The AdvancerARKANSAS LAND AND COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION’S

WINTER 2019FARGO, ARKANSAS

ALFDC/ALCDCAnnual Winter

Farmers’Conference set Feb. 22

See Article On Page 2

Front Page Photo: Winter Cabbage grown at ALFDC’s Hoop House by New Beginning Farmer and Rancher, Lighthouse Produce

PAGE 2 The Advancer

Board of DirectorsDr. Brian CorneliousBoard Chair

Corey FarmerVice Chair

Everlyn BryantSecretary

Harrison LockeTreasurer

Elmer BeardJudge Berlin JonesRebecca MartinDeborah MatthewsJulius HancockCurtis TateRoger SmithGary DobsonLinda WilsonRubye Johnson

AdministratorsDr. Calvin R. King Sr.President andChief Executive Officer

Lashica Miller,Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

FARGO — Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation (ALFDC) is hosting Arkansas Land and Community Development Corporation’s (ALCDC) Annu-al Winter Farmers Conference on Feb. 22 at ALFDC’s Business Center, 484 Floyd Brown Dr. in Fargo.

Registration starts at 8:30 am. The theme for the conference is “Resources for Fami-ly Farm Retention and Rural Community Development.”

This year’s event will focus on strategies and opportunities for agriculture and rural community economic development. Histor-ically, since 1920 this site has held annual farmers and rural conference events.

The status for many of our small family farmers and underserved rural communities

has reached critical stages and survival and opportunities for economic recovery are limited. The Conference agenda is designed to provide resourceful information for sus-tainable economic recovery and renewal of our rural, urban farm and under-served and unserved communities.

Conference’s agenda includes an opening session at 9 a.m. followed by the morning speaker at 9:30 a.m. then a workshop session at 10 a.m. The luncheon and speaker will start at 11:30 a.m. and after a networking conference it will adjourn at 1:30 p.m.

For additional information interested persons can contact ALCDC at 870-734-3005; by email alcdc1934@yahoo.com; or the website at https://alfdc.webs.com.

ALFDC/ALCDC Annual WinterFarmers’ Conference set Feb. 22

Mary (President)and Ricky Bone (right) of Lighthouse Produce speaks with Doug Kennedy with USDA.

PAGE 3The Advancer

Dr. English & Dr. Fernandez of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff ’s (UAPB) Small Farms were the featured presenters at Arkansas Land and Community Development Corporation (ALCDC) 2nd Annual Growers and Livestock Technical Meeting. The event was held Thursday, Dec. 20, at ALFDC’s Business Conference Center, 484 Floyd Brown Drive in Fargo.

ALCDC is dedicated to providing services to all segments of our rural communities, particularly the under-served population of socially disadvan-taged farmers, ranchers, rural residents and veterans. This Meeting offered major short- and long-term benefits for family farm business enterprises. The Meeting addressed farming as a sustain-able and profitable business relying on analysis, technology and comprehen-sive planning. Attendees engaged with USDA, UAPB Officials, and ALCDC Staff to receive help with farm planning, conservation practices, farm financing.Dr. Henry English of the University of

Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Small Farms

Annual Growers and Livestock Techincal Meeting held

Dr. Calvin R. King Sr., president andChief Executive Officer of ALCDC

Dr. Robert Fernandez of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

PAGE 4 The Advancer

Arkansas Land and Community Development Corporation (ALCDC) in Partnership with the Mississippi County E.O.C, The U.S. Department of Agricul-ture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency and Natural Resource Conservation Service entertained and answered questions from the Citizens of Mississippi Coun-ty about agriculture at an Symposium held in Blytheville on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 5:30 pm. The Symposium provided one-on-one consultations related to Urban Farming and Financing from the USDA. The Mississippi County E.O.C Headquarters and Meeting Room was decorated for the Holiday Season.

The board room setup at the Sym-posiums afforded the citizens of Mis-sissippi County and USDA employees with an interpersonal environment for an interactive experience for Clients interested in becoming Urban Farmers. ALCDC’s program services have ded-icated their work toward equal access and providing program service delivery

ALCDC holds symposium in the Arkansas Boot Hill

to economically challenged commu-nities in Arkansas. ALCDC’s vision/ commitment, along with partnerships, supporters, and friends continue the processes for addressing the many chal-lenges/ needs of the underserved and underprivileged in Arkansas.

