North Carolina A&T State University

Greensboro, North Carolina

The Ways to Grow program has been one of North Carolina A&T State University Cooperative Extension's major outreaches to small scale farmers. The program's goal was to help North Carolina's small farmers increase farm profitability through the introduction of alternative agricultural enterprises such as specialty crops and innovative farm-based enterprises. These enterprises are the small-scale producer's hope for the future, in light of the competitive disadvantages they face if they compete directly in traditional markets. Ways to Grow successfully employed four strategies, described below, to bring alternative agriculture to small-scale producers in North Carolina.

Training: Small-scale producers throughout the state were invited to submit proposals for on-farm demonstrations of alternative enterprises. Those selected (25 in both 1991 and 1992) came to Greensboro for a 2 1/2 day Small Farm Institute. A member of the Extension staff from their county who had agreed to serve as a mentor for the demonstration project attended with each farmer. The farmers participated in highly interactive training sessions with production and marketing specialists, receiving advice on finances and record keeping from authorities and hearing the first hand experiences of other farmers already involved in alternative enterprises.

Advanced Technological Information Delivery: An hour and-a-half "Satellite Video-conference" was uplinked to kick off the Ways to Grow program which featured small farm experts from Cornell University, University of California-Davis, Successful Farming Magazine, the North Carolina governor's office and North Carolina A&T State University. A Ways to Grow videotape library (14 videos) was developed to assist with the delivery and transfer of production technology and marketing information about alternative agricultural enterprises.

Applied Research: Forty-eight (48) on-farm demonstrations were established on various alternative enterprises across the state. Forty-seven (47) of those demonstration sites became operational, sharing information about the production, adaptability, cultural practices and marketing of alternatives with other small and part- time farmers in their communities, counties and regions. Forty-four information fact sheets were developed based on the demonstrations and distributed to all 100 county Extension centers in North Carolina. The information sheets highlight the learning experiences and advice of the various demonstrations to farmers about the production and marketing of alternative enterprises.

Networking: Ways to Grow united governmental agencies and nonprofit groups working to assist small-scale producers, including groups such as the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. Top-level Extension administrators from North Carolina A&T State and North Carolina State Universities participated. Project directors worked closely with the state-level heads of all United States Department of Agriculture agencies to promote and insure support of the goals and objectives of the program.

Conclusion:

Although sustainable agriculture was not a primary focus of Ways to Grow, many of its principles and practices were incorporated into the various on-farm demonstrations.

Program participants were asked to think about their situations and advised to use their incentive grants in ways that would ensure them long term success; sustainability and profitability. Because of the costs associated with high chemical inputs and the program's intent of increasing farm profitability, much of the information and technology transferred to the farmers, supported the basic concept of sustainable agriculture.

Ways to Grow has greatly increased public awareness of the sociological and economic adversity confronting small-scale agriculture. It has also brought to public attention, implications for the future which clearly illustrate the need for revitalizing small-scale agriculture and the necessity of public support for programs aimed at revitalization. The program has become both an information resource and a communication conduit for small-scale farmers and agencies working to assist them. With its commitment to alternative agricultural enterprises and program development, Ways to Grow serves to offer a solution to the issues it brings to light.

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