Item No. 1 of 1

INVESTIGATOR: Ogutu, R. A.; Clendaniel, J.; Wetherill, A.; Moor-Orth, M.; Darden, T.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY
1200 NORTH DUPONT HIGHWAY
DOVER, DELAWARE 19901

INCREASING HORTICULTURE BASED OUTREACH AND EXTENSION PROGRAM ACTIVITIES BY DELAWARE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION.

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The project aims at strengthening horticultural extension activities to effectively reach out to Delaware small farm clientele. It will address critical horticulture crops growers' needs amidst the following trends; growing interest in locally produced fresh, healthy and safe foods, greater sensitivity to environmental impacts of agriculture, more direct marketing of produce, season extension through protected horticultural structures, and a surge in use of electronic and social media. Horticulture production in Delaware is growing with consumers continued strong interest in locally produced food systems, human nutrition, probiotics and functional foods, food preservation, value added food products, herbals and bio controls. A general trend of environmental/sustainability as a measure of produce acceptance, has led to tendency towards widespread adoption of practices for sustainable specialty crop production and move towards organic production as a niche market. The result is a growth of opportunities for producers of fruits, vegetables, herbs and ornamentals to enhance their profitability and extend growth seasons capacity. This has given rise to particular interest to the ever increasing farm horticulture technologies, including high tunnel production, interest in transitioning to organic farming, and increased resurgence of backyard vegetable gardens, dooryard fruit trees, community gardens and green urbanism (orchards, atriums, window boxes, green walls and green roofs). More Delawareans now live in metropolitan areas that are severely lacking in green space, hence the increase in tightly planned and controlled developments featuring minimal gardens and yards. Through USDA, more Delaware farmers continue to acquire high tunnels and need a forum that expose them to the possibilities and opportunities that the high tunnel can offer. Delaware is a destination of numerous visitors and hence a market for fresh vegetable needed by the hotel industry. A number of vegetable growers are tapping into the opportunity. There is need by extension educators; to help growers stimulate the hospitality economy by encouraging a culture of organic locally sourced fresh ingredients at restaurants and homes; and to learn more about and embrace these technologies and add them into the toolbox of outreach methods. Outputs/impacts include: A model of organic production and season extension technologies will be established at Smyrna Ooutreach and Resaerch Center and will serve as a forum for educational programs for workshops, meetings, demonstrations, field trips, open house and field visits. Participants will learn social media communication techniques and improve their networking skills. We will maintain a list serve and other favorable social communication sites for participants for continued communication during and beyond the project period. Scientific publications, fact sheets and popular publications attaining to the project activities will be in circulation. We will have a more flourishing horticulture production with abundant fresh, locally produced vegetables and fruits.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives are as follows; To improve the effectiveness of Smyrna Outreach and Research Centre as a year round educational facility; To develop extension-wide connections or networks with community organizations to help promote opportunities for our clientele participation in sustainable production programs; To improve extension educational programs at DSU by developing more effective communication among extension professionals, clientele and consumers through enhanced training on organized electronic and social media channels; and to deliver a series of workshops and trainings on targeted topics that will improve sustainable production, and utilize emerging horticulture technologies. The anticipated outcomes are; an enhanced facility for extension and increased workshop participants in activities organized at Smyrna farm. A minimum of 40 Extension professionals and public educators will integrate learned social media techniques into their communication with clientele and encourage interactions among clientele. Adoption of learned tactics in horticulture technologies addressing recent trends will result in 75% reduction in insecticide usage and up to $40 per acre profit increase among growers. Through enhanced extension communication via social media, participants and more farmers will be acquainted with activities associated with organic transitioning, sustainable production and season extension technologies. Extension professionals will become more conversant with use of electronic social media, 2) Extension professionals and workshop participants to become more knowledgeable about sustainable production systems as they relate to local production, 3) more farmers will transition to more sustainable production options, 4) some of our management tactics to be readily amendable to conventional and organic specialty crops growers current practices. We expect the horticulture crops community to become more knowledgeable with regards to choice of varieties, cover cropping, flail mowing, and no-till planting as tactics for multiple pest suppression. We expect growers to adopt a creditable EPM program that is based on trustworthy information. We anticipate more stakeholders will transition from using broad spectrum to softer chemicals and relying more on cultural and biological control tactics. We anticipate production costs associated with growing horticulture crops to reduce sizably as a result of our efforts and economic stability growers from. Finally, we expect our project and associated adoption of our recommendations will in time increase the economic stability of the small growers within the horticulture industry.