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Winter 2012

Josie GbadamosiShe Went for the Fruit But Later Bought the Farm

Sixth Anniversary Issue

Winter 2012 www.minoritylandowner.com 3

Volume VII Number I Winter 2012

Cierra Publishing ComPany

Victor L. Harris President

Cierra N. HarrisExecutive Assistant

minority landowner magazine

Victor L. HarrisPublisher and Editor

graPhiC designer

French Harris Design Group

advisory board

Jerry PennickArthur Phalo Minority Landowner Magazine is published quarterly by Cierra Publishing Company. Address all inquires to:

Cierra Publishing CompanyP.O. Box 97033Raleigh, North Carolina 27624

Phone: 919.215.1632Email: [email protected]

Editorials, news releases, photographs and artwork are welcomed. Material received becomes the property of Cierra Publishing Company. Cierra Publishing Company reserves the right to edit all manuscripts and letters for the sake of clarity, style and space limitations. All opin-ions expressed in Minority Landowner Magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher or the Advisory Board. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Copyright 2012.

Contents

Photo provided by Josie Gbadamosi

4 Editor’s PageCelebrating our 6th Anniversary

6 Every Child Needs Nature: 12 Questions About Equity and CapacityWhat happens to a child who has no contact with nature?

7 AnnouncementUSDA Seeks Nominations for Forest Resource Coordinating Committee

9 Kentucky State University Welcomes New DeanDr. Teferi Tsegaye takes the helm as dean of the College of Agriculture, Food Science and Sustainable Systems

10 Think Win-WinUSDA works to strengthen Alternative Dispute Resolution function

12 2012 Minority Landowner Resource GuideGuide to state and federal agriculture and forestry agencies

14 The Voice of Rural AmericaFrank Taylor hosts live farm radio talk show

15 Farm Credit: Keepin’ It Rural for Nearly a CenturyHow the Farm Credit System Began

16 Managing Natural Resources in Indian CountryNative American Tribal leaders in the Pacific Northwest

18 Californian’s Dream Comes True in AlabamaBlueberry picking rekindles fantasy to farm

21 Protector of the SoilProfessor Olasee Davis of the U.S. Virgin Islands

22 North Carolina’s Farm Turnaround TeamA comprehensive approach to managing the farm

4 www.minoritylandowner.com Winter 2012

Editor’s Page

With this issue we cele-brate our 6th anniversary and begin our 7th year

of publishing Minority Landowner. As always, let me first thank you for your support through the cards, calls, letters, and emails you send our way. And thank you for sharing a good word with a friend or neighbor about Minority Landowner. You are the im-portant part of our success.

In this issue I’m excited to intro-duce you to Richard Louv and the

Children and Nature Network. Richard is well known for his books Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder and The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder. He has a post, Every Child Needs Nature: 12 Questions About Equity & Capacity. A very thought provoking article. You’ll find it on page 6.

Kentucky State University has an annual small farms confer-ence and I always enjoy the times I’m able to attend. I attended last fall and met their new dean of Agriculture, Food Science and Sustainable Systems, Dr. Teferi Tsegaye. You’ll meet him on page 9 of this issue.

On page 12 you’ll find our 2012 Minority Landowner Re-source Guide. It has contact numbers for many of the state and federal agricultural and forestry agencies across the country. The state by state guide makes it easier for you to locate the appropri-ate headquarters for agencies that provide information and sup-port to farmers and forest landowners.

For the past year we’ve run a series of articles that profile Na-tive American tribal leaders in the Pacific Northwest. Written by Jo Lynne Seufer of USDA Risk Management Agency in Wash-ington State, we conclude that series on page 16. I’ve enjoyed meeting them, I hope you have too.

Our cover story is Josie Gbadamosi of Alabama. A friend took her to pick blueberries, and the next thing you know, she bought the farm. Her story is very interesting, but also quite inspiring.

You’ll walk away knowing that dreams may sometimes be put on hold, but they also, even after a long time on the shelf, can still come true. Find Josie’s story on page 18.

There’s a much talked about television commercial that cen-ters around “the most interesting man in the world.” I’ve never met Professor Olasee Davis of the U.S. Virgin Islands, but after reading his story that “most interesting man in the world” title may belong to him. He’s recognized as a leading figure in protect-ing the natural, agricultural and cultural resources of the U. S. Virgin Islands. Read his story on page 21.

