WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS TARGET
A B R OAD R A NG E O F US E R S
Purdue Extension is addressing workforce development in Indiana with an overriding goal to foster prosperity for individuals, communities and businesses. Extension tailors programs for different audiences across its four program areas. Resources for nontraditional agriculture Mike and Lisel Record have operated New Ground Farm, a small, USDA-certified organic vegetable farm in Bloomington, Indiana, since 2014. “Initially I thought it would be a strategic advantage for the business,” said Mike Record. “Now I feel like it’s the right way to farm.” Purdue Extension has helped the Records, who own one of only three such farms in their county, overcome some of the challenges of certified organic farming.
The Diversified Farming and Food Systems (DFFS) program offers educational curriculums supporting urban farmers, beginning farmers, community gardeners and Junior Master Gardeners. A team of Extension educators and specialists, faculty, practitioners and community partners also plan networking and professional development events like farm tours, demonstrations, and food and beverage tastings from local growers and producers. At the county and state levels, many programs are hosted in partnership with conservation partners and government agencies. A couple of years into his business, Record participated in Purdue Extension-sponsored extended field trips to southern Michigan and to New England. “I gathered a lot of ideas of new production techniques to try,” he said. Closer to home, one-day workshops and personal interactions with Extension staff “were useful for sure,” he added. Urban gardener Marissa Renz wants people to know that they don’t need to live in a rural setting to live in abundance. Her home in Fort Wayne, situated on about a third of an acre, teems with bees, hummingbirds and other avian visitors. “A lot of people think you can’t have that unless you live in the country, but a lot can be done in just a little bit of space,” she said. Renz is a garden consultant and coach who also provides design services through her company, Plant Happiness. Over the past 14 years, she has completed Purdue Extension’s Indiana Master Naturalist and Master Gardener programs, earned an Urban Agriculture Certificate, and attended multiple Extension seminars and symposiums.
Mike Record (left) at his farm and Marissa Renz (right) in her urban garden.
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