Empowering Small and Beginning Farmers Through Targeted Education
Extension Education
Andrea Lazzari
County Extension Director, Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Agent
University of Florida
Vero Beach
Abstract
Indian River County, Florida, has a growing number of small and beginning farmers who reach out to Extension seeking guidance on resources, regulations, and agricultural best practices. While there are many agencies and resources available to assist these individuals, oftentimes the information available can be overwhelming or confusing, and is spread out across numerous organizations. To address these challenges, the Agriculture agent hosted a one-day mini conference for small and beginning farmers. The objectives of the conference were to: 1) enhance participants' knowledge of agricultural topics; 2) increase awareness of available resources; and 3) encourage adoption of best practices to improve farm management and profitability. The conference featured speakers from UF/IFAS Extension, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS), USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Florida Farm Bureau, the county Property Appraiser’s office, and more. Topics included agricultural exemption, Florida agricultural rules and regulations, FDACS Best Management Practices (BMPs), USDA NRCS cost-share programs, pasture management, business planning, and marketing strategies. The conference had 42 participants, with 15 completing a post-reflective survey assessing knowledge gain and intentions to adopt best practices. Participants reported a 45% average knowledge gain across topics. 87% of participants indicated plans to implement at least one best practice, such as exploring cost-share programs, adopting best pasture management practices, and engaging with their local Extension office. The mini-conference successfully increased knowledge and motivated practice adoption among small and beginning farmers. Feedback indicates a strong demand for continued educational opportunities and resource-sharing events. These results highlight the importance of tailored programming to meet the unique needs of new and small-scale agricultural producers. The program model can be replicated in other states and counties to support agricultural sustainability.
Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC
This poster is being submitted only for display at AM/PIC. Poster is not to be judged, but the abstract will be published in the proceedings.
A poster file has not been provided
Authors: Andrea Lazzari
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Lazzari, A. County Extension Director, Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Agent, University of Florida, Florida, 32960