Page 22 is usually reserved for Jerry Pennick’s Perspectives column but he takes a day off for this issue and will return. You’ll find an article on the North Carolina Farm Turnaround Team that will be introduced at Minority Landowner’s 6th An-niversary Conference February 23-25, 2012 in Raleigh, North Carolina. This is an exciting next step following our 2011 con-ference where the focus was “Creating the Farm Turnaround Team.” Our goal is to have this team of resource profession-als available to work with farm family enterprises to help turn things around. The focus is on the areas of financial manage-ment, technical assistance, marketing and succession planning.

Lastly, it’s time to recognize your 2012 Farmers of the Year. You’ll find details on how to include your farmer, rancher and forest landowner who represents the best of agriculture in their local community. Our Farmers of the Year issue will be pub-lished this summer. The deadline for submitting profiles on your farmer is June 8.

Again, thank you for your support over the past six years. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished with you, and look forward to even greater things in the future.

All the best,

Victor L. [email protected]

Victor L. HarrisRegistered Forester


By Richard Louv

Every child needs nature. Not just the ones with parents who appreciate nature. Not

only those of a certain economic class or culture or set of abilities. Every child.

If a child never sees the stars, never has meaningful encounters with other species, never experienc-es the richness of nature, what happens to that child?

In economically challenged neighborhoods, towns and rural areas, the impact of toxic dumps is well known. The evidence makes it clear that when we poison nature, we poison ourselves. But there’s a second, related threat that is less familiar.

What do we know about how human beings, particularly chil-dren and their families in poor communities, are affected by the absence of nature’s intrinsic benefits? Research suggests that ex-posure to the natural world – including nearby nature in cities – helps improve human health, well-being, and intellectual capac-ity in ways that science is only recently beginning to understand. People need nature for healthy development. We know that.

What we don’t know enough about is the natural capacity of different ethnic or economic communities.

In The Nature Principle, I introduced the term “natural cul-tural capacity” to describe the strengths and capacities of different cultures to connect with nature, often in unexpected and under-reported ways. The new growth of urban immigrant agriculture comes to mind – Somali community gardens in inner-city San Diego, for example; also, how Latino families often use parks as places for family gatherings, and the long-neglected history of African-American environmentalism.

Some good work has been done in these arenas (Audubon’s study on Latino attitudes, for example), but we need a much deeper understanding of both equity and capacity. Here are 12 questions to explore:1. How do different minority or ethnic communities — urban,

suburban or rural — connect to nature? What tools and tra-ditions do these communities practice that could be encour-aged – and adopted by other groups?

2. According to grandparents in minority or ethnic communi-ties, what tools and traditions faded or were lost, but could be revived?

3. What barriers to nature expe-rience are specific to children and young people with dis-abilities? Also, what nature-oriented abilities and capaci-ties could be adapted to other communities?

4. What role do urban, suburban and rural neighborhoods play in the political support for parks and open space?

5. What is the comparative avail-ability of nearby nature (especially natural parks) based not only on acreage, but also on such issues as crime, legal restric-tions, and the quality of the built environment?

6. Which institutions and organizations do the best job reach-ing underserved populations; what new approaches are emerging, and where (the role of libraries, for example)?

7. How likely is it for teachers or parents to take children to nearby nature or wilderness to learn and explore? And who gets to go to camp?

8. What role does prejudice — based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability — play in the nature experience?

9. What is, or will be, the impact of the widening income gap on the nature experiences of children?

10. How will current or future cuts in education, nature-based programs and parks impact different socio-economic levels?

11. In urban, suburban and rural areas, what is the impact of repeated nature experience on developmental advantages, confidence, resilience and health benefits – and how aware are residents of the benefits?

12. In these communities, do people believe that nature experi-ences – the availability of them — should be considered a privilege or a human right?

Many other questions should be asked about equity and ca-pacity. But this truth is clear: Every child needs nature.

About the AuthorRichard Louv is Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the

Children and Nature Network. He is the author of “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder” and “The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder.” Learn more at www.childrenandnature.org and www.richardlouv.com. Permission to reprint granted by the Children & Nature Network and Richard Louv.

Every Child Needs Nature: 12 Questions About Equity & Capacity

Kids on a ridge

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The USDA is seeking nominations for eight vacancies on the Forest Resource Coordinating Committee, which ad-vises the Secretary of Agriculture on priorities and issues

related to non-industrial private forest land.Members will serve staggered terms of up to three years. The

eight vacant positions include two state foresters or the equivalent from geographically diverse regions of the U.S.; a representative from a state fish and wildlife agency; an owner of non-industrial private forest land; two representatives from conservation organi-zations; a representative from a State Technical Committee; and a representative of an Indian Tribe.

