Calling Florida Farmers- We Need Your Expertise!
Importance of Small-Scale Farms
According to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension, small family farms make up 90% of all farms in Florida. Small-scale farms are vital to the sustainability of our food systems and communities. Additionally, small-scale farms also provide entry-points for beginning farmers, often from under-served communities, to ensure farming continues for generations. The labor and training needed to run their operations, market their farm, and sell their goods can be a challenge for a small-scale farm.
Farmers are Leaders
Farmers are not just “growers.” As stewards of their operations, farmers must use leadership and interpersonal skills to guide and motivate their staff, and those they work with. Skills such as communication, prioritization, and conflict resolution are all necessary for farmers to lead on their operations and in their communities.
Leadership refers to the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the organizations of which they are members.
Leadership skills may be learned and developed in many ways, including formal and non-formal education programs, or within groups and networks. Therefore, it is important to note that leaders can be trained to develop their leadership skills. Leadership skills are vital in the agriculture industry helping agriculture leaders steward their operations and programs.
Developing Leadership Skills
Managerial, leadership and entrepreneurial skills have been identified as a need among small-scale farmers throughout the Southern Region of the United States. However, we do not know the specific leadership development and networking needs of small-scale farmers in Florida. Farmers have the ability to lead others, though targeted leadership programming is necessary for farmers to address specific needs. We also understand the importance of social networks and groups among farmers, to collaborate, connect, and learn form one another.
The aim of this project is to help amplify the voices and needs of small-scale farmers within Florida, to provide them education and resources.
Needs Assessment as a Tool in Extension
To better serve clients, evaluation is a crucial part of Extension programming, ensuring education and resources are meeting community needs. A clear understanding of small-scale farmers’ leadership development and social network needs will help to develop programs to support small-scale farmers in Florida. Needs Assessments are a common tool in Extension, used to guide research and program development to meet clients needs. The current project is using a Needs Assessment to understand Florida farmers leadership and networking needs.
How to Participate/Support the Project
This project is part of a dissertation project within the Agricultural Education and Communication (AEC) Department at the University of Florida. In phase one of this project, farmers and stakeholders built a list of 31 leadership skills and 10 networking approaches important to small-scale farmers. These lists are now being shared with farmers all across the state, to help pick the items that should be prioritized in an educational program.
We need your input! So far, 60 farmers have completed our 5-minute questionnaire, and we are aiming to have 140 more farmers participate. There is no criteria to participate, and the questionnaire will be open through the end of August.
If you are a farmer, please take 5 minutes to complete this questionnaire: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3r2GyAOpxZYBYfY
If you work with farmers, please share this blog, the survey, or the video below explaining the project.
YouTube video about our project:
Thank you for your time and support of this project! Findings will be shared widely next year with farmers and stakeholders!
Contact:
Rachel Biderman
(786) 422-2187
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