Women Farmers Supporting the Next Generation of Sustainability

Project Overview

YENC12-040
Project Type: Youth Educator
Funds awarded in 2012: $2,000.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2012
Grant Recipient: Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)
Region: North Central
State: Wisconsin
Project Manager:
Lisa Kivirist
Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)

Information Products

Commodities

  • Agronomic: grass (misc. perennial), hay
  • Fruits: apples, berries (other), berries (strawberries), melons
  • Vegetables: asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, cucurbits, eggplant, garlic, greens (leafy), leeks, onions, parsnips, peas (culinary), peppers, radishes (culinary), rutabagas, sweet corn, tomatoes, turnips
  • Additional Plants: herbs, native plants, ornamentals
  • Animals: bees, bovine, goats, poultry, sheep

Practices

  • Animal Production: animal protection and health, feed/forage, feed rations, free-range, grazing management, grazing - rotational, herbal medicines, homeopathy, housing, livestock breeding, manure management, parasite control, pasture renovation, pasture fertility, range improvement, watering systems, winter forage
  • Crop Production: conservation tillage
  • Education and Training: decision support system, demonstration, display, extension, farmer to farmer, mentoring, networking, study circle, workshop, youth education
  • Energy: bioenergy and biofuels, energy conservation/efficiency, energy use, solar energy, wind power
  • Farm Business Management: agritourism, budgets/cost and returns, community-supported agriculture, marketing management, new enterprise development, risk management, value added, whole farm planning
  • Natural Resources/Environment: carbon sequestration, biodiversity, hedges - grass, habitat enhancement, hedgerows, indicators, soil stabilization, wildlife
  • Pest Management: biological control, botanical pesticides, compost extracts, cultivation, field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management, mulches - killed, mulches - living, mulching - vegetative, mulching - plastic, physical control, precision herbicide use, prevention, row covers (for pests), smother crops, soil solarization, traps, weather monitoring, weed ecology
  • Production Systems: agroecosystems, holistic management, organic agriculture, permaculture, transitioning to organic
  • Soil Management: composting, earthworms, green manures, nutrient mineralization, organic matter, soil analysis, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil physics, soil quality/health
  • Sustainable Communities: analysis of personal/family life, community planning, community services, employment opportunities, leadership development, local and regional food systems, new business opportunities, partnerships, public participation, social networks, sustainability measures

    Proposal abstract:

    Women Farmers Supporting the Next Generation of Sustainability is a collaborative educational farm open house on August 5, 2011, showcasing eight women-owned and operated sustainable operations in the Green County area of Wisconsin. The goal of this project is to connect area youth, particularly girls, with local women farmers and to promote sustainable agriculture as a career option. Each farm will provide a different multi-sensory, inspiring sustainable farm experience including: * Interactive farm tour of a diversity of farms, ranging from a produce CSA to fiber to small-scale livestock. * Hands-on activity, including solar oven cooking, produce harvesting and fiber spinning. Youth will receive a “cookbook” brochure with information about each farm and a simple, kid-friendly recipe featuring what that women farm grows or raises. Each youth will receive a sample of that farm’s wares to take home and make the recipe themselves. Led by the Rural Women’s Project of the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) and the Green County Area Women in Sustainable Agriculture Network, this project involves a strong partnership of area sustainability organizations to increase outreach and serve as a learning model for others interested in hosting a woman-farmer tour in the future.

    Project objectives from proposal:

     

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.