The 20-member committee consists of the Chief of the Forest Service as the committee chair; Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service; Administrator of the Farm Service Agen-cy; Director of National Institute of Food and Agriculture, three State Foresters or equivalent State officials from geographical-ly diverse regions; a representative of a State fish and wildlife agency; three owners of non-industrial private forest land; a for-est industry representative; a land grant university or college representative; a private forestry consultant; three conservation organization representatives; a representative from a State Tech-nical Committee; a representative from an Indian Tribe; and a representative from a Conservation District. The committee, established by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, advises the Secretary of Agriculture on priorities and issues re-lated to non-industrial private forest land. Members are charged with helping to clarify individual agency responsibilities; pro-vide advice on the allocation of funds; and give direction and coordination of actions within USDA and the broader forestry sector, with specific focus on owners of non-industrial private forestland.

The Committee meets at least once a year; travel expenses for non-federal members will be reimbursed. Individuals currently serving on other USDA advisory councils or commissions are in-eligible to serve on the committee.

Individuals and organizations who wish to nominate experts for this or any other USDA advisory committee should submit a letter to the Secretary listing these individuals’ names and busi-ness address, phone, and e-mail contact information. These indi-viduals may be contacted now or in the future to determine their interest in serving as a committee member.

Candidates who wish to be considered for membership on the Forest Resource Coordinating Committee should submit an AD-755 application form and resume to the Secretary of Agriculture. Cover letters should be addressed to the Secretary of Agriculture. The application form and more information about advisory com-mittees can be found at usda.gov/advisory_committees.xml.

All nomination materials should be mailed in a single, com-plete package and postmarked by March 2, 2012. All nomina-tions for membership should be sent to: Secretary Tom Vilsack, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC, 20250, Attn: Forest Resource Coordinating Committee.

The U.S. Forest Service has special interest in assuring that women, minority groups, and the physically disabled are ad-equately represented on these advisory committees. We encour-age and welcome nominations for qualified female, minority, or disabled candidates.

For information about this committee, contact Maya Solo-mon, FRCC Coordinator at [email protected] or call (202) 205-1376 or Ted Beauvais, FRCC Designated Federal Officer, at [email protected] or (202) 205-1190.

ANNOUNCEMENT

USDA Seeks Nominations for Forest Resource Coordinating

Committee


By Shawntaye HopkinsCommunications/Publications SpecialistPublic RelationsKentucky State University

Kentucky State University welcomed a new dean to its College of Agriculture, Food Science and Sustainable Systems last fall. Dr. Teferi Tsegaye, formerly chair of the

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at Alabama A&M University, also assumed the role of director of KSU’s Land Grant Program.

“With a little less than four months on the job, Dr. Teferi Tsegaye leaves little doubt about his high level of energy, his plans to build on the college’s research capacity and plans to expand the college’s signature programs,” KSU President Mary Evans Sias said.

During his first semester, Tsegaye spent much of his time meeting with faculty and staff in his college and with community partners across the region, Sias said.

“After finding a solid foundation in the Land Grant Program that was built over the last 15 to 20 years by the previous direc-tor and the faculty, Dr. Tsegaye is making plans for his college to make a sustained and profound impact on the state and region,” KSU’s president said.

Surrounded by accolades and family photos of his wife and young daughter in his office on the second floor of KSU’s Co-operative Extension Building, Tsegaye described his excitement about the university’s newest college and his new role.

Tsegaye said the college will expand its outreach activity in all

parts of Kentucky, especially into eastern Kentucky because the college has primarily focused on the central and western parts of the state.

Extension services also reach nationally and internationally. The world needs good food and clean water, Tsegaye said further. “This is what the college is all about,” he said.

The college helps small farmers grow and develop specialties to compete and remain profitable. College resources have been used to help create alternative fish markets for communities, and communities are educated about obesity and other health issues.

On one Thursday each month, the Research Farm opens its doors to farmers and others for hands-on training. The guests mingle with professionals in various fields and discuss animals, plants and other topics in agriculture.

Tsegaye described this event, which KSU has hosted for years, to illustrate the college’s commitment to serving the community. He said visitors in December were intrigued by new projects on campus as they toured the area, including the new Rosenwald Center for Families and Children and the Aquaculture Produc-tion Technologies Laboratory.

The Rosenwald Center will offer educational programs to families with young children, and the new aquaculture facility will allow researchers to test and develop technologies for raising fish in a controlled environment so that different species can be produced throughout the year.

In the classroom, Tsegaye is working with his faculty to de-velop a doctoral program in aquaculture and in environmental studies and sustainable systems. The college already has master’s degree programs in environmental studies and in aquaculture.

