Alternative Production Systems for Farmers with Disabilities

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Alternative Production Systems for Farmers with
Disabilities

• Local Food and Beyond

Kerri Ebert, Coordinator Kansas AgrAbility
Project AgrAbility Virtual NTW December 10, 2013
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Basic Webinar Instructions

• 4 quick survey questions
• Session recorded and archived at
  http//agrability.org/Online-Training/virtualntw/i
  ndex.cfm along with resource materials
• Problems use chat window or email
  agrability_at_agrability.org

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Known Webinar Issues

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• AgrAbility USDA-sponsored program that assists
  farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers
  with disabilities.
• Partners land grant universities with disability
  services organizations
• Currently 20 projects covering 22 states
• National AgrAbility Project Led by Purdues
  Breaking New Ground Resource Center. Partners
  include
• Goodwill of the Finger Lakes
• The Arthritis Foundation, Heartland Region
• The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Colorado State University
• More information available at www.agrability.org

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Alternative Production Systems for Farmers with
Disabilities

• Local Food and Beyond

Kerri Ebert, Coordinator Kansas AgrAbility
Project AgrAbility Virtual NTW December 10, 2013
7
Learning Objectives

1. Learn about small scale and alternative ag
   production methods
2. See examples of small scale and alternative
   production methods used in Kansas
3. Discuss possibilities for your states and
   identify resources

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Why this topic at this time?

• United States Department of Agriculture Economic
  Research Service (USDA ERS) Report
• January 2013
• Food Insecurity Among Households With Working-Age
  Adults With Disabilities
• There is a strong association between disability
  and food insecurity
• 33.5 of households with an adult who is not in
  the workforce because of disability are food
  insecure

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Why this topic at this time?

• Veterans
• Gulf Wars I and II have resulted in 1.6 million
  veterans who fought for America and survived.
• Approximately 10 of post-9/11 veterans are
  officially classified as disabled.
• About 45 of veterans are seeking disability
  benefits from the Veterans Affairs (VA)
  Department.
• 3.5 million total number of veterans with a
  service-connected disability
• The unemployment rate for Gulf War I and II
  veterans hovers around 9 some sources put it
  closer to 20

Total population of veterans is gt21.5 million
1.6 million of whom are female.
Source U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Why this topic at this time?
Enthusiasm for farming among young adults
(college age) and older Americans who want to
farm.
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We Need More Farmers!

• Local Food Movement
• Consumer driven
• Opens new market opportunities for farmers
• Increases demand for new farmers
• Self Employment can be an excellent opportunity
  for people with disabilities
• Farming can be therapeutic for returning veterans
• In Kansas we dont have enough fresh produce to
  meet consumer demand at our largest farmers
  markets.

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Small Scale Ag Alternative Crops

• The Worldwatch Institute A move from industrial
  farming towards local food projects is our
  healthiest, most sustainable choice.
• Food waste another reason for more local
  growers. Conservative estimate of food waste in
  the U.S. is ¼ of all food produced.
• Prepared and not eaten
• Damaged in transport
• Spoilage
• Unsold fresh produce in stores

State of the World Report 2011 Innovations that
Nourish the Planet
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We Need More Farmers to Grow Fresh Produce!

• Can we (AgrAbility) help bridge the gaps between
• Americans with disabilities and food security
• AgrAbility customers and increased local food
  demand
• Needs of our returning veterans many of whom
  were raised in rural areas.

?
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YES, WE CAN ?

• In fact, weve already started.
• So lets look at some types of alternative food
  production and niche markets that can and do work
  for people with disabilities.
• Because small-scale farming is an excellent self
  employment option and doesnt take a huge
  start-up investment!

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Small Scale/Alternative Options

• Traditional Fruits
• Tree fruits (apples, peaches, pears, cherries)
• Bramble fruits (blackberries, raspberries)
• Small fruits (blueberries, strawberries, grapes)
• Specialty Fruits
• Figs (growing zones 6-9)
• Elderberries (growing zones 4-8)
• Currants (growing zones 3-7)
• Kiwi (growing zones 5-8)
• Herbs culinary and medicinal

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Small Scale/Alternative Options

• Traditional Vegetables
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Squash
• Specialty Vegetables
• Miniature and/or colored anything
• Yellow or purple carrots 8-ball zucchini yellow
  beets
• Ethnic vegetables varies by location and local
  ethnic population
• Bok Choy and other Choys
• Chinese cabbage
• Specialty peppers

