Meeting & Agendas

Everyone introduced themselves. Savannah leading the greeting and intros. Turning a new leaf for the upcoming year and introduced Andrea and Matthew (new staff). Requested to gather information for committee members. Matthew introduced himself as Farm Manger since February 2022. Looking forward to sharing goals, working and collaborating with the committee.

Main objective is to provide updates today about the farm, farm goals, and community collaborations. Considering adding new committee membership and focusing more on the industry of farming. Update on the hiring, graduates, enrollment. Sue will discuss open communication. Who wants to be more involved? What is the committee’s involvement and what the expectations are? Matthew and Savannah will discuss farm goals, get input on the sustainable and upgrades for applied science. Sue -setting the next meeting is going to be important so speak up if you need to leave early.

Main updates - STARTEC Grant – was received early January. First student has enrolled in South Texas Agri Roadmap for Teach UT Rio Grand Valley – Dr. Salas is the main contact at South Texas College, Texas State Univ, want to assist underserved communities. Anyone is eligible but want to start with underserved community because that’s who the funds are for. Creating relationships with high schools who are coming into the community college. Want them to have an option to transfer into the above-mentioned universities. Goals & Outcomes: Increase the number of FANR Strengthening curricula Providing increased experiential learning ops in classroom Improving integrations and promotions of agricultural careers in high schools Total amount is 20K. Who is the main contact? End date? Looking for an extension on the next grant. Are the kids in the program now? A hard program to recruit for and first applicant applied yesterday and will meet with this student soon. Hopeful to add another in the fall. That is the goal. Is it a finite grant? Yes, it is a finite grant. A huge accomplishment to get done and will work with UTRD to make this successful. Sue – before covid the mapping of sustainable road map to there is a contact. There are some people that can be connected to savannah for more information to collaborate. OiA Grant + Scholarships – to provide scholarship opportunities This grant is 90k in scholarship funds and it was already in place before Savannah came on board. These funds were reallocated to the … 31k is the goal to distribute next fiscal year. Fund about 6 students 23-24 is to fund 7 students. Was not able to do this during the pandemic but the goal is being set and just waiting on the approval to move forward with this extension. Will keep you updated about everything. Trying to keep the books to a minimum and would love to offer it to Elgin people. Will have Kathleen send out scholarship announcements. ACC students is new to this and they just have to sign up for the sustainable program. Graduates + Enrollment – fall 2021 5 graduates 2-ag 3-assoc degree completed. Spring 2022, 5-graduates; now up to 10 students who graduated totally. The fall was the first time there could have been graduates but covid altered that. Displayed the ACC enrollment numbers for a visual. Hopeful the program will continue to grow. Students are having a hard time finishing classes coming back from the pandemic. Students are taking breaks and this could be the reason for the lower number of graduates. Does ACC HLC have child care? They offer it at Eastview and there is a wait list for staff. Want to discuss hybrid classes; talk about transportation; ACC not ready to have classes at other campuses but it is in talks. Hiring has increased: Matthew & Andrea hired. (Great team growth). Another job announcement for a lab assistant. Current lab assistant will be resigning and the job requisition is currently being created and should be going out this week. Will share so you can share with your connects. This person will be under Matthew and will be responsible for purchasing. The additional faculty is being sought out and waiting for HR to move forward. This person will teach 15 hours in sustainable agriculture. Will help to build in the farm and in Elgin.