Tsegaye is pushing interdisciplinary studies among KSU stu-dents and faculty and plans to offer an agricultural journalism and communication course in conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences.

He wants KSU students to take advantage of research oppor-tunities with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has of-fices in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He plans to continue recruit-ing students, developing online courses and implementing 21st century smart classrooms.

“Our hope is to provide students with the best learning envi-ronment,” Tsegaye said.

That environment, he added, will produce leaders who will be the future producers of food and future protectors of clean water. He said he wants everyone who graduates from the College of Agriculture, Food Science and Sustainable Systems to hold fond memories of being educated and nurtured at KSU.

Kentucky State University Welcomes New Dean

Dr. Teferi Tsegaye, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food Science and Sustainable Systems


The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a strong proponent for addressing and resolving conflicts as early as possible. One of USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack’s top

priorities is to strengthen the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) function in USDA to improve civil rights procedures and outcomes. The goal is to change the culture within USDA in a way that promotes the prevention or early resolution of both pro-gram and workplace conflicts. USDA staff is working to ensure that this priority is achieved.

While conflict is a normal part of our lives, it can be an un-comfortable experience. If you find yourself in a conflict or dis-pute, use of mediation through ADR can help you resolve your issue(s) in a confidential and timely manner.

What is ADR? ADR is the use of problem-solving techniques to provide alternative methods for resolving conflicts. Through ADR, people in conflict are empowered to come up with solu-tions that they have a hand in crafting, so that they are satisfied with the outcomes. A neutral, unbiased third party assists the dis-puting parties in a variety of ways, including:

• Opening up lines of communication

• Helping to clarify misunderstandings

• Providing opportunities to discuss sensitive issues in a safe setting

• Helping parties look realistically at best- and worst-case alternatives to resolving the dispute

• Encouraging creative problem-solving•

Why should you try ADR?

• ADR is fast. Many disputes can be resolved in one media-tion session, which usually lasts between 2 and 8 hours.

• ADR builds relationships. Mediation and group problem-

solving create a safe environment for open and direct com-munication.

• ADR is fair. You have control over the outcome. The people in conflict design their own agreement to meet their mutual needs. That’s what win-win means.

• ADR is safe. ADR professionals are bound by confidential-ity. We do not reveal what anyone says without permission of the participating parties, unless the law requires disclosure.

Among the most well-known forms of ADR are mediation, facilitation, fact-finding, coaching, and group dynamic problem-solving. This article focuses on mediation; perhaps the most-used ADR technique.

Mediation uses a neutral person, a mediator to help two or more parties in conflict reach a resolution that each party finds acceptable, allowing both parties to “win.” This is the primary objective of the process, which is designed to help individuals in a dispute create a mutually satisfactory resolution of their differ-ences. This is the reason that most mediators, at the beginning of a mediation session, will encourage the parties to “think win-win” when thinking of ways to resolve the dispute.

Mediation is also effective in improving communications and building relationships. Mediation discussions in their entirety are confidential. No written record(s) are made of the mediation ses-sion. A mediation settlement takes much less time to achieve than the more timely (and costly) process of litigation. Mediation dif-fers from litigation in that it is not designed to determine who is right or wrong. If resolution is not reached and the matter is not settled through mediation, a person’s right to pursue the matter formally is still preserved. Mediation is designed to be an infor-mal settlement process. It is entirely voluntary. Either party or the mediator can end the mediation session at any time.

Mediation may be right for resolving a conflict if the matter involves continuing relationships and both parties indicate they

“THINK WIN-WIN”

ADVERTORIAL


would like to have their say in shaping a settlement agreement to resolve the matter. The parties participating in a mediation ses-sion can represent themselves or have a representative with them. Representatives do not have to be attorneys. USDA provides trained and qualified mediators to help parties reach resolution. Mediators have no power to make a decision or force one on any party. Instead, the mediator works with all parties to reach a voluntary agreement of their own making. Mediators will not willingly testify for or against either party in a court of law or an administrative process. If a resolution is reached, the mediator helps the parties put their agreement in writing for signature, i.e., create a settlement agreement.

The Early Resolution and Conciliation Division’s (ERCD) mission is to increase the prevention and early resolution of issues and concerns that may lead to disputes at USDA through the en-hancement of conflict management skills and the widespread use of ADR. ERCD offers a confidential ADR Program for resolv-ing conflicts resulting from workplace disputes, informal and for-mal equal employment opportunity complaints, programmatic complaints, and administrative grievances. ERCD utilizes highly trained and qualified neutral employees from USDA, the U.S. De-partment of Health and Human Services’ Shared Neutrals Pro-gram, and other Federal agencies to conduct ADR services.

