Community Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture Program

The Missouri statewide strategic plan for extension programs in sustainable agriculture, titled, SUSTAINING PEOPLE THROUGH AGRICULTURE, was developed in 1995. A diverse group of 43 extension constituents and extension educators developed the plans, with input from 146 additional people solicited through 8 regional listening sessions held around the state of Missouri. A summary of the plan follows:

Program Goal: To sustain a desirable quality of life for people through agricultural systems that are ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially responsible

Overall Objective: To help Missouri's farm families and rural residents sustain successful farms and rural communities through use of information and knowledge

Specific Objectives:

• To sustain profitable farming operations by relying more on productivity of the people who farm and less on purchased inputs and industrial farming methods
• To sustain family farms, independent food producers, and viable rural communities as essential elements of a socially responsible agriculture
• To sustain, conserve, and protect the productivity and quality of soil, water, and other natural resources upon which long run agricultural productivity depends
• To sustain local and regional food systems that are ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially responsible

The statewide strategic plan was used in recruiting approximately 50 University Extension workers, including 20 Small Farm Family Program agents, to join the Sustainable Agriculture Work Group (SAWG). These workers have made commitments to providing leadership and support for programs identified in the Missouri Strategic Plan for Sustainable Agriculture.