Emanuel Jones, 73, stopped being afraid to try new things some years ago. So when Sampson County Farm Management Agent James Hartsfield lobbied him to sign up for a computer literacy class, Jones says he wasn’t the least bit reluctant to enroll. “Things like that used to kind of, I don’t know, limit me,’’ Jones says of his previous approach to new things. “I don’t know if I was scared or ashamed, but I got shed of that. I figure if somebody else can learn it, I can too. “I might mess something up, but I’m going to try.’’ Jones is one of 16 people who have completed two semesters of computer training as part of a partnership between Sampson Community College and the Farmers Adopting Computer

Training (FACT) program offered through the Cooperative Extension Program at A&T. Jones is joined in his class by people such as Allie Bullock, 83; the father-daughter duo of George Fryar and Velma Maddox; Linda Strickland and her mother-in-law Rosie Strickland; and one of the state’s most innovative small-scale farmers, Wade Cole, who raises hogs for upscale pork. Heretofore, the three-year-old FACT program has offered specialized, labor-intense training; utilizing coordinator Marcie Joyner to work one-on-one with farmers in their homes on com-puters loaned to them by FACT. The goal of FACT is to help farmers become savvy enough to use electronic record-keeping pro-grams and the Internet to better manage and market their farms.

This broader approach to class-room instruction came to the fore after the director of SCC’s Small Business Center, Gabriel Gurley, approached local extension officials about ways the college could work with farmers. Hartsfield put them in touch with Joyner and Dr. Daniel Lyons, an assistant administrator for Extension, and a partnership was forged that unites the Small Business Center’s goals of preparing people for the workforce, with the FACT program’s goal of strengthening farmers’ farm-management abilities through computer literacy. Billie Crawford Eure, Dean of Continuing Education at SCC, says the nontraditional students that come through her division tend to be more eager audiences than their younger counterparts and that the FACT students exemplify that mature attitude. “They know what they need and what will work for them,’’ Eure says during a recent visit to the FACT classroom. “As a result they are just enthusiastic about what they’re learning. They are just hun-gry for the knowledge.’’ The classes are taught at SCC two nights a week, for five weeks, by an SCC-paid instructor. Now in its second semester, the partnership is so successful that FACT administrators are explor-ing similar arrangements with five other community colleges: Forsyth, Roanoke-Chowan, Halifax, Mount Olive, and James Sprunt. Joyner, however, continues to offer indi-vidual computer training to farmers in 12 North Carolina counties; with people in 11 other counties on a waiting list.

North Carolina A&T State University

School of Agriculture and

Environmental Sciences

Newsletter

February 2004 • Vol. III, No.1Preparing. Finding. Implementing solutions.

Extension’s FACT program goes to college

• Dr. Smith Goes to Washington

• March 21–27 is Small Farm Week 2004

inside

Dr. T’s Moment

As our citizens and communities face change, there is a cry for high-er education to assist with training, research and outreach. One criticism the academic com-munity faces is that it’s too slow in responding. Sometimes our method-ical deliberations take too long. We can not abandon our careful and scientific analysis of situations, but we must have a sense of urgency. Quality and urgency can coexist. Responsiveness is especially critical for a land-grant university such as A&T. A land grant, according to a Washington State University Cooperative Extension definition, has an obligation to make “class-rooms and degrees accessible to the working class, assure that its scope of scholarship considers no subject beneath its purview and provide access to new knowledge to those who aren’t, and don’t want to be in our classrooms.” As agriculture changes, we are working to make sure that the students who leave our classrooms are ready for the new challenges. We are evaluating our curriculum to make sure this is true. We have developed and are refining our scope of work so that our researchers are addressing those issues and concerns that are real for our citizens. And our Cooperative Extension staff is getting the answers to the people in a manner they can under-stand and apply. We will also make sure we have clear objectives and that we are sharing information with those who need it. This is our challenge. We look to you to tell us if we are meeting your needs. — Dr. Alton Thompson

Dean, SAES

Emanuel Jones is one of the Sampson County farmers learning

how software can cut down on hard work.

on the moveon the move

The SAES has just made it easier for graduate students to think — and act — glob-ally: Master’s students in the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education can now earn credits toward a graduate degree for a two-year stint in the Peace Corps. Students must be accepted by both the Graduate School and the Peace Corps. They are then required to complete most of their course work at A&T, before pursuing Peace Corps service overseas. Upon returning to the United States, they will then be awarded the final four credits for their degree. The hope is that students will apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-life sit-uations, said John Paul Owens, the campus coordinator for the program. Owens served in the Peace Corps from 1971 to 1975 in the African nation of Burkina Faso. “One of the things we used to hear is, ‘People are dying for knowledge,’ mean-

ing that there might be infor-mation about agriculture, health or business that could literally save lives of people in underdeveloped countries,” he said. “You never know what the impact will be,” he added, noting that two of his former students are now medical doctors. Peace Corps volunteers

don’t work alone, Owens said. They become part of a network of devel-opment agencies, usually working for a government minis-try. The Peace Corps also pays volunteers a stipend for living expenses, provides language tutoring, and keeps volunteers

up to date on health and safety needs. The rest is often up the volunteer, who can grow by learning to be creative and resourceful at finding solutions to basic problems. Peace Corps applica-tions can be downloaded from www.peacecorps.gov, and Graduate School applications are available at www.ncat.edu/~gradsch/.

