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Community Outreach for Producers' Empowerment Project |
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Tuesday, 14 July 2009 19:21 |
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The Community Outreach for Producers' Empowerment Project will develop a Farmers and Ranchers Resource Manual outlining assistance, loan and incentive programs offered by USDA and other agencies. This manual will be delivered directly into socially disadvantaged communities, especially Native American an African American ones, in five counties in northeastern Oklahoma utilizing the Mvskoke Food Sovereignty Initiative Mobile Resource Center. Supporting activities, aimed at getting more people to expand or begin farming and ranching operations on their lands, will include marketing and youth producer components. In all project activities there will be a focus on the agricultural heritage and traditions of the Mvskoke, or “Creek: Indian” people who live in the project area. The project staff is predominantly Native American and will be assisted in their work by an African American farmer consultant and a Native American professional evaluator. An Advisory Team consisting of USDA, Oklahoma State University extension office personnel, youth, Muscogee (Creek) Nation leaders and minority farmers has been formed and helped plan the project. The project will last three years and hopes to generate 70 new applicants for USDA programs and to create incentives that will inspire 25 new minority producers into action and 10 youth to take up farming or ranching on family lands. Project information and results will be gladly shared with other tribal and minority organizations and may be freely used as a model for similar programs throughout the state and nation.
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