Source USDA, Alternative Crops Enterprises for
Small Farm Diversification
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Small Scale/Alternative Options

• Animals (protein)
• Game-related buffalo, deer, fish bait, pheasant,
  quail
• Minor Breeds goats, sheep, rabbits
• Poultry chickens, ducks, geese
• Aquaculture tilapia, shrimp
• Conventional OR Organic?
• Its up to the producer and the consumer

Source USDA, Alternative Crops Enterprises for
Small Farm Diversification
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• Lets take a virtual farm tour for our virtual
  training workshop

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Examples Niche Markets
Green beans in north central Kansas
Source Kansas SARE
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Examples Niche Markets
Chestnuts in northeast Kansas
Source Kansas SARE
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Examples Niche Markets
Poultry Left rotationally grazed, heritage bred
turkeys Right Brooder house for chickens made
from pickup toppers and straw bales
Source Kansas AgrAbility Project
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Examples
Mineral tubs and 5-gallon buckets as raised beds
with a small hoop houses for season extension
Source Kansas AgrAbility Project
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Examples
Garden plot donated to local ILC by a farm
implement dealer.
Source Kansas AgrAbility Project
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Examples
Garden plots on vacant lots in Kansas City,
Kansas. Lower left photo is experimental slot
farming technique uses and edger to create slot
for seed and existing crab grass as the mulch.
Source Kansas SARE
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Examples
Recycled totes as raised beds even winterized
raised beds with the hoop structure.
Source Kansas AgrAbility Project
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Examples
Another example of a raised bed.
Source Kansas AgrAbility Project
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Examples
Minimal equipment investment PVC / 2X4 frame,
recycled billboard used as a cover.
Source Kansas SARE
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Examples
High tunnels offer high potential for planting
densely. Notice how much is planted in such a
small area and the use of containers with
in-ground planting.
Source Kansas SARE
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Whats a Hoop House?
High tunnels, or hoop houses, are unheated
greenhouses that can help extend the growing
season and improve the profitability and
productivity of their farms. High tunnels are
also an integral part of local food production
systems in many parts of the United States. They
aid fruit and vegetable crop production by
extending the cropping season, providing
protection from the elements (wind, storms, heat,
etc.), and result in a more-stable production
system that poses less risk of crop
failure. High tunnels come in many different
shapes, sizes, and structures. Many 4-season
tunnels are as small as 1000 sq ft for, and
3-season tunnels (plastic is removed during
winter) can span ranges up to 20 acres. 
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Examples
Hoop houses as therapy constructing and growing
-- Fort Riley, Kansas, mTBI Clinic.
http//www.youtube.com/watch?vR1mL8G0iRWcfeature
youtu.be
Source Kansas AgrAbility Project
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Resources

• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  www.usda.gov
• Alternative Farming Systems Information Center,
  http//afsic.nal.usda.gov
• National Agricultural Library
• Alternative Crops Enterprises for Small Farm
  Diversification, http//www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pub
  s/altlist.shtml
• Start2Farm, http//start2farm.gov/
• Farm Service Agency, http//www.fsa.usda.gov

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Resources

• For Veterans
• Information for Veterans
• http//www.outreach.usda.gov/veterans.htm
• Farmer Veteran Coalition, http//www.farmvetco.org
  /
• Veteran Careers in Agriculture A Resource Guide,
  AgrAbility featured on Page 31
• Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots, http//ncta.unl.edu/
  
• Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture,
  Curtis, NE
• 100 Beef Cow Advantage Program
• 100 Acre Farm Advantage Program

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Resources

• ATTRA National Sustainable Agriculture
  Information Center
• https//attra.ncat.org/
• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
  (SARE)
• http//www.sare.org/
• eXtension (virtual Extension office)
• http//www.extension.org/

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Local Resources

• USDA County Offices
• Farm Service Agency (FSA)
• Rural Development (RD)
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
• County/Area Extension Offices
• Master Gardener Programs
• Community Garden Program
• Farmers Market Information

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Local Resources

• State Department of Agriculture
• State SARE Coordinator
• State Commission/Department of Veterans Affairs
• Small Business Development Centers
• State Farm Organizations
• Farmers Union
• Small / Sustainable Farmers Associations

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Kerri Ebert Kansas AgrAbility Project kebert_at_k-sta
te.edu http//agrability.bae.ksu.edu