4249:
Building Capacity for Florida's Small Farm Specialty Crop Industry with a Statewide Conference
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Springs F & G
Robert Hochmuth, Univ of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Nola Wilson, Univ of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Robert Kluson, Univ of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Susan Kelly, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
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.
