Small Farms
Military Veteran Small Farms Program
This project is a collaboration of:
- University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, USDA Agriculture Research Service,
National Center for Appropriate Technology, University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry,
Appalachian State University, California Polytechnic State University
SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLBOX
This interactive workbook is designed to provide business benefits with the small farmer in mind. The workbook focuses on creating and using, dominate social media platforms; such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Social Media is used to boost businesses and allow for authentic views into small farming. Utilizing social media is sometimes a daunting task, requiring the use of technology, time and creativity. The workbook is designed for all skill levels, to help make the most of social media marketing, without making the task too difficult, and in turn offers farm benefits through sales, interest, new and repeat customers. Check out the Social Media Toolbox and get your free download of this interactive workbook and enhance your business using social media.
- If you would like to request a copy of the Social Media Toolbox, please send your name, address and phone number to Sarah Bramall at: sbwright@uark.edu
Three webinars have been hosted to learn more about using social media for farmers,
you can find those on ATTRA-NCAT's website, or below:
- Using Social Media to Grow Your Farm Business
- Using Facebook to Grow Your Farm Business
- Using Instagram to Grow Your Farm Business
AGROFORESTRY ACADEMY
The University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry (UMCA) annually hosts an Agroforestry Academy. The Agroforestry Academy took place July 21-26, 2019. During the week long workshop, participants will gain knowledge both in and out of the classroom in areas such as; Silvopasture practices, windbreaks, alley cropping, forest farming, Elderberry production, infrastructure for agroforestry adoption, riparian and upland forest buffers, marketing for agroforestry and more. Participants will engage in farm tours throughout the week to gain hands on experience in areas with specialty crops, biomass and climate change, Chestnut alley cropping, agroforestry and wildlife and more. For more information about upcoming agroforestry workshops visit the Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri. You can also find in the Agroforestry Academy brochure.
INTERNSHIPS
Customized internships for prospective farmers provide a unique learning opportunity to work closely with mentors and our network of successful farmers. Our internship program is based on being flexible to both the farmer and the intern. We have a veteran farmer who serves as the mentor and is the one to develop the position to fit what the intern is looking for and match what the farmer has to offer.
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Across the Creek Farm - West Fork, AR
Across the Creek Farm is a family farm located in Northwest Arkansas. This farm is owned and operated by Terrell Spencer, his wife Carla, and three children. Terrell works as a partner on our BFRDP Grant and helped establish our internship program. The farm started with raising free range poultry, and selling the meat and eggs locally at the Farmer’s Market. Their farm and customer base has grown into diversified livestock with poultry, swine and goats. They continue to sell at the local Farmer’s Market, as well as in local whole food grocery stores and restaurants which serve locally raised food products. Across the Creek Farm has been a part of our internship program for multiple years. To see Spence's operation and story, visit his website at www.acrossthecreekfarm.com
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New Life Farm, Lenoir - NC
New Life farm is a first generation family farm that is dedicated to providing people with food that is both beneficial to the people who eat it and the environment in which it is grown. The farm is owned and operated by Cory Byrk and his family. New Life Farm produces organically grown field crops as well as pasture based livestock, including pigs, chickens, turkeys and ducks. Their mission is to “Equip our Nation’s Veterans with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the Sustainable Agriculture Sector. New Life Farm products are sold at their local Farmer’s Market and a restaurant which serves locally raised food products. You can see the story, the recipes and more at www.newlifefarmnc.com
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Wholly Cow Farms - Judsonia, AR
Wholly Cow Farms is owned and operated by Ryan Pace and his family. Ryan is committed to the ways of agriculture and sustainable farming. Ryan is passionate about serving veterans and active military, and educating them in the ways of sustainable farming. Wholly Cow Farms is a grass-fed, organic beef operation located in the heart of Arkansas. His passion is to provide, healthy and delicious tasting beef through his pasture-based operation. Their beef can be found at local markets and restaurants in the Searcy, Arkansas area. To find more information on Wholly Cow Farms, visit their website at www.whollycowfarms.com and to read an impressive article published in the Ozarks Farm and Neighbor on the Ryan Pace family, click here.
SOUTHERN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE WORKING GROUP (SSAWG)
The SSAWG conference reaches approximately 1500 participants from in all areas of
sustainable agriculture. Participants come from all over, but specifically the Southern
region to discuss their farming practices, new and improved methods of sustainable
farming, marketing techniques and much more. The 2019 SSAWG conference, Practical
Tools & Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms, took place January 23-26, in Little
Rock, Arkansas. Through this project, we offered multiple scholarships to cover registration
costs, and a handful of full-scholarships (including travel, lodging, registration,
etc.) to attend the conference to veterans wishing to participate. We are excited
that the 2020 conference will again take place in Little Rock, Arkansas, January 22-25.
Continue checking back for information on military veteran scholarship opportunities
to attend and participate in the conference.
