Kentucky State University receives funding from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture for farmer education

Kentucky State University has recently received $709,042 from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to fund a project by Dr. Siddhartha Dasgupta, a professor and the university’s Associate Research Director. The project is called “Farming for Cash: A Training Program Leading to Farm Ownership” and will focus on providing education and training for military veterans and other underserved populations to begin farm ownership and operation.

According to an article on Kentucky State University’s website, Dr. Koffi C. Akakpo, the university’s president, was quoted as saying of the new project, “We are very excited to bring the best training and agricultural strategies to military veterans and beginner farmers to help make farming a sustainable livelihood for them and their families.” 

The goal of the project is to help individuals who could benefit from farming education, such as military veterans and other underserved beginner farmers, become successful at running their own farm. The program will be free for 12 months to participants, with additional mentoring available afterward, and it is expected that up to 300 beginner farmers may participate.

Using a mixture of hands-on workshops and training experiences, participants will learn a wide array of skills and techniques that are useful for running a successful farm. Among the topics covered in the program are farm management, harvesting, production, sales, and hydroponics, with specialized topics such as Tomato School and Tractor School rounding out the curriculum.

Dr. Dasgupta explained the benefits of the program, saying, “We give them commercial, agricultural skills and that’s what makes this project special because it’s not just about gardening. Some people may think, ‘Well, I can grow those things in my backyard,” Yes…but it would not be the same quality as the market wants. So, if you want to sell to restaurants, if you want to sell to grocery stores, or even in a produce auction, the price that you will get is dependent on the quality of your product…And that is where we come in and we give those types of trainings to help farmers be successful.”

In addition to the lessons and workshops, participants will also learn entrepreneurship, retail and wholesale food marketing, food safety, business planning, farm safety, farmland access, and the variety of services and programs available through the United States Department of Agriculture for individuals who are beginning their farming careers.

For more information about Kentucky State University, visit the school’s website.