For more information on ADR, please contact us at: USDA/Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil RightsEarly Resolution and Conciliation Division1400 Independence Avenue, SWRoom 4029, South BuildingWashington, DC 20250-94071-888-428-8961

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all of its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national ori-gin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, genetic informa-tion, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all pro-grams.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for commu-nication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 In-dependence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. February 2012.

If your organization formally or informally selects a minority Farmer of the Year, and you want to be included in this special feature, submit the following information by June 8, 2012.

• NameoftheFarmeroftheYearrecipient

• Recipient’smailingaddress,phonenumberandemail

address

• Nameofselectingorganization

• Selectingorganization’scontactperson,mailing

address,phonenumber,andemailaddress

• AhighresolutiondigitalphotographoftheFarmerof

theYearwinner

• A100wordnarrativesummarizingtheoutstanding

accomplishmentsoftheFarmeroftheYearwinner

Submit all information to:MinorityLandownerMagazineFarmeroftheYearP.O.Box97033Raleigh,NorthCarolina27624

Oremailallinformationto:[email protected]

DeadlineforsubmittalisJune8,2012

2012 Farmers of the Year


2012


By Mike MooneyAgFirst Farm Credit Bank

As the twentieth century dawned, more than half of Americans lived in rural areas. Westward expansion

in the mid-to-late 1800s, sparked by the Cal-ifornia Gold Rush and propagated by the Homestead Act of 1862, greatly increased the number of landowners and farmers. As the number of farms increased, the mar-ket became flush with food, and crop prices started a long, down-ward slide. Low crop prices, combined with the dwindling availabili-ty of claimable land and increased farm mecha-nization, created strong demand for credit in rural areas. Unfor-tunately, financing was typically available only in urban centers. Farm leaders pressed for banking reform, calling for a system of credit that addressed and satisfied their unique needs.

Thus, in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed the Country Life Commission to investigate the needs of rural Americans. The commission recommended, among other things, a cooperative agricultural credit system.

Five years later, in 1913, two commissions traveled to Europe to examine existing agricultural credit delivery systems. After study-ing several successful operations overseas, and being particularly impressed with Germany’s Landschaft system, the committees submitted a joint report recommending:

• Small, independent, federally chartered land banks;

• Federally chartered joint stock or cooperative land banks;

• or local associations with a centralized mortgage-buying association.1

After two years of Congressional debate, President Woodrow

Wilson signed into law the Federal Farm Loan Act, on July 17, 1916. The Act was a compromise, containing elements desired by different factions within Congress, and provided for Federal Land Banks to be cooperatively owned by farmers through local associations. Twelve Federal Land Banks were created across the country, and numerous associations—up to 5,000 in the 1930s—were established by local farmers.

The System has evolved and consolidated tremendously over the past 95 years. Today, there are three Farm Credit Banks (for-merly Federal Land Banks), one national cooperative bank, Co-Bank, which provides financial services for cooperatives, large agribusinesses, and rural utility and communication providers, and 84 associations in the System. Together, the System provides more than $160 billion in loans, leases, and related services to farmers, ranchers, rural homeowners, aquatic producers, timber harvesters, agribusinesses, and agricultural and rural utility coop-eratives—a full one-third of the credit needed by those who live and work in rural America.2

1 W. Gifford Hoag, The Farm Credit System: A History of Financial Self-Help (Danville, Illinois: The Interstate Printers and Publishers, 1976), 212.

2 FarmCredit.com, http://www.farmcreditnetwork.com/about/welcome-to-the-farm-credit-system (accessed January 19, 2012).

Farm Credit: Keepin’ It Rural for Nearly a Century

Part One of a SeriesHow the Farm Credit System Began

®

President Woodrow Wilson signing the Federal Farm Loan Act


By Jo Lynne SeuferRisk Management SpecialistUSDA Risk Management AgencyWashington State

Editor’s note: This is the fourth and final in a series on a group of Pacific Northwest tribal leaders representing eight Reservations located throughout Idaho, Oregon and Washington. You can read the previous features in the Winter 2011, Spring 2011 and Fall 2011 issues of Minority Landowner.

Mark Wadsworth, Fort Hall Reservation

The Shoshone-Bannock Reservation consists of 544,000 acres located in southeastern Idaho and is divided into five districts: Fort Hall, Lincoln Creek, Ross Fork, Gibson and Bannock Creek. The tribes are proud to say that 96 percent of the land still re-mains in tribal and individual Indian ownership.