Adding members and improving committee communications - Sue 4:30-4:45 How can more members be brought on? Have more advisory meetings. Pati – forwarded some names and she has more time to assist with interviews. Two names were put forward: Matt Simon & David Barrow. Becky Hume is a person of interest to have on board. Sue – (via chat) – want to hire more racial cultural diversity. Sue – no meeting needed; just write it down on a one-pager. Remind the committee of what is expected and having more farmers involved. Mentioned to have more racial cultural diversity. Rob – missed some meetings last week but was aware that this was a key piece on what is a requirement and want to know … The initial meetings were related to getting the accreditation for these programs. Now the goal is to continue revisiting course and seeing if the needs are still being met in the industry. It can be a challenge getting into the business. Sue – Sue, Pati, and Savannah can get together to discuss the August agenda. Making a two-year plan. Interested in the non-credit courses. None credit classes are not under Savannah and an adjunct is the sustainable agriculture professor; she is a part-time person and hard to get on the same page to discuss this matter. Sue – internship updates… have Matthew to think in advance about what is needed. Is this group necessary any longer? Been doing this for three years… are we on target? Since we have not met ½ of the goals, is it necessary? Savannah explained that ACC requires departments to have advisory meetings. Set meeting next week; Roy is it okay to Rob that Sue, Savannah, and Pati meet. Savannah will get a one-pager together for the meeting. Sue – Rob is interested and wants to value his time but doesn’t want to stop participating Sue – give more heads up of a notice. James from USDA – is probably a good fit. Hilary will remain involved during this time of finding assistance. James can be passed the baton and move forward came out to talk to both Matthew and Savannah and it went very well. Looking forward to working with him. Make an industry contact – Andrea & Savannah

Matthew has been getting the market garden up and running again. The mini high tunnel has been planted, spring things have been planted and they are pivoting more during the hot temperatures. Preparing for planting for the fall. The goal is to have the market garden successful year-round. Want students to be an ambassador. Want them to learn to run their own farm and farmers market. Yesterday they started with the collaboration with the culinary arts program. Their restaurant will open in the fall. Encouraging them to farm with the locals. Bounced to our back field and ordered placement … Restore areas that had been neglected (berries, grapevines) put more sustainable things out there for usage. Putting down mulch has been a project. Getting the master bee keeper out to help get things back on track. Hopes for a retention pond. Having an incubator to help students figure out what helps students move towards having their own farms. Looking forward to collaborating with the horticultural farm. Rob traded Matthew a bag of feed for corn. Rob is extremely glad to have Matthew in this position and he mentions how Savannah has been on board to get the students settled in, structured and so many other things related to growing the farm. Sue – is really thrilled to have Matthew on board and to see activity happening on campus again. Consider making sure the Elgin farmer are okay with the program. Matthew mentioned he serves on the board for the Elgin farmers and they have been in talks with this. They are being conscious and considerate on not being any competition with the Elgin farmers. Sue – would like to have a tour for families to see the farm and hopeful that the farm will be open and available. Matthew will need to confirm with ACC to see if campus is available and what protocols for COVID are in place. Ana Marie is the after school contact for this event. What does it look like for ACC to take responsibility? Savannah – updates what Matthew has been doing and glad to have him on her team. There will be red tape to renting an irrigation for the farm and there may be a good chance for it to be successful. Sue – having a million dollars to buy a farm, will never afford someone to have a farm and make it through equity. Set up IRA’s for farmers and help them to figure out how they can make the money. Commercial kitchen in building 2000 is ready to go. As the covid restrictions are lifted they will be ready to open the kitchen and move forward with getting that collaboration going.

Want everyone to look at the degree plans. Things were changed right before the pandemic. The courses in green are the agriculture classes. Is there a way where some courses can be electives? Or are they more interest in livestock? Small farm ranching class does not offer live stock. Want to add more to the ACC catalog. Find people to teach them. Have the discussion on how to move in the direction to incorporate Biology, Chemistry, etc. those courses that will help the program. Any thoughts? Sue – focus more on Soil health & biology Hilary – do better; agrees with Sue A student at Texas state is farming and – higher education What basic classes do the need? English? Chemistry? Talk about soil health in every class. Course curriculum is something that needs to be discussed.

Next meeting: Tuesday’s 3-4:30 was suggested by Sue and Pati (8/22 first day back is Aug 23rd) Aug 16th is a good day for 3-4:30pm. – NEXT MEETING Agenda, zoom link, the entire package would be good when sending out the next communication for the next meeting. Date next week for Savannah, meet in afternoon or morning Thursday the 23rd works. In-person meeting at 1-2:30pm. Savannah will send out the invite.

Meeting adjourned at 5:21pm