Local producers attend national conference

By Bridget Udoh

Local producers from Louisiana attended the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group’s (SSAWG) 18th Annual Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee, January 21-24.

Forty-five producers, students, extension agents and other agricultural professionals received scholarships from the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program to attend the conference.

The conference provided 56 educational sessions, five field trips, five intensive short courses, four mini courses, and a bonus USDA grant writing workshop. The meeting consisted of farm tours and presentations on numerous topics including organic production, cut flowers, pastured poultry, goat production, and farm management.

Fifty-year veteran peach farmer Jonathan Jackson, from Shreveport, was accompanied by his mentee Rafeeq Naji on the trip. The duo are neighbors and Naji attended the conference to garner additional information on starting an organic vegetable farm. Jackson invited Naji because he was aware of the benefits associated with the conference attendance through networking with other producers and professionals.

Participants expressed appreciation for the networking opportunities at the conference, and many said they were greatly inspired because they received information that would benefit their farming operations and enhance their professional capabilities. 

“I have learned valuable lessons from the conference by talking to other farmers and attending the sessions. I will start small and expand gradually,” Naji said.

Jackson attributes his success in farming to information provided by his local extension agents. “I highly commend all extension agents for the work they do. Keep up the good work,” he said.

Our own Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives assisted with the recruitment and registration of local farmers and agricultural producers and high school students from its 10-parish region to attend the conference. LaVonya Malveaux, Southwest Center director, co-sponsored the trip for Louisiana participants.

The group traveled under the leadership of Owusu Bandele, Ph.D., professor, horticulture, Southern University Ag Center, and Carl Motsenbocker, Ph.D, professor, horticulture, LSU. The two professors served as the state coordinators.

>By Bridget Udoh,Ph.D., communications specialist, bridget_udoh@suagcenter.com