USDA - MILITARY VETERAN AND BEGINNING FARMER/RANCHER
Visit the USDA Blog for great reads on Military Veteran Farmer Success Stories, Farm Answers (a One-Stop Shop for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers), Business Tips and more! The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has recently launched an outreach program
to help many different groups of people, including Military Veterans and New and Beginning Farmers. For the downloadable brochure for Military Veteran Farmers, click here.
ONLINE EDUCATIONAL MODULES
Through this grant, we offer free online education modules covering many sustainable and integrated small farm topics: Pastured Poultry Production, Pastured Sheep and Goat Production, Agroforestry, Business Planning and Farm Safety. There are currently 35 modules listed below on this webpage. Continue to check back for updated and more interactive educational presentations on sustainable farming and also look for the upcoming Spanish versions of the modules to be added to reach a more broad audience.
Each module is a downloadable PDF:
There is also a Spanish version available in 35 of the modules.
Rotational Grazing
This presentation contains information to better understand the primary uses and benefits
of rotational grazing, setting up a rotational grazing plan, and offers a review of
basic animal handling principles.
Common Tools and Equipment for Rotational Grazing
This presentation contains information regarding common tools and equipment used in
a rotational grazing system, how to utilize different approaches to setting up both
permanent and temporary fencing and identifying unique considerations for small ruminants
in a rotational grazing system.
Common Beef Cattle
Breeds
This presentation contains information regarding common beef cattle breeds for the
United States. Pros and cons are listed for the breeds, as well as their origin, average
size and their production benefits.
Livestock Handling
This presentation contains information on how to properly handle livestock, cattle
in particular. The presentation covers animal behavior, handling to reduce stress,
corral layout and handling efficiency.
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Chicken Breeds for Small Farms
This presentation contains information regarding poultry production and discusses
the most common chicken breeds for meat or egg production, as well as dual purpose
breeds. It also discusses some general breed characteristics that could be used for
breed selection.
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Meat Chicken Breeds for Small Farms
This presentation contains information regarding some of the most common chicken breeds
used for meat production, including information regarding their temperament, foraging
abilities and ideal body weight for market.
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Egg Layer Breeds for Small Farms
This presentation contains information regarding some of the most common chicken breeds
for egg production, as well as some notes on egg production and marketing.
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Safe Egg Handling
This presentation describes the importance of cleaning eggs (dry or wet cleaning),
candling and marketing of the eggs.
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Home Poultry Processing, Part One
One of the biggest hurdles for small poultry processors is the slaughter and processing
of the birds. This presentation discusses some of the legal regulations regarding
poultry processing, the different types of processing situations and information regarding
slaughter, marketing and processing units.
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Home Poultry Processing, Part Two
One of the biggest hurdles for small poultry processors is the slaughter and processing
of the birds. This presentation discusses the processing method from stunning and
slaughter, defeathering, cutting and evisceration, preparing the carcass and packaging
the carcass.
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Pastured Poultry
Pastured poultry is a sustainable agriculture technique that calls for raising poultry
on pasture, as opposed to indoor confinement. This presentation describes the care
of the birds from the hatchery and brooder to raising them on pasture, it also provides
information on poultry equipment (waterers, feeders, housing systems for the different
stages of the birds), and provides a brief overview about organic poultry production.
It also contains information regarding egg production on pastured conditions.
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Molting in Layers
Molting is a normal part of the life of the laying hens where they shed the old feathers
and grow new ones. However this process will interfere with egg production and can
lead to health problems in the animals. This presentation discusses the molting process,
some of the health and behavior problems that can develop and some husbandry recommendations
to implement during the molting season.
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Pastured Layers
This presentation contains information about the different breeds of chicken egg layers,
brooding and keeping of the layers, recommended management practices for the housing,
nest boxes, egg production and marketing, shell defects, and a brief description of
egg cleaning and storage procedures.
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Pastured Duck Production
Duck production is an easy and real alternative to raising chickens. This presentation
discusses some of the most common duck breeds, duck production, nutrition and husbandry
and some aspects of egg and meat production.
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Poultry Health
This presentation discusses some of the preventive measures used to prevent the entrance
of disease and pests to your poultry farm. It also discusses some of the most common
disease signs in poultry, treating and reporting sick birds and presents information
about the different diseases that can be transmitted from birds to humans. Finally,
it presents information about some of the most common ways to dispose of poultry mortality
on the farm.
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The Basics of Goat Production
This presentation discusses basic aspects of goat husbandry and management including
information about their behavior and handling, nutrition, fencing and housing recommendations.
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Goat Production in Pasture
This presentation contains information regarding the behavior, nutritional requirements
and management of goats kept in pastured areas. It presents information regarding
intensive grazing management and discusses some aspects of goat reproduction and kid
management.
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Common Health Problems in Goats and Sheep
Even with proper management and nutrition, all animals can develop health problems.
