Providing Locally Grown Food by Training Non-traditional Students in Agriculture

Buying locally grown food is a trend that is increasing nationwide through direct markets such as farmers markets.  Farmers across the country sell directly to customers but in Yuma, the countries largest producer of winter vegetables, no direct sales are available. The majority of Yuma’s agriculture producers are large acreage corporate entities; their produce is under contract to large distributors so they are unable to make direct sales to consumers.  This means very little locally grown produce is available in Yuma.  The University of Arizona, Yuma County Cooperative Extension, offered a new class to train interested community members in business and agricultural practices so they could start their own agriculture business.  This was achieved through a combination of hands-on and classroom learning.  Lectures included business topics such as business planning, obtaining land and capital, marketing, and taxes.  Production-based topics such as growing vegetables, soil and water management, food safety and pest management were also offered. Land at the Yuma Agriculture Center was set aside for the participants to grow produce.  During the first 11 weeks of the class, participants also planned and marketing Yuma’s first locally grown farmers market.  Once the classroom portion ended the produce grown was harvested and sold at the farmers market.  The market supplied the need for locally grown produce in Yuma while providing a place for start up agricultural businesses to access interested buyers.