses.”
VSU is one of only four of the nation’s 19 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) established as 1890 land-grant universities to receive the funding, and one of only two HBCUs awarded the maximum funding amount.
In September, NIFA announced more than $53 million in grant funding across three unique agricultural programs to help U.S. farmers, ranchers and military veterans. The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) was awarded more than $16.7 million to fund 48 projects that will deliver support to new farmers and ranchers.
This grant is especially critical in helping to encourage new farmers and ranchers and addressing the decline in Virginia farmers, as older farmers leave or retire from agriculture, Crutchfield added.
SFOP, which is part of the Virginia Cooperative Extension at VSU, will use a holistic approach to equip socially disadvantaged and veteran beginning farmers and ranchers in Virginia with the tools and skills needed for them to make informed decisions in owning and operating successful farm businesses. The approach will include outreach, training and technical assistance to help them with planning, production and marketing.
The project will provide education about USDA opportunities, programs and services; farm estate planning and financial planning and management; production techniques to produce high value, profitable crops and livestock; marketing strategies to attract new and existing markets to sell products; and collaborative partnerships to increase capacity and ensure sustainability of farm operations. The project will target 70 Virginia counties, where disadvantaged farmers and ranchers have been traditionally underserved because of barriers, such as high start-up costs; limited access to credit; lack of knowledge on land acquisition and transition; lack of skills in financial planning; lack of production skills; and limited access to existing and viable markets. In a continued partnership with Virginia Tech’s Virginia Beginning Farmer & Rancher Coalition (VBFRC), VSU will address these barriers by using the “Whole Farm Planning” curriculum developed by VBFRC as a tool to train farmers.
Connection is published by Virginia State University’s College of Agriculture. Special thanks to everyone who contributed content, photos, ideas and time to this edition.
Executive Editor: Michelle Olgers; Writer/Editor: Lorraine Blackwell; Art Direction, Graphic Design: Brittany R. Hughes
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©2020 Virginia State University College of Agriculture
Dr. M. Ray McKinnie, Dean/1890 Extension Administrator; Dr. Wondi Mersie, Associate Dean/Director of Research; Dr. Janine P. Woods, Associate Administrator VSU Virginia Cooperative Extension; Dr. Michelle Corley, Interim Chair, Associate Professor Department of Agriculture; Dr. Crystal Wynn, Chair and Associate Professor Department of Family and Consumer Sciences; Dr. Berkita Bradford, Chair and Associate Professor Department of Hospitality Management
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