Landuser Information Networking Consortium "LINC" Outreach Project

Sponsored by Arkansas chapter of the National Organization of Professional Black Natural Resources Conservation Service Employees.

ABSTRACT

Background

Over the years, there have been a high percentage of foreclosures on minority and limited resource farms resulting in a high loss of land owned by this group of farmers in the state of Arkansas and across the nation. It is important to reverse this trend because of the impact it will have on the financial position, family stability, and social status of minority and limited resource landusers in the future. Farms owned by minority and limited resource farmers provide these individuals with hands-on day-to-day management skills necessary to operate a business and participate in mainstream America. Such participation will have a positive effect on the future of minority and limited resource Americans. For this reason, the Arkansas Chapter of the National Organization of Professional Black Natural Resources Conservation Service Employees proposes the development of consortiums to combat these impacts and to reverse the trend of minority and limited resource landusers losing ownership of land in Arkansas and throughout the nation.

Purpose and Objectives of Project

The purpose of this project is to reverse the trend of loss of land owned by minority and limited resource landusers and increase ownership by this group. To accomplish this, it will be necessary to increase the average income of minority and limited resource landusers by enhancing their access to knowledge of how to participate in USDA programs (both technical and financial) and acquire agricultural loans. To achieve these objectives, the following barriers need to be overcome:

(1) ineffective information dissemination, (2) lack of adequate education and training, (3) government policy that inhibits farmers from getting a loan, (4) little or no outreach, (5) too much paperwork, (6) neglected responsibility of carrying out legal aspects of land ownership, and (7) lack of established credit or poor lending practices.

Targeted Audience

The project will initially target 20 counties in Arkansas; however, additional counties will be added as funds become available (USDA limited resource farmer definition will be used to identify eligible participants). The first phase of the outreach efforts will focus on black landusers in eastern Arkansas due to the rapid decline in farm numbers and below-average living conditions in this area of the United States.

Map of Targeted Counties

Click on image to enlarge (23 KB)

Proposed Actions

The Arkansas Chapter of the National Organization of Professional Black Natural Resources Conservation Service Employees will sponsor outreach efforts and serve as a medium through which non-profit organizations, government agencies, and 1890 Land Grand Institutions can link with a grass-roots organization to achieve and improve program delivery of services nationwide. A partnership of this kind will ensure quality service to a great number of landusers who are affected by USDA programs. The Arkansas Chapter will have access to landusers who may qualify for these programs. An aggressive outreach program will be carried out to help landusers meet USDA program guidelines in a timely manner to avoid farm foreclosures.

Planned Outreach Activities

• Training workshops and one-on-one assistance on farm finance management, how to present loan packages to lending institutions, group health care programs, how to develop case files, advantages and disadvantages of farming partnerships and corporations, and how to evaluate government policies and regulations.

• Provide opportunities for non-profit organizations and 1890 Land Grant Institutions to expand assistance through a nationwide network called "LINC" (Landuser Information Networking Consortium).

Responsibility and Charge of the The Arkansas Chapter of the National Organization of Professional Black Natural Resources Conservation Service Employees

We feel that this project will help reduce the continuing loss of farms owned by minority and limited resource farmers in Arkansas and throughout the nation. The Arkansas Chapter will serve as: sponsor of the project, which includes project publicity and follow-up, and will conduct evaluations on the success of the project; a "LINC " to non-profit organizations and 1890 Land Grant Institutions who want to expand their area of assistance; and a contact to other states.