What tribe(s) are you a member of? I was a prior tribal member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the

Flathead Indian Reservation. I changed my enrollment to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Ft. Hall Indian Reservation.

Where did you grow up? Born in Ft. Hall, Idaho where I have lived the majority of my life with short times in Boise, Idaho, Anchorage, Alaska and Billings, Montana. Obtained my B.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Idaho and served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1986-1990. My family and I now live in Ft. Hall where I am the range manager for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.

What inspired you to pursue a career in agriculture con-servation issues, natural resources and management on the Reservation? Growing up in rural America, far away from large cities, I was surrounded by farming and ranching activities and hunting and fishing. I’ve worked since the age of 14 and was a member of FFA in high school.

What are the most significant conservation or risk man-agement concerns on the Shoshone Bannock Reservation? We manage over 315,000 acres of rangeland (separated into 14 range units varying in size/location) and an extensive study re-cently revealed the Reservation rangelands are in good to excel-lent condition. The primary concerns are water delivery and de-velopment. Basic infrastructure was and is currently needed in the replacing of old water lines, replacing old troughs, adding new water storage systems. The same is needed in repairing or replac-ing old fencing for better livestock control and management.

What are your goals and objectives for management of agriculture lands on the Shoshone Bannock Reservation? Continue to manage livestock grazing on the Reservation as a sustainable and economically beneficial form of agriculture that is compatible with a wide array of other sustainable uses of the rangeland resources consistent with tribal values.

What is the greatest joy you find in your work? Develop-ing or rehabilitating old water projects. Some were installed dur-ing the 1930s during the Great Depression under the Roosevelt years of the Civilian Conservation Corps programs. By rebuild-

Managing Natural Resources in Indian Country

Safeguarding our Native Lands

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ing and improving our water systems, my office crew and I will be able to develop range management plans with proper grazing strategies—essentially making considerable progress in conserv-ing our tribe’s range resources.

What is the greatest frustration you deal with in your job? The funding for conservation and development for tribes has been on a steady decline for the past 40 years, forcing tribes to be more creative in finding funding opportunities. My greatest frus-tration is lack of funding for long-term natural resource positions and in exposing our younger generations to agricultural careers.

If you had a day off, what would be your perfect way to spend the day? I am blessed with twin grandchildren and cre-ating great memories with them camping, experiencing various surroundings in nature and teaching them of the wild is the best.

What are your dreams and/or hopes for the future of agriculture on the Shoshone Bannock Reservation? For the tribe to take full control of its agriculture resources from leasing lands, to farming lands, to running its own cattle operation. Also expanding into manufacturing and sales of agriculture products and open a variety of careers associated in the agri-business in-dustry for our tribal people.

Matt Farrow Jr., Umatilla Reservation

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla consists of 172,140 acres located in northeastern Oregon near Pendleton.

What tribe(s) are you a member of? I am a member of the Umatilla. There are three tribes that make up the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla, the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla.

Where did you grow up? I grew up on the south part of the Reservation near Pilot Rock and graduated from Pendleton High School.

What inspired you to pursue a career in agriculture con-servation issues and management on the Reservation? I want to do my part to take care of the land so I can leave it for my chil-

dren. Starting in 1997, I worked for the Umatilla Wildlife Program and in 2008 I transferred to the Range and Agricultural Program. In doing so, I became a third-generation range technician. It’s humbling to know my father and grandfather were involved with range management before me.

What agricultural commodities do you most work with and/or manage? As a tribal employee, I deal mostly with cattle and horses. I help manage a business on-the-side that runs 160 head of cattle on and off the Umatilla Reservation and where we are trying different approaches to range management.

What are the most significant conservation or risk man-agement concerns on the Umatilla Reservation? Water qual-ity is always an issue. We’re currently looking for ways to manage “a small” number of horses on the Reservation. I say small, be-cause when you compare the herd size to other Reservations it’s a small herd. Recent legislation has significantly challenged the management of wild horses on the Rez.

What are your goals and objectives for management of ag-riculture lands on the Umatilla Reservation? The main goal for agricultural lands is to make sure farmers are 1) in compliance with their leases; 2) in the proper crop rotation; and 3) taking care of noxious weeds.

What is the greatest joy you find in your work? Getting to be outdoors and looking after the land that I call home.

What is the greatest frustration you deal with in your job? Certain management practices don’t sit very well with the general public. It can be hard to explain the benefits of some conservation practices when they only look at it from one side.

