NC SARE Outstanding Sustainable Agriculture Extension Educator of the Year: Larry Kent from Onslow County Cooperative Extension (Jacksonville, NC)
Larry Kent was awarded the 2012 NC SARE Outstanding Sustainable Agriculture Extension Educator by Dr. Steve Washburn, NC SARE State Coordinator from NCSU at the 2012 Carolina Farm Stewardship’s Sustainable Agriculture Conference. Larry was chosen to receive this award by previous recipients of this award in recognition of his work on the Horticulture Entrepreneur Leadership Project (HELP). This successful 16-week class, presented by the NC Cooperative Extension and Onslow County Farmers’ Market, has already graduated 31 participants. The goal of HELP is to increase the number of full time produce vendors at Onslow County Farmers’ Market, provide fruit and vegetable production education for eastern NC, and strengthen the local food and farming systems in this region. In addition to this successful program, Larry has championed the Growing Minds Farm-to-School project and educated over 1,200 students about food and farming. Larry is also active on the county’s Incubator Farm and is a dedicated Farmers’ Market and Local Food Coordinator for Onslow County.
-Amy Armbruster, CFSA Communications Coordinator
What is Sustainable Agriculture?
Subtitle B of Title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990...
...authorized the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) as a replacement for LISA. The legislation includes Chapters on Best Utilization of Biological Applications, Integrated Management Systems, and Technology Development and Transfer. The Program was funded in FY91 and