Workshops included Micro-Urban Farming Agriculture’s Natural Re-source Service, Farm Service Agency and Rural Development; ALCDC’s successful Conservation Risk Manage-ment Practices for Limited Resource

& Historically Underserved Farmers, Ranchers and Landowner; Equality and Equity Resource Opportunities for Heir Property and Housing; and ALCDC’s New & Beginning Farmers & Ranchers (Veterans) Program.

ALCDC urges the Citizens of Arkan-sas to attend Symposiums when they are located in their Region. If there are any additional questions do not hesi-tate in contacting ALCDC by phone at 870-734-3005 or email ALCDC 1934 @yahoo.com.

From left to Right, Albert Jones/ALCDC, Mrs. Shirley Pulliam/EOC, Van Banks/ALCD & XX/EOCCharile Williams/USDA

PAGE 5The Advancer

Each year participants in Youth Enterprise and Careers in Agriculture and Entrepreneurship (YECAE) and Educational Excellence for our Children through Enrichment Leader-ship Development and Work Experience” (EXCEL) engage in a community service project. This year YECAE/EXCEL participants chose to sponsor a child on the Angel Tree as the community service project. On Dec. 15, ALCDC YECAE/EXCEL participants engaged in buying the children gifts and delivered them to the United Methodist church to be distributed. Angel Tree, a program of Fellowship from First United Methodist Church, reaches out to the children of families with the love of Christ. During this season, many children in the U.S. may be filled with disappointment, lone-liness, and shame that come from not being able to receive anything during this time. This project teaches our children on the importance of giving back. This unique program gives us an opportunity to share God’s love by helping to

The Agricultural Conservation Ease-ment Program (ACEP) provides financial and technical assistance to help conserve agricultural lands and wetlands and their related benefits. NRCS and partners are investing $15 million in technical and fi-nancial assistance available to help eligi-ble conservation partners leverage local resources to voluntarily protect, restore and enhance critical wetlands on agri-cultural lands. The funding is provided through the Wetland Reserve Enhance-ment Partnership, part of the Agricul-tural Conservation Easement Program, a Farm Bill conservation program.

BenefitsAgricultural Land Easements protect

the long-term viability of the nation’s food supply by preventing conversion of productive working lands to non-agri-cultural uses. Land protected by agricul-tural land easements provides additional public benefits, including environmental quality, historic preservation, wildlife habitat and protection of open space.

Wetland Reserve Easements provide habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species, improve water quality by filtering sedi-ments and chemicals, reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, protect biological

diversity and provide opportunities for educational, scientific and limited recre-ational activities.

Agricultural Land EasementsNRCS provides financial assistance to

eligible partners for purchasing Agricul-tural Land Easements that protect the agricultural use and conservation values of eligible land. In the case of working farms, the program helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agricul-ture. The program also protects grazing uses and related conservation values by conserving grassland, including range-land, pastureland and shrub land. Eli-gible partners include American Indian tribes, state and local governments and non-governmental organizations that have farmland, range land or grassland protection programs.

Under the Agricultural Land com-ponent, NRCS may contribute up to 50 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement. Where NRCS determines that grasslands of spe-cial environmental significance will be protected, NRCS may contribute up to 75 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement.

Wetland Reserve EasementsNRCS also provides technical and fi-

nancial assistance directly to private landowners and Indian tribes to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands through the purchase of a wetland reserve ease-ment. Through the wetland reserve en-rollment options, NRCS may enroll eli-gible land through:

Permanent Easements — Permanent easements are conservation easements in perpetuity. NRCS pays 100 percent of the easement value for the purchase of the easement. Additionally, NRCS pays between 75 to 100 percent of the resto-ration costs.

30-year Easements — expire after 30years. Under 30-year easements, NRCS pays 50 to 75 percent of the easement value for the purchase of the easement. Additionally, NRCS pays between 50 to 75 percent of the restoration costs.

Term Easements — Term easements are easements that are for the maximum duration allowed under applicable State laws. NRCS pays 50 to 75 percent of the easement value for the purchase of the term easement and between 50 to 75 percent of the restoration costs.