If you had a day off, what would be your perfect way to spend the day? A perfect way to spend a day off would be out on the range with my wife and two girls, checking the cows!

What are your dreams and/or hopes for the future of ag-riculture on the Umatilla Reservation? A big dream is to have my children take over the cattle operation one day.

Matt Farrow. Jr., Umatilla Reservation with his son, Casey Jacob

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Californian’s Dream Comes True in Alabama

Blueberry picking rekindles fantasy to farm

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Josie Gbadamosi migrated to Tuskegee, Alabama from Los Angeles, California in 1969. Forty-two years later, she is re-tired, widowed, and her four daughters are grown with a total

of eight children of their own. She retired in June 2010 and by September 2010 she had embarked on her new career - a farmer.

It was after being invited by a friend to pick blueberries in a blueberry patch that had been neglected for years that a long held fantasy to be a farmer was rekindled. Her desire to locate the owner of the blueberry patch to offer to help clean it up in ex-change for the opportunity to pick blueberries, led her to discover that the property was for sale. And as they say, the rest is history.

She purchased the 46 acre property and has not regretted one day of the demanding work that the farm requires. Currently, Josie is focused on restoring the two and a half acres of 20 year old blueberry bushes. Armed with hoes, chain saws and with the help of family, friends, community volunteers, NRCS staff, Tuskegee University staff and students, and an occasional paid laborer, Josie was able to clean up the patch and enjoy a productive harvest. She marketed through pick/pay, pick/share, direct sales, wholesale to two local grocery stores, and sales at the farmer’s market.

The site was established in the late 70s as a demonstration family farm. Dr. Booker Whatley wanted to demonstrate that

a single family could generate $100,000 per year on 25 acres of land by treating farming as a year-round business. Josie hopes to restore the historical model farm site. She would like for the property to again become a model farm and incorporate the use of the latest best management practices.

Josie wants to make organically grown fruits and vegetables af-fordable to the community and host educational and recreational agricultural programs for students and seniors. She also hopes to connect with others who are interested in growing blueberries in order to form a co-op and sell cooperatively.

Restoring the property and the ideas that Dr. Whatley had, which were influenced by Dr. George Washington Carver, she believes would show the community and the world just how far ahead these men in Tuskegee were in their suggested agricultural practices.

After visiting a farm with a friend to pick blueberries, Josie Gbada-mosi (top left photo) later bought the farm.


Olasee Davis was born on the island of St. Thomas, U.S. Vir-

gin Islands. He is an ethno-botanist, naturalist, ecologist, agriculturalist, environmental activist, historian, writer, and scholar. He graduated from Charlotte Amalie High school in 1976 and earned two asso-ciate degrees from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia. He also earned two bachelor degrees,

one in agronomy and one in psychology, from Northwest Mis-souri State University, and a Master’s in Forestry Ecology from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Davis is a Ph.D. candidate in environmental science.

In high school on the island of St. Thomas, he was a co-found-er of the agricultural club which shaped his interest in higher education. A former part-time professor at the University of the Virgin Islands, Davis is currently an extension assistant professor/extension specialist in the natural resources program of the Co-operative Extension Service at the University of the Virgin Islands St. Croix campus.

Professor Davis has lectured to thousands of people through-out the Caribbean, North, South and Central America on topics including eco-tourism, heritage tourism, the environment, ma-rine resources, agriculture, Virgin Islands natural and cultural his-tory, and related sustainable life sciences.

As a columnist for the Virgin Islands Daily News and the St. Croix Avis newspaper, he has written over 5,000 articles. Professor

Davis has been featured locally, nationally, and internationally in over 50 magazines.

Although Davis doesn’t own a farm, he is well known for his outspoken activism on environmental issues relating to the pro-tection and preservation of the natural, cultural, and agricultural resources throughout the Caribbean region. He has helped pro-tect these areas through his influence, expressed through pub-lished articles, radio and television programs, testifying at court hearings, and testifying at the U.S. Congress.

Close to Davis’ heart is his passionate interest in teaching stu-dents, visitors and others about the cultural and natural resources of the Virgin Islands. Many students have gone on to universities and colleges to pursue a degree in the field of science because of his influence on their lives through classroom presentations, research projects or field trips.

In 2007, Professor Davis was honored by the University of the Virgin Islands as “Employee of the Year” for his outstanding work in the Virgin Islands community. Over the years, Davis has re-ceived over 200 awards from federal and local government, busi-nesses, and various organizations for his selfless dedication and contribution towards educating the public about the Virgin Is-lands’ fragile ecosystems and the preservation of agricultural land.