Despite the sluggish economy, reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics confirm what Dean Alton Thompson has been telling SAES students for years: There are still more jobs in the agriculture sector than there are people to fill them. That’s why students and faculty in SAES should be sure to mark “Career Expo 2004” on their calendars for Thursday, March 4. The annual job fair is scheduled 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Memorial Student Union Stallings Ballroom. A diverse array of employers will be seeking applicants in animal health, risk management, poul-try production, child care, food safety and food manufacturing and natural resources. All students are encour-aged to attend. Recruiters come loaded with literature, and can provide tips on how to get a foot in the door or how to navigate the application process — especially important for stu-dents who are planning a career in government. Faculty are also encour-aged to attend, because the Expo also serves to connect

them with industry and agen-cies, so that they can begin con-versations about internships, scholarships and ways SAES can better prepare students for the changing workplace. Many of the careers SAES prepares students for are showing prospects for positive growth. These include landscape architecture, envi-ronmental careers, teaching at the preschool and high school level, biotechnology and vet-erinary technology. Fashion design and marketing is also showing growth trends, and for students in that field, a separate career day will be scheduled later in the spring. (Companies can contact Jane Walker for details at (336) 334-7651, or walkerj@ncat.edu.) Azell Reeves, coordinator for the annual Career Expo, also wants employers to know that SAES is interested in developing internships, schol-arships, and ideas on how the school can better prepare stu-dents for a changing workplace. Reeves encourages employers to contact her at 2566-2062 reevesi@ncat.edu.

on the moveDean Alton Thompson of

the SAES has been elected

to a three-year term as

chairman of the Council of

1890 Deans of Agriculture.

The Council of 1890 Deans

brings together the top-

level administrators from

schools of agriculture at the

nation’s 18 historically black

land-grant institutions for

collective input on legislative

and budgeting issues. The

Council of 1890 Deans is also

one of the primary advisory

groups for USDA agencies

seeking input for establish-

ing programming priorities

and strategies.

Leon Moses has been

appointed interim superin-

tendent for the University

Farm. A native of Rich

Square in Northhampton

County and an SAES grad

with a B.S. In Plant & Soil

Sciences, Moses has been

with the Department of

Natural Resources and

Environmental Design at

A&T since 1980.

Stephen Greer has become

part of the Cooperative

Extension Program at A&T.

Greer is now an Extension

Ag. Agent/Horticulture at the

Forsyth County Extension

Center. His Extension work

will include the Master

Gardeners’ Program, and

helping small-scale farmers

with fruit and vegetable pro-

duction. He will also serve

as coordinator for the arbo-

retum at Tanglewood Park.

Greer has prior experience

as an Extension agent in

Davie and Gaston counties.

He is a native of Aberdeen

in Moore County, NC, with a

B.S. in plant sciences from

Clemson University.

faculty & staff notes

Dr. Claudette Smith, family resource management specialist with the Cooperative Extension Program at North Carolina A&T, was recently featured in a national satellite videoconference on financial literacy. Smith was one of five panelists from across the country who discussed the national “Positioning for Success: Financial Security in Later Life” initiative. The videoconference was beamed from USDA headquarters in Washington to 220 downlink sites — including one at A&T — in 48 states and Puerto Rico. Smith’s own financial literacy program, NCSaves, also was featured in the videoconference. NCSaves is helping to educate families that money management is more than just a means of getting out of debt. The program trains facilitators to teach financial management lessons in user-friendly, hands-on exercises, and it’s designed for use by community service organizations and businesses as well as county Extension centers. For details, contact Dr. Smith at 336.334-7956.

