Building Capacity for Florida's Small Farm Specialty Crop Industry with a Statewide Conference

Consumer interest and demand for local foods has changed the dynamic of the Florida small farms industry from a little-known group of clientele to a larger and more diverse clientele group that actively participates in University of Florida (UF) extension programming, on-farm research, local and state policy discussions, and partnership building. Based on the USDA definition, well over 90% of the over 47,000 farms in Florida are small farms. Florida reported an 8% increase in farm numbers from 2002 to 2007, essentially all in the small farm category. According to the 2007 US Ag Census, 89% of the Florida farms report less than $100,000 in product sales. The other common characteristic of these operations is they are family-oriented farms dependent upon the family for management and labor. Extension programs can make a difference by providing educational information to help small farmers successfully start their farming operations or adopt new alternative enterprises. Current barriers include: access to markets, regulations, labor, locating materials, and supplies, size-appropriate production, technologies, and adoption of sustainable practices. The UF-IFAS Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Focus Team consists of over 80 state and county faculty that self-affiliate with the extension programming of this team. Based on results of a statewide small farm survey, written evaluations from clientele attending county and regional programs, and informal discussions with stakeholders, industry partners and community organizations, a Stakeholder Planning Committee of 30 volunteer members was assembled in 2007 to plan the first statewide conference for small farmers. The two-year planning period and support from IFAS’s Office of Conferences and Institutes was essential to our success. The result was a two-day event that included a large trade show with over 80 exhibitors, a live animal educational demonstration area, a keynote address, innovative farmer awards, six concurrent sessions including tracts in horticulture, alternative energy, alternative enterprises, policy & regulations, organic & sustainable farming, livestock, and business & marketing. Food featuring products from Florida small farms comprised refreshment breaks and lunches. The majority of the 800 attendees responded in a post-event evaluation that the networking was as equally valuable as the educational content. A second statewide conference will be held in July 2010. Although strong partnerships have been developed with community-based organizations, institutional partnerships with Universities, FDACS, Farm Bureau, Farm Credit, and various USDA agencies will need to be strengthened to better serve the needs of small farmers.