On March 24, the Southern University Ag Center held a graduation ceremony for the Small Farmer Agricultural Leadership Institute at USDA's Jamie L. Whitten building in Washington, D. C. The Class III graduation ceremony was a very special event because it represented the culmination of many people's efforts to accomplish the task of taking small farmers and helping them become small farm advocates and agricultural leaders and more successful agricultural business men and women. "What an amazing journey the small farmers took to arrive at that day," said Zanetta Augustine, Extension Associate. The journey began in October of 2009, and after more than 200 hours of class room instruction and outdoor experiences, it ended in this joyous occasion.

Dr. Leodrey Williams, Chancellor and Dr. Gina Eubanks, Vice Chancellor for Extension of the Southern University Ag Center were among the special guests that made this event special for our graduates. The ceremony began with a welcome from Dr. Joe Leonard, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, USDA and a Southern University graduate. Mr. Anderson Neal, Acting Director for the Office of Advocacy and Outreach, USDA gave the keynote address and challenge to the graduates. Following the graduation ceremony was a networking reception with the USDA agencies.

Class III consisted of 31 small farmers from 13 states in the southeast region of the United States. The Institute is a competitive program, and participating members were recommended, screened and approved by a panel of extension agents, agricultural professionals and agricultural community leaders. Each participant in the program was selected based on expressed thirst for knowledge, dedication and commitment to enhancing their community, and potential to promote the sustainability of small family farms. A 2011 graduate, Brennan Washington stated that "The institute forced many of us to look at our lives and step outside our comfort zones. And by doing so, many of us accomplished things we would not have thought possible prior to our involvement in the institute."

"It was truly an awesome experience. I am so proud to have had the opportunity to work with such a fine group of farmers," said Dr. Mellion-Patin.

The Small Farmer Agricultural Leadership Institute is an 1890 system wide project, whose overall goal is to promote the sustainability of small family farms through enhanced business management skills and leadership development. The Institute was conducted by the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center in collaboration with the Southern University Law Center, Prairie View A&M University - Cooperative Extension Program, North Carolina A&T State University - Cooperative Extension Program, USDA, and Kentucky State University. To date, approximately 80 small farmers have graduated from this program from the following states: Oklahoma, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Louisiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, Maryland, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Missouri. This project is supported by the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Competitive Grants Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grant # 2009-00822.

Once again, we congratulate the 2011 graduates of the Small Farmer Agricultural Leadership Institute!



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