For more than 40 years, the Breaking New Ground Resource Center (BNG) at Purdue University has been conducting outreach to underserved populations, primarily agricultural producers and their family members with disabilities (including those identified by the USDA as socially disadvantaged), with the goal of enhancing their quality of life, so that they, their families, and their communities continue to succeed in rural America.
In recent years, BNG and National AgrAbility Project (NAP) have added special initiatives to serve minority farmers/ranchers and farmer/rancher veterans. Since 2013, NAP has had staff members dedicated to serving the needs of these audiences.
AgrAbility's outreach to underserved populations has included:
Chuck Baldwin
AgrAbility Underserved Populations Outreach Coordinator
baldwi19@purdue.edu
Cindy Chastain
AgrAbility Veteran Outreach Coordinator
chastai1@purdue.edu
CLICK HERE to visit the LIFE Project website maintained by the Peoples Foundation. This site includes more details about the project, and announcements for upcoming LIFE activities around the country, including webinars and educational programs.
In the fall of 2019, the National AgrAbility Project joined forces with The Peoples Foundation of Lompoc, California and the Legacy Farming and Health Group, based in Lyles Station, Indiana to address challenges faced by socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, as well as veterans involved in production agriculture. The organizations bring a long and diverse history of serving these audiences. Their combined experiences will serve in developing a model, building on existing assets, to effectively promote and increase awareness and utilization of USDA programs and services by socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, and farmer veterans.
The Legacy Innovation Farming Economics (LIFE) Project is sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (USDA 2501 Program).
The partners will be using the following methods to achieve program goals:
Tameka Peoples
InspiredSolutions@peoples-foundation.org
John Jamerson
yah1nonly@gmail.com
Chuck Baldwin
baldwi19@purdue.edu
Ed Sheldon
ejsheldo@purdue.edu