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Farm-A-Syst Fact Sheet

The Mississippi Underserved Forestry Landowner Program

Situation

Of Mississippi's 175,000 forestry landowners, an estimated 10 to 20 percent are minority farmers. These minority farmers are among the most underserved audiences in Mississippi.

A primary consideration in working with these and other limited resource farmers is reaching them through traditional Extension programs. Historically, limited resource farmers are not as likely to take part in Extension educational programs.

Special programs and delivery systems are needed to help these landowners more fully utilize their resources. Through new programs, these citizens can move from a position of underserved to one more characteristic of traditional Extension audiences.

Extension's Response

As a result of a successful pilot effort in 1998, Extension developed the Mississippi Underserved Forestry Landowner Program in 1999. The effort involved landowners and support groups in 16 counties and was targeted to minority and female audiences.

An important aspect of the planning process involved church groups and other support groups to attract minority and female landowners. Educational programs were specially tailored for these audiences, and included topics such as wills and contracts, timber marketing, environmental issues, and best management practices.

Results and Impact

Significant impacts of the program include:

  • Of the 1,546 landowners who attended the 16 county workshops, 60 to 70 percent were "new" clients who had never attended Extension meetings.
  • An average of 85 percent of participants said they expected the workshop to help them financially.
  • Based on participant responses, the economic impact of the overall program was more than $9.75 million, or an average of $6,300 per participant.
  • More than 95 percent of participants said they planned to use a professional forester in their operations, compared to 33 percent before the program.
  • In some counties, up to 30 participants joined their county forestry association following the workshop.

Summary

An important result of the Mississippi Underserved Forestry Landowner Program is that these forestry landowners now know who to look to for educational help. Perhaps most important, the program shows that targeted programs can help citizens move from a position of underserved to served.

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