The agricultural outreach work of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff was highlighted recently at the joint Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development (BFRD) Program and 2501 Program Annual Project Directors Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dr. Henry English, director of the UAPB Small Farm Program, said. The meeting brought together agency professionals whose work is related to two of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) major outreach programs. The event marked the first time annual meetings of the two USDA programs were held together.
“For the past two years, UAPB has been selected and invited to present and provide a project overview because of our success in these programs,” Dr. English said. “Last year, we were invited to speak about our success implementing the BFRD Program, and this year, we had the chance to speak about the 2501 Program, which provides outreach and assistance to socially disadvantaged and veteran producers. We are currently the only organization that has been invited to speak about both programs, so this is a great honor for all of us in the UAPB Small Farm Program.”
During the meeting, Dr. English was one of the guests on the Successful 2501 Programs Panel. The other panel members were Carolyn Jones of Mississippi Minority Farmers Alliance and Mimi Thomas-Brooker of Pennsylvania Friends of Ag.
During his presentation on UAPB’s 2501 Program, Dr. English explained how participating farmers are first assisted in developing financial and business plans. They learn about enterprise budgets
to help make income and expense projections for their operations. This allows them to determine if proposed changes to their operations are financially feasible.
“The next step was to ensure that producers take soil tests and develop a weed control program,” Dr. English said. “We emphasized that it is critical to have a weed control plan early or at planting, especially considering that herbicide-resistant Palmer pigweed (Palmer amaranth) can grow up to an inch per day, produce up to one million seeds per plant and is hard to control if allowed to grow over four inches tall.”
Dr. English also stressed the importance of using the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation programs to install land-improving practices such as land leveling and underground irrigation pipelines. He talked about his efforts to introduce producers to programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which takes marginal land out of production so it can be used to grow trees or grass for 10 to 15 years in exchange for payment.
According to the USDA, its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program provides funds that support education, mentoring and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers and ranchers. The 2501 Program helps ensure that underserved and veteran farmers, ranchers and foresters can equitably participate in USDA programs. Grants are awarded to community-based and non-profit organizations, higher education institutions and eligible tribal entities with at least three years of experience in working with socially disadvantaged or veteran farmers and ranchers.
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
