Based upon the recent success of the SSAWG-sponsored “Commercial Organic Vegetable Production Workshop,” the Louisiana SARE PDP Program has been able to assess the sustainable agriculture education needs of agriculture professionals and farmers. Over 110 county agents, farmers and future growers from across Louisiana attended the one-day workshop held at the Burden Conference Center on November 13, 2008. The workshop was taught by Paul Wiedeger of Au Naturel Farms in Kentucky and covered a range of topics such as soil building, crop rotation, insect management and marketing.

The workshop was sponsored with an in-kind donation of $5,000 from the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group. SSAWG covered the speaker travel fees, workshop manuals, DVDs and lunches for 20 agriculture professionals. The LA SARE PDP program financed an additional 60 workshop manuals and 30 lunches for additional agriculture professionals and beginning and minority farmers. Lunch was subsidized by a Whole Foods, Inc. donation of 50 lunches approximating $600.

Participants included LSU and SU AgCenter county agents, LSU Ag Economics, USDA NRCS, LDAF, BREADA, LSU and SU students, and active and future farmers.

The surveys of 60 attendees suggested future conferences and farm tours should focus on topics such as soil improvement, pest management, greenhouse production, fruit trees and organic horticulture. Other topics of interest include urban agriculture, grant writing, marketing/value added, water quality and organic certification. One participant responded, “I know a lot more than I did 9 hours before. I have several good ideas to implement. I am motivated to do what I have been hesitating over before.” Another commented, “shows that this production is possible and profitable and can be done intelligently.” One extension agent plans to use the training, “to incorporate in vegetable garden/farm educational programs.”

Future conferences in Louisiana might focus on a variety of sustainable agriculture topics provided by experts within each field. The Louisiana SARE PDP program aims to continue to serve the statewide agricultural community by increasing the technical knowledge and educational resources pertaining to sustainable agricultural practices.

Survey Results

A total of 60 participants completed surveys: County Agents = 10, Ag Professionals = 8, Growers = 9, Non-specific = 20, Students = 9, Master Gardener = 4.

Surveys indicate the topics considered most useful are represented by the lowest value. Participants were asked to circle most useful =1, 2, 3, 4, not useful = 5.

Sustainable Agriculture Topics

Surveys indicate the training methods considered most useful are represented by the lowest value. Participants were asked to circle most useful = 1, 2, 3, 4, not useful = 5.

Training Methods