Pag 2 omnGrudSriw19


 Common Ground s published
 quarterly by the Southern Region
 Sustainable Agriculture Research
 and Education Program (SARE)
 and Agriculture In Concert with
 the Environment (ACE). SARE/
 ACE funds projects that develop
 environmentally sound, eco-
 nomically viable and socially
 acceptable agricultural meth-
 ods. SARE Is funded by USDA and
 ACE Is a joint effort of USDA / EPA.
 The Southern Region SARE/
 ACE Program Is administered by
 the University of Georgia and Fort
 Valley State College. The South-
 em Region includes Alabama,
 Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Ken-
 tucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
 North Carolina, Oklahoma, South
 Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vir-
 ginia, Puerto Rico and the U.S.V.I.

 Editorial Board 1996
 John Bentley
 Head, Ext. Communications
 Ft. Valley State College, GA.
 Ted Feltshans
 Ext. Spec./Ag. and Env. Law
 NCSU
 Jim Lukens
 Prog. Manager, ATTRA/farmer
 AR
 Charles Panton
 Assoc. Dean for Research
 NCA&T
 Faith Peppers
 North Georgia News Editor,
 Cooperative Extension
 Don Voth
 Rural Sociology
 University of Arkansas

 Mall letters and comments to
 Gwen Roland, editor

This document was prepared with the sup-
port of USDA Agreement No. 93-COOP-1-
8885. Opinions, findings, conclusions or rec-
ommendations expressed herein do not nec-
essarlly reflect the views of the USDA. The
USDA prohibits discrimination In Its programs
on the basis of race, color, national origin,
sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs
and marital or familial status.


From Farm Bill to farm fields

 Shen the 1990 Farm Bill established the SARE program, it mandated that
 all agricultural Extension agents be trained in sustainable agriculture by
 the end of 1995. The legislation authorized $20 million per year to support that
 training, but no funds were appropriated until 1994, a delay that made the 1995 goal
 unrealistic. On the other hand, the research component of SARE was funded imme-
 diately and in six years has achieved an enviable level of sophistication in both
 program development and research design.
 While it is unfortunate that agricultural professionals have had to operate without
 federally supported training in this vital area, the delay has allowed researchers to
 develop a body of knowledge about sustainable agriculture that did not exist six
 years ago. Since most SARE projects are funded for three years, you could say we
 now have two generations of results from which to develop training materials.
 With the appropriation of the training funds in 1994, the Southern Region Admin-
 istrative Council held a competitive search for a management team and awarded a
 contract to a consortium of three institutions represented by Roger Crickenberger of
 North Carolina State University, John O'Sullivan of North Carolina A & T Univer-
 sity and Jim Lukens of ATTRA/NCAT. This team is directed by a 12-member execu-
 tive leadership committee, which is broadly representative of sustainable agricul-
 tural interests in the South. The committee reflects the SARE philosophy of partner-
 ships that include 1890 and 1862 landgrant universities, farmers, NGOs and the
 Natural Resource Conservation Service.
 A multi-level funding approach supports regional, multi-state and state training
 activities coordinated by the management team. Additional funding goes directly to
 the Extension service in each state and territory to develop and implement training
 through the 1862 and 1890 land-grant universities.
 As the training component has taken shape, the name has changed to reflect an
 identity separate from SARE's research program. Originally it was called Chapter
 Three because of its placement in the 1990 Farm Bill documentation, which is like
 being called Page Forty Four because of where your name appears in the phone
 book. Briefly it was informally called the Extension Training Program, which added
 an air of exclusivity at odds with the rest of SARE philosophy. The now official title,
 Professional Development Program, conveys the purpose of the program and also
 recognizes the importance of training for NRCS staff, consultants and other infor-
 mation providers who are not employed by USDA Cooperative Extension Service.
 The name change also reflects the dynamics of any new program whose success is
 vital to many different people. They all want it to succeed, but nobody is totally
 satisfied with it, meaning there is a healthy tension that stimulates improvements.
 The stories in this issue of Common Ground highlight the achievements of the
 first round of training grants awarded in the Southern Region. These summaries may
 help you locate information you did not know existed. Take advantage of the con-
 tacts and additional information offered with each project summary.



 Jim Lukens
 Southern Region SARE
 Professional Development Program


Page 2


Common Ground


Spring 1996