The Internet has served to provide international awareness of Professor Davis’ work. One can log onto search engines, or the Uni-versity of the Virgin Islands website under the Division of Libraries

Archives and Museums, and find Davis’ contributions.

History reveals that St. Croix was once called the “Garden Spot” of the Antilles. This was a fitting title as almost two-thirds of the island was covered with fields of sugarcane, livestock, fruit trees, and an abundance of vegetables.

Davis is still hopeful to see the Virgin Islands “feed itself.” He recalls that as a young man he was encouraged by the late

Governor Cyril E. King to attend college to study agriculture and natural resources. Consequently, he recognizes that young people are the key for the survival of the agricultural industry in the Virgin Islands. Therefore, it is only natural for Professor Davis to return the same favor to young people by encouraging them to farm or to pursue careers in the field of science. Professor Davis has clearly demonstrated that he is a protector of the soil.

Protector of the SoilProfessor Olasee Davis of the U.S. Virgin Islands

Professor Olasee Davis (top photo, above right, and above left) is passionate about teaching students, visitors and others about the cultural and natural resources of the Virgin Islands.


By Victor L. Harris

Minority Landowner Magazine will hold its 6th Anniver-sary Conference February 23-25, 2012 at the Embassy Suites – Brier Creek, in Raleigh, North Carolina. The

focus of the conference will be introducing the North Carolina Farm Turnaround Team.

During the 2011 conference the focus was on listening to the issues that affect farmers, ranchers and forest landowners in the areas of financial management, technical assistance, marketing, and succession planning. Once farmers identified the issues, they were led through a facilitative process to find solutions to these problems. Who better to state these problems and solu-tions, than those who live through them everyday? The 2011 Conference Report reveals hundreds of issues and solutions generated by farmers.

In 2012 we take that next step by introducing the North Caro-lina Farm Turnaround Team.

The purpose of the Farm Turnaround Team is to provide a team of resource professionals to work one-on-one with farm families addressing issues related to financial management, tech-nical assistance, marketing and succession planning. The Team will assess their land management operation and provide strate-gies to address deficiencies and inefficiencies in an effort to turn things around.

The Team consists of state, federal, private, university, and non-profit organizations representing the four areas of financial man-agement, technical assistance, marketing and succession planning. All of these entities presently provide assistance to farmers in one or more of these areas. And through the Farm Turnaround Team, that doesn’t change. What does change is that farmers gain the insight of resource professionals in all four areas in a comprehen-sive manner, rather than in isolation one by one over an extended period of time. There is no new or added responsibility requested of the Team members. They are only asked to deliver the program or service they currently provide, as a part of the Team.

Conference organizers also recognize that numerous farmers and landowners don’t have a will or estate plan. This is one factor that leads to farmers losing their land, when it was their wish to keep the family farm in the family. The last day of the conference will consist of a legal panel for farmers to talk to attorneys in the areas of wills, estate planning, foreclosures, and bankruptcy. There

will also be a Wills for Farmers Clinic, where volunteer attorneys in the areas of wills and estate planning will meet individually with farmers to discuss the importance of having a will. The clinic is organized by the Conservation Trust for North Carolina and North Carolina Central University School of Law.

Sponsors for the 2012 conference include Minority Landowner Magazine, US Forest Service State and Private Forestry, US Forest Service Southern Research Station, USDA Rural Development, Carolina Farm Credit, Cape Fear Farm Credit, AgCarolina Fi-nancial and AgFirst Farm Credit Bank.

For more information including a copy of the 2011 Conference Report, call (919) 215-1632, email [email protected] or visit www.minoritylandowner.com.

North Carolina’s Farm Turnaround Team

A comprehensive approach to managing the farm

Members of the North CarolinaFarm Turnaround Team

Financial ManagementUSDA Farm Service Agency-North CarolinaUSDA Risk Management Agency-North Carolina

Technical AssistanceThe National Organization of Professional Black NRCS

EmployeesUSDA Natural Resources Conservation Service-North

CarolinaNorth Carolina Forest ServiceNorth Carolina A&T State University Cooperative Extension

MarketingNC Department of Agriculture and Consumer ServicesUSDA Rural Development-North CarolinaUSDA Agricultural Marketing ServiceUS Forest Service Southern Research Station-Asheville, NC

Succession PlanningConservation Trust for North CarolinaNorth Carolina Central University School of LawUS Forest Service Southern Research Station-Research

Triangle Park, NC

Contact and CoordinatorMinority Landowner Magazine

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