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INVESTIGATOR: Navarrete-Tindall, N.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY
JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI 65101

FAMILIES INTEGRATING NATURE, CONSERVATION, AND AGRICULTURE-THE FINCA MODEL

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: A finca refers to a small farm in El Salvador and other Latin American countries where native plants, fruits, flowers and vegetables, are produced for family consumption and income. Fincas and other kinds of small farms are also practiced in African countries. Usually the monetary impact of these highly diversified small farming operations are not quantified but have persisted for generations as their traditional way of life. The main goal of the FINCA model is to replicate this small farm diversification concept and transform small non-productive land in rural and urban areas into useful land in Missouri while families learn to integrate nature, conservation and agriculture. Demonstration FINCAs will be established in Jefferson City at LU campus and in a private land of a low-income community in the Bootheel located in the Southeast region. Experimental plots will be established at Lincoln University George Washington Carver Farm in Jefferson City to evaluate growth and survival and to demonstrate native plants potential as alternative crops. Field days, seminars and workshops will be offered in both locations to train volunteers in all aspects about establishment and maintenance of FINCAs in urban and rural areas. These events and training opportunities will be open for local communities and beyond. Native fruit trees, shrubs, vines and herbaceous plants will provide food and value-added products such as dyes, fiber, herbals, cut flowers, and/or craft materials grown with environmentally friendly and sustainable methods. In addition, they will provide habitat for native bees, other pollinators and other beneficial wildlife. International experts from El Salvador and local collaborators will help LU's Native Plants Program to train Extension Specialists and students about FINCA establishment and management. LU students will increase their knowledge about fincas and the FINCA model through summer internships in El Salvador and Missouri. Objectives: 1. Adapt and Implement the FINCA model in Missouri, and 2. Evaluate twenty or more Missouri native plants to be included in FINCAs as specialty crops for food and value-added products. FINCAs will be completely established the first year. During the second and third year native species survival, growth, development and nutrient content will be evaluated.

OBJECTIVES: The main goal of the FINCA model is to increase awareness of indigenous plants of Missouri as alternative crops for consumption and to generate income, as well as their importance in conservation and for wildlife, especially native pollinators.The FINCA model is an innovative tool developed by LUCE to offer sustainable agriculture practices to low income families.Objective 1,adapt and implement the FINCA model in Missouri and Objective 2,evaluate twenty or more Missouri native plants for food and value added products. Outputs, activities, native plants will be evaluated for growth, development and production. Events, introductory to advanced training through seminars and workshops will be offered to volunteers,a FINCA festival in Haywood City to showcase FINCA products in fall 2013 and a field day with hands on demonstrations will be offered at the FINCA located at LU campus in Jefferson City. Services, trained volunteers will train and tutor communities, producers and farmers. Products, fact-sheets for each species studied and a FINCA manual accompanied by a video will be produced at the end of the project including information about 10 or more species selected for high performance. The Native Plants Program will work with Lincoln University College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences to develop a curriculum for LU students with hands-on experience with internships for 1 week or longer to spend time with families in Haywood City where one FINCA model will be established. MU students pursuing degrees in Rural Sociology or other related field could also apply. Internships will provide 1 to 4 credits depending on the amount and kind of work involved. This experience will offer students a better understanding of the life that small farmers or producers have, and make them more aware of the developing world that is close to home. Dissemination Plans: Results will be presented and disseminated on the Lincoln University Cooperative Extension Native Plants Program website; in Monday Matters, a weekly publication by Lincoln University Department of Academic Affairs; and will be submitted for publication in magazines such as the Missouri Ruralist, and Missouri Conservationist, gardening magazines and sustainable agriculture magazines. Presentations offered during local fairs to transfer FINCA technology to diverse audiences. An online FINCA newsletter will be created and published four times a year in English and Spanish. Hard copies will be available as requested. Research results will be submitted in peer reviewed publications, fact sheets, and brochures, and through articles in publications as the Missouri Prairie Journal and Native Plants Journal. In addition, information will be presented at conferences including the Lincoln University Minorities Conference, the Missouri Natural Resources Conference, Cambio de Colores, the Natural Areas Conference and Economic Botany. Finally, web based information will be developed which highlights the potential benefits of growing native plants in the city and rural landscapes for the purpose of enhancing plant and wildlife diversity on both public and private lands.