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| Dr. Dawn Mellion-Patin interacts with audience during session |
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| L-r: Eubanks, Hill (SARE), Brown, Mellion-Patin, Augustine |
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| 2014 Louisiana Living Legends, l-r: Marshall, Crawford (representative), Mellad |
Baton
Rouge, LA - The Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center held
its 4th Annual Louisiana Small Farmer Conference, March 13-15, at the SU Ag
Center, gathering nearly 100 producers from across the state. This conference was
designed for small farmers interested in building up existing farms,
transitioning or moving towards diversifying family farms. This year’s
conference was themed “Equipping Louisiana Small Family Farm for the Local Food
Movement.”
The
event kicked off with a visit to the Red
Stick Farmers’ Market, followed by a pre-conference grant writing session. The session titled, Understanding the Nuts and Bolts of the Southern SARE Program
featured Mr. James Hill and Ms. Candace Pollock representing the Southern
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) at Fort Valley State
University/University of Georgia. The Opening Reception at 5:30 pm on March 13 was sponsored by Southern SARE.
On
the morning of March 14, the conference thrust into full gear with the opening
session presided by Dr. Dawn Mellion-Patin, Ag Specialist, SU Ag Center, and
featuring Dr. Adell Brown, Jr., Executive Vice Chancellor and Vice Chancellor
for Research; and Mr. Jeremy L. Hendrix, Special Advisor to the Commissioner on
Minority Affairs, LA Dept. of Agriculture and Forestry. This was immediately followed
by a keynote address entitled Meeting the
Demand for Locally Grown Foods by Mr. Bobby Wilson, President, American
Community Gardens Association, Atlanta, GA.
The
concurrent breakout sessions included: Backyard
Flocks presented by Theresia Lavergne, professor/Poultry Specialist, School
of Animal Sciences, LSU AgCenter; Diversifying
Your Farm - Nelson Daniels, Program Specialist, Ag & Natural Resources,
Prairie View A&M University; Soils: Composting
as an Alternative - Bob Dillemuth, LA Master Gardener and Outreach
Coordinator, Dept. of Public Works, EBR Recycling Office; Direct Marketing of Local Foods - Brennan Washington, Owner and
Operator, Phoenix Gardens Farms, Lawrenceville, GA.
The
lunch presentation focused on the 2012 Ag Census: Implications for Louisiana Agriculture by Nathan Crisp, State
Statistician, USDA/National Agricultural Statistics Service. Immediately after
lunch was a panel discussion entitled USDA
Programs and Services Designed to Aid the Production of Local Foods,
moderated by Tiffany Franklin, Extension Associate, SU Ag Center. Panelists
consisted of T. C. Chachere, Farm Loan Chief, Farm Service Agency: Microloan Program; Sam Willis, District
Conservationist, Natural Conservation Service: Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative; Mary Kirk, Business and
Cooperative Programs Technician, Rural Development: Value Added Producer Grants; and Orlando Phelps, Training Officer,
Agricultural Marketing Service: Farmers
Market Promotion Program.
The
evening culminated in the Louisiana Living Legend Banquet, highlighting three
award recipients as “heroes with ties and connections to Southern University”
for their years of selfless service. The 2014 Louisiana Living Legends were Mr.
Wesley Crawford, retired Agricultural Extension Agent and mentor who served in Monroe,
Morehouse and Franklin Parishes for 33 years; Mr. Solon Marshall, retired
Vocational Agriculture Teacher who taught in Richland and Franklin Parishes for
37 years; and Dr. Kirkland E. Mellad, retired Vice Chancellor for Research, SU
Ag Center with 39 years of service at Southern University.
The
event was coordinated by Dr. Dawn Mellion-Patin, Ag Specialist, and Zanetta
Augustine, Associate Extension Specialist, SU Ag Center. Dr. Gina E. Eubanks serves as vice chancellor for Extension.
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Contact:
Bridget Udoh
(225) 771-5714
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