Information retrieved verbatim from website https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/easements/acep/.

USDA Announces $15 Million Public-Private Investment to Improve Critical Wetlands

YECAE/EXCEL Youth Initiative Angel Tree Project ...

meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of families.

PAGE 6 The Advancer

ALFDC/ALCDC Partnership MembershipRenewal FormOctober 2018 - September 2019

________ Individual Membership $25 ________ Partner Membership $40 ________ Organization Membership $200Membership Benefits

Advocacy and Public Relations — ALCDC/ALFDC participates in federal and state hearing sessions that focus on policy development for it’s members, farmers, youth and rural residents.

Member Opportunities — ALCDC/ALFDC offers leadership opportunities within the organization for our youth, farmers and rural residents. Members are also recommended for advisory boards at the federal, state and local levels.

Marking Opportunities — ALCDC/ALFDC offers cooperative marketing opportunities for farmers, rural businesses interested in enhancing the lives of rural Ameri-cans. We also offer the opportunity to present or set up an exhibit during our Annual Conference. We offer facility rentals at a discounted fee to all ALCDC members.

Access to Housing, Farming and Youth Services — ALCDC/ALFDC offers rural residents the opportunity to affordable housing, home ownership education, business development, assistance with accessing farm financing and federal resources, and training on conservation practices, youth leadership development,

education enrichment and workforce readiness.Information and Communication — ALCDC/ALFDC members are able to communicate with ALCDC representative via phone or website concerning their farming,

housing or youth service’s needs. Members receive ALCDC updates and news through our quarterly newsletters and weekly e-letters.

Name ____________________________________________________________________________________________Address ___________________________________________________________________________________________City, Zip Code _______________________________________________________________________________________Phone _____________________________________________________________________________________________Please return your application and tax-deductible contribution to:

ALCDC/ALFDC Membership Program, P.O. Box 743, Brinkley, AR 72021ALCDC/ALFDC services and programs are available without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability or familial status.

If you are considering a career in farming or just getting started, take a minute to think about your next steps.

Successful farmers will tell you that farming is not just a career. Farmers take great care of the land and water for future generations; they work together to build strong, close-knit communities; they feed families, located both next door and across the globe.

But being a farmer or rancher is not simply a job change. It is a life change. Remember the 4Ps for New Farmers — Purpose, Plan, Product, and People.

PURPOSE: Why do you want to become a farmer?Some people want to start farming based on a strong sense of

mission. For example, they want to protect the environment or help feed the world. Some people simply want to enjoy an entre-preneurial lifestyle that allows them to work outdoors. Whatever your reasons, you should step back and take a practical view of the farming lifestyle.

• Are you prepared for a job that requires long hours, includ-ing weekends, early mornings, and late nights?

• Have you considered the economics of seasonal earnings?• Are you able to take on the physical rigors of the job?• Can you learn to make do and fix things yourself?• Can you handle setbacks with determination?• Do you have the patience to start a career with a steep

learning curve and a long road to finally getting established?PLAN: You may have the drive to start a farm, but do you

have the plan?

A business plan details what you hope to do and maps how you expect to succeed. A well-crafted business plan can be the difference between success and failure and includes a thoughtful list of what you need but also details how things will get done.

• What are you going to plant?• How much will you sell it for and when do you expect to

see profit?• What equipment do you need? Who will fix it?• How will you cover costs of insurance premiums? Mortgage

or rent? Labor? How will you finance the business?• Every business needs a plan in case of emergency. What is

your business succession plan? Do you have a will?A plan also considers the things that might go wrong and

how to prepare for the unexpected.• Do you have a disaster plan?• Can you weather a bad year?• Can you make changes to stay in business?A good business plan is supplemented by a personal plan.

Have you considered:• Non-farm needs? Insurance needs? Retirement funds?• Saving for retirement doesn’t have to be hard. If you don’t

have access to a retirement savings plan at work, or if worries about fees and complex investment options have kept you from saving, myRA may be a great way to start. myRA is a retirement savings account developed by the U.S. Department of the Trea-sury. It’s a simple, safe, and affordable way to start saving.

• College fund? Personal savings? Succession planning?

PRODUCT: What are you going to commit your time and money to producing?

You may feel very strongly about your farm product but consider the following:

• Who is going to buy it? Be sure you can sell before you plant. Know your cost of production, your market, and your consumers. Compare the price of your product to the price others are selling it for. If you want to sell locally, visit your local markets and find out what is selling and what is not.

• Where else can you sell? Are you able to produce some-thing different than you planned if the market changes?

• How will you get your product to consumers? What are the transportation costs and requirements? To grow for local mar-kets, it may be ideal to find land close to a city, but that could mean leasing rather than owning land.

Do you know the relevant Federal, state, and local food safety regulations and do you have the proper licensing for your state or municipality? You must know local ordinances dealing with land use and agricultural products for farming and marketing your crop.

This article was retrieved verbatim from https://newfarmers.usda.gov/important-considerations. If there are additional questions interested persons may contact Arkansas Land & Farm Development Corporation at ALCDC1934@yahoo.com by phone at 870-734-3005 and UDSDA’s NBFR website https://newfarmers.usda.gov/new-farmers.

Important considerations for New and Beginning Farmers and Rancher’s

PAGE 7The Advancer

Page | 27

January 25, 2019

ANNUAL WINTER FARMER’S CONFERENCE

SAVE THE DATE

_________

FARMING _________

COMMUNITY ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT _________

Dr. Calvin R. King, President

Dr. Brian Cornelious, Board Chairman

H

Arkansas Land & Farm Development

Corporation

484 Floyd Brown Drive Brinkley, AR 72021

870-734-1140

For more information:

Hosted By:

February 22, 2019Registration Starts at 8:30 a.m.

Please see article on Page 2 for more information

NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 40BRINKLEY, AR

72021

P.O. Box 907Brinkley AR 72021

About The Advancer

The Advancer is a publication of the Arkansas Land and Community Devel-opment Corporation. It is printed and circulated as a public service and com-munication resource for our membership and constituents. This publication is also circulated to a broad range of organizations and residents throughout the Delta and the United States.

The Advancer reflects the nature of our work — providing self help opportu-nities and support services to our farmers and others of limited resources in our 42 county service area. Our work is dedicated to helping people become more productive and self-sufficient. You comments and suggestions are appreciated. Direct all comments and inquiries regarding this publication by phone to (870) 734-3005 or e-mail to mary_harris@yahoo.com.

You may correct your mailing address on the label above and fax back to (870) 734-4197 or call Mary Harris at (870) 734-3005.ALCDC StaffDr. Calvin R. King Sr., President and Chief Executive OfficerMary Harris, Farm Administrative Assistant, Office AdministratorLashica Miller, Chief Financial and Operations Officer (CFOO)Gerelisa Swanigan, Accounts ReceivableMykela Sparkman, Youth Coordinator and Administrator AssistantTameecia Patterson, Special Asst. for OperationsKimberly Brown, Accounts PayableAlbert Jones, Farm DirectorMike Tucker, Farm AdvisorVan Banks, Farm AdvisorPeyton Craig, Assistant to AdministratorJasmine Burnett, Assistant to Finance AdministratorMulti-Family Housing (off-site)Tameecia Patterson- Smith,McNeil Apartments, Phase I Crawfordsville, Earle &Pine Wood Apt. Dev. BrinkleyShannon Barnes, Chapel Ridge, Phase I and II, Forrest City, Resident ManagerKeisha Caffey, Meadowbrook, Marianna, Helena-West Helena, Resident ManagerYolanda Bailey, Alcott Manor, Palestine, Resident ManagerAmanda Rogers, Stone Brook, Forrest City and Wynne, Resident ManagerNelson Hubbert, Environmental EngineerFredricks Jackson, Environmental EngineerArchie Harris, Environmental EngineerWillie Haywood, Environmental Engineer

ALCDCMission

StatementThe mission

of ALCDC is to provide advocacy outreach,technical assistance

and trainingto limited resource small

farmers and all rural residents to alleviate

poverty, enhancesustainable

farming and strengthencommunities’ economic

sustainabilityand workforce

readiness.

ALCDC services and pro-grams are available without regard to age, race, religion, gender or physical handicap.