This presentation discusses some of the most common health problems in sheep and goats
in the southern part of the country and some preventive strategies.
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Sheep Production
This presentation discusses the most common breeds of sheep present in the US and
the different products that are commonly marketed (meat, milk, wool, hair, leather
products, lanolin and others). It presents information regarding husbandry and management
of sheep, including nutrition, grazing, reproduction and some marketing strategies.
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Agroforestry Overview
This presentation is a thorough overview of the various components of Agroforestry.
What is Agroforestry?
Agroforestry is an intensively managed farming system that uses trees and shrubs in
combination with livestock, crops or both. This presentation discusses some of the
benefits of agroforestry, and explains the silvopastoral production system (trees,
shrubs and grazing livestock).
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Agroforestry Practices
This presentation discusses some of the most common types of agroforestry practices
such as forest farming and alley cropping.
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Agroforestry Riparian Buffers and Planning
This presentation discusses the use of agroforestry principles in the conservation
and management of riparian buffers and presents detailed recommendations about planning
and management of agroforestry operation.
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Sustainable agriculture relies on and protects nature by taking advantage of natural
goods and services, such as biodiversity, nutrient cycling, soil regeneration and
integrated pest management. This presentation briefly describes strategies for soil
and water protection, integrated pest management, rotational grazing and multi species
grazing strategies.
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Integrated Farms
This presentation describes multiple examples of farming strategies that incorporate
different production elements such as livestock, crops and trees in the same farm.
It presents some of the goals and challenges of this system and illustrates the different
marketing and production strategies available under this method.
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Integrated Pest Management
This presentation discusses the use of IPM principles in a sustainable farm operation.
Integrated pest management is an environmentally sensitive approach to dealing with
animal, insect and plant pests. It uses information about the life cycles of pests
to select control strategies that pose the smallest possible risk to people, property,
animals and the environment.
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Water
This presentation contains information regarding water conservation strategies that
promote water infiltration and minimize water loss, erosion and salinization problems
in the farm. It presents information regarding the preservation of waterways in the
farm and different irrigation systems.
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Soil
This presentation discusses different farming practices designed to maintain and improve
soil fertility in the farm and to enhance crop productivity while promoting underground
biodiversity and avoiding erosion.
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This presentation discusses some of the different factors that beginning farmers should
consider when starting a farm (such as production and marketing options, business
plans, insurance, finances and record keeping).
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Developing a Business Plan
In this presentation we introduce information about the importance of creating a business
plan, define and describe the components of a business plan and provide access to
resources that can help to develop a business plan.
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Developing a Personal Plan
This presentation describes information about the different components of a personal
plan and its importance on personal and business planning.
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Financial Record Keeping
This presentation discusses the importance of keeping a good record system and compare
different systems for keeping records in the farm.
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The Balance Sheet & Statement of Cash Flows
This presentation contains basic definition and uses of the balance sheet and statement
of cash flow and their importance for accurate financial assessment and planning in
the farm.
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Arkansas' Right-to-Farm Law
This presentation introduces the use of the Right-to-farm statute as a defense strategy
for farmers in the state of Arkansas and other parts of the country.
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Legal Issues in Food Safety
This presentation provides a review of food safety rules and regulations that could
impact a farm producer, as well as overview of laws in the state of Arkansas that
oversee the rules for keeping livestock on your property.
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Contracting Issues in Agriculture
This presentation contains information about what makes a valid contract and discusses
some of the basic principles of contract law and the Uniform Commercial Code as it
applies to agricultural contracts.
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Farm Safety Overview
This presentation is a thorough overview of the multiple parts of Farm Safety.
Part One: Tools, Equipment & Electricity
This presentation contains information related to the safe use of tractors, machinery,
ATV’s, different types of tools and equipment and electricity hazards and safety precautions
in the farm. It also discusses the correct way to lift heavy objects.
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Part Two: Livestock, Chemicals & Gases
This presentation includes information about potential accidents and common health
problems associated with keeping and handling livestock, chemical substances and risks
and sources of toxic gases and dust in the farm.
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Part Three: Weather & Fire
This presentation contains information about different risks associated to weather
phenomena (heat, cold, rain, lightning, tornado, etc.) and fire hazards and prevention
and safety.
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Part Four: Miscellaneous
There are many hazards and potential problems in the farm. In this presentation we
discuss farm safety issues like ladder safety, highway traffic, noise, gases in enclosed
spaces, and potential problems with ponds, old and abandoned wells and buildings.
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Phone: 479-575-2401 • Email: sbwright@uark.edu
Phone: 479-575-2413 • Email: annie.donoghue@ars.usda.gov
These projects are in conjuction with the following grants:
USDA-NIFA-BFRDP 2017-01804
USDA-NIFA-AFRI 2014-05471
Previous Grants Include:
USDA-NIFA-BFRDP 2014-07424
USDA-NIFA-BFRDP 2010-03143