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Location:
Southeast Missouri (Bootheel)
Objective:
To collect information from socially disadvantaged
farmers in the Bootheel region about their experiences with USDA and related
programs and their issues and challenges.
Summary:
The Bootheel area of Missouri
includes eight counties along the Mississippi River. These counties are very
rural, the land is flat, very fertile, and is farmed by a diverse group of
people. In this region, keeping a farm economically viable is a real challenge
for farmers, especially small farmers. These counties have the highest poverty
rates in the state and these farm families are among the State’s poorest.
African-American farmers who reside in the Bootheel need assistance with farm
management practices, credit processes, and issues pertaining to loan processes
relative to their farm operation. They need help with retention and acquisition
of farmland. Lincoln University Cooperative Extension was instrumental in
organizing a Town Hall meeting to provide a setting for small, African-American
farmers to voice issues, concerns, and perceived challenges they have in trying
to operate economically viable farms in the Bootheel. Initially, a group of
individuals from Lincoln University interviewed farmers on farm site to collect
information about their past and present experiences and current issues and
challenges they have. This was followed by a Town Hall meeting in Sikeston, MO,
at the Clinton Community Building, August 11, 2004. At this meeting farmers had
the opportunity to interact with each other and share information about their
experiences with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs,
issues and challenges they are facing, and questions they need answers to from
the United States Department of Agriculture. The entire meeting was videotaped
to create a collective means for sharing information that could be critical to
the future success of small scale agriculture and African-American farmers in
the region. It is anticipated that the videotape of this meeting will be
available for distribution during Lincoln University’s Small Farm Conference
scheduled for February 23-25, 2005. Anyone who has questions or wishes to know
more about this Town Hall Meeting or Conference may contact Drs. Michael Heard,
Rufus Jones, and/or Wilda Harrison at the Lincoln University Cooperative
Extension office, Allen Hall, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0029. Phone:
573-681-5109 or e-mail: heardm@lincolnu.edu.
Impact (Present and Future):
Improved farm profitability and quality of life
For More Information, Contact:
Wilda Harrison, Ph.D., Associate Extension Administrator/State Specialist
Rufus Jones, Ph.D., Director of Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers
Program
Lincoln University Cooperative
Extension
103 Allen Hall
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0029
Voice (573) 681-5550
Fax (573) 681-5546
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