Senior USDA official to headline Sherrod Institute's Farm Field Day
Apr. 9—ALBANY — The United States Department of Agriculture's top advisor on racial equity will deliver the keynote address at The Sherrod Institute's Farm Field Day next month.
Dewayne Goldmon will travel from Washington to Albany to address area farmers on his work of removing racial barriers, rooting out discrimination and ensuring USDA has a work force that reflects all of America.
"We're delighted that Dr. Goldmon will be coming to talk with our farmers, fielding their questions and concerns," Sherrod Institute CEO Shirley Miller Sherrod said in a news release. "What Dr. Goldmon has to say will resonate with our core constituency, especially since like most of them, he's black and comes to farming honestly."
The 2023 Farm Field Day will be held April 20 starting at 8 a.m. at The Sherrod Institute's main campus at Cypress Pond, 801 Old Pretoria Road in Albany. While the event is free and open to the public, attendees are asked to register online at The Sherrod Institute website.
Now in its third year and cosponsored by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Sherrod Institute's Farm Field Day will offer a trolley-guided tour of the more than 1,600-acre Cypress Pond. The tour will feature visits to multiple university cosponsored demonstration projects regarding climate-smart approaches to growing blueberries, pecans, muscadines, and other fruit and vegetables.
Also offered is a robust lineup of agricultural workshops focusing on beekeeping, solar farming, egg production, drone technology in agriculture and the profit potential of growing hibiscus. A special workshop, to be hosted by Zandria Chambers, an Albany native and natural resources specialist with NRCS's Americus office, will be held for youths interested in careers in agriculture.
In addition to Chambers, several senior Georgia-based USDA officials will be on hand, including State Conservationist Terrance O. Rudolph, Farm Service Agency director Arthur L. Tripp Jr. and Rural Development director Reggie A. Taylor.
The Georgia Forestry Commission also will be represented by Assistant Regional Director Chad Pritchett.
Attendees will be given an update on the current farm bill, known as the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, from the office of U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop.
Before being appointed by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in March 2021, Goldmon served as executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Black Growers Council, which he helped found, advocating on behalf of black row crop farmers. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Arkansas and his Ph.D. from Iowa State University, all in agronomy.
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"The Power of Conservation in Achieving Sustainable Agriculture" program agenda:
8 a.m. — Registration
9 a.m. — Opening & Welcome: Ms. Karen J. Lawrence, The Sherrod Institute
10 a.m. — Agency & Activity Updates
—Farm Bill update from U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop's Office
—USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service — William Hal Darsey, acting assistant state conservationist for Area 3
—USDA Farm Service Agency — Arthur L. Tripp Jr., executive director for Georgia
—USDA Rural Development — Reggie A. Taylor, state director for Georgia
—Georgia Forestry Commission — Chad Pritchett, assistant district manager
10 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. — The Charles Sherrod CDC-sponsored and managed climate-smart agriculture and alternative crop production demonstrations
—Trolley-Guided tour of the farm's demonstration plots & partnerships
— Muscadine Grape Vineyard Development, Florida A&M University
— Blueberry Production and High Tunnel Construction, Tuskegee University
— Vegetable Production, Fort Valley State University
— Irrigation and Pecan Production, University of Georgia
—Youth in Agriculture — Zandria Chambers, USDA|NRCS natural resources specialist, Americus
—Free-range Chickens — Timothy Robinson, Robinson Farms LLC, Baconton
—Beekeeping — Decton Hylton, The Sherrod Institute, Albany
—Growing hibiscus to produce chutney, juices & drinks — Yasin A. & Najeed A. Muhaimin, Pride Road LLC, Lithonia
12:30 — 2 p.m. — Lunch, presentation and keynote address, "Farmer of the Year" Award — presented by Karen J. Lawrence
Introduction of Keynote Speaker — Shirley Miller Sherrod, CEO The Sherrod Institute
Keynote Speaker — Dewayne Goldmon, senior advisor for racial equity to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
2 p.m. — 3:30 p.m. Concurrent Breakout Sessions
—Trolley-guided tour of the farm's demonstration plots & partnerships
— Muscadine grape vineyard development, Florida A&M University
— Blueberry production and high-tunnel construction, Tuskegee University
— Vegetable production, Fort Valley State University
— Irrigation and pecan production, University of Georgia
—The value of drone technology to farming
—Horses and their value as therapy in the marketplace
—The value of solar farming to generate energy & revenue
—The value of cows, goats, sheep and other livestock on the farm
3:30 p.m. — Adjournment