In North Carolina, 94 percent of all farm land consists of small farms — each of which grosses less than $250,000 annually, and is tended by one of the state’s 41,000 small-scale farmers. With that impact in mind, the Cooperative Extension Program at A&T will observe the 18th Annual Small Farms Week, March 21 through 27. With the theme, “It’s a Growing Business: Small Farming in North Carolina,’’ the celebration seeks to recognize the contributions and accomplishments of small farmers in North Carolina, and to highlight the Extension pro-grams that benefit small farmers. Although the annual pro-grams have been organized through A&T, administrators encourage statewide participa-tion by Extension programs that represent both A&T and N.C. State University. To that end, Dr. M. Ray McKinnie, associate dean and extension administra-tor at A&T, and his N.C. State counterpart, Dr. John Ort, have offered $1,000 innovative grants to each of the state’s seven exten-sion districts to help produce programs supporting Small Farms Week. “It’s not an A&T thing only,’’ McKinnie says of the

observance, “and in the past we’ve operated under that posture, but we’re not sure everyone understood that. “So with people wanting to participate, but being faced with tight budgets that we’ve had in Extension, we are providing this assistance to put some of those ideas for innovative programs out in the state.’’ In keeping with the theme of Small Farms Week, the agri-business aspect of farming will be reflected in much of the programming during this year’s observances. Workshops on computer literacy, marketing, and financial literacy will be conduct-ed during the morning session of Small Farms Appreciation Day, March 24, at A&T. A luncheon honoring the Small Farmer of the Year is also scheduled on campus for later that day. A late afternoon ses-sion, that this year makes use of the A&T University Farm, will feature Dr. Keith Baldwin dem-onstrating such farm techniques as drip irrigation and the use of black plastic. The first scheduled Small Farms Week activity is slated for March 22 in Robeson County, the home county for the 2003

Small-Farmer-of-the-Year recipi-ents, Ellery Locklear and his sister Amy Locklear-Cummings. To put into context why Extension celebrates the Locklears and their counter-parts, McKinnie makes the link between the grocery store and the farm. “Americans have an expec-tation to go to the grocery store every week to find an abundance of high-quality food at economi-cal prices,’’ McKinnie says. “But we sometimes forget the indi-viduals who sweat and toil in the fields to make that happen for us.” “There is a face behind agri-culture. There are many faces, whether we are talking large scale or small scale, and they are the reason we enjoy these perks. It’s our responsibility to bring atten-tion to those small farmers who sweat and toil every year to put food on our table and help keep our local economies going.’’ For more information on Small Farms Week activities, con-tact the Cooperative Extension Program at 336.334-7956.

Preparing. Finding. Implementing solutions.

Small Farms: It’s a growing business

John Paul Owens

Animal Science major Melody Robins talks to Alan Deadorff and Ray

Leach of Murphy Farms at last year’s Career Expo.

SAES preparing students for real world in more ways than one

Career Expo connects students, faculty and employers

Academic credit for Peace Corps service now SAES option

________________ Nonprofit Org.________________

US Postage Paid________________ Permit No. 202 ________________

Greensboro, NC________________

on the moveNorth Carolina A&T State University School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences NewsletterProduced by the Agricultural Communications and Technology UnitDr. James C. Renick, ChancellorDr. Alton Thompson, Dean, School of Agriculture and Enivronmental SciencesDr. M. Ray McKinnie, Associate Dean, Administrator Cooperative Extension ProgramDr. Carolyn Turner, Associate Dean, Agricultural Research StationDr. Donald McDowell, Associate Dean, Academic Programs

North Carolina A&T State University is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not dis-criminate against applicants, students, or employees based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, or disability. Moreover, North Carolina A&T State University is open to all people of all races and actively seeks to promote racial integration by recruiting and enrolling a large number of white students. Send change of address and correspondence to: on the move Newsletter Editor Agricultural Research Program CH Moore Agricultural Research Station Greensboro, NC 27411

7,000 copies of this public document were printed on recycled paper at a cost of $1,059.00 or $0.15 per copy.

Distributed in futherance of the acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are open to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina University, US Department of Agriculture and local governments cooperating.

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• Small Farms Week is March 21 – 27, and the Annual Small Farmer Recognition Luncheon on the A&T campus is Wednesday, March 24

• SAES Career Expo 2004 is Thursday, March 4. It’s preceded that same day by the SAES Industry/Agency Roundtable Business Breakfast.

• The School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Student Awards Banquet is set for Friday, April 16.

Students in Dr. Marihelen Glass’s floral design class held a mock wedding in

November to showcase their skills. Students prepared bouquets, boutonnieres, table

and altar arrangements, and other extras for the occasion. Students Demaris Mial

(right) and Corey Brown volunteered to serve as bride and groom, and Dr. Glass got

some double-duty out of her academic regalia in her role as justice of the peace.

• Small Farms Week is March 21 – 27, and the Annual Small Farmer Recognition Luncheon on the A&T campus is Wednesday, March 24

• SAES Career Expo 2004 is Thursday, March 4. It’s preceded that same day by the SAES Industry/Agency Roundtable Business Breakfast.

• The School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Student Awards Banquet is set for Friday, April 16.

Students in Dr. Marihelen Glass’s floral design class held a mock wedding in

November to showcase their skills. Students prepared bouquets, boutonnieres, table

and altar arrangements, and other extras for the occasion. Students Demaris Mial

(right) and Corey Brown volunteered to serve as bride and groom, and Dr. Glass got

some double-duty out of her academic regalia in her role as justice of the peace.