Applied education consisting of five sequential workshops (30 hours) supplemented by homework assignments (100 hours) and individualized counseling was delivered via a partnership of subject matter experts and local educators to socially disadvantaged, limited resource, and Native American farmers and ranchers (Muscogee Creek Nation) in Oklahoma.
Project outcomes show that 38 producers and 8 educators acquired the risk management and market analysis skills and understanding of their own operations to set a goal, and delineate three implementation actions for each goal, for each of the five areas of risk and five key marketing mix variables. Each participant was interviewed at the project's end, with educators reporting that 28 farmers participated in and completed all activities of the project accomplishing 2,649 (average 94.6) hours of homework and implementing 451 (average 16.1) specific actions, evidence the project objectives were met, and expected actions completed. Additional tasks are expected to be completed beyond the project’s reporting time-frame.
This concentrated, participatory approach to education, with sequential workshops and individualized one-on-one follow-up, provided participants with the opportunity for sustained support as they mastered the skills taught in the workshops, increasing the likelihood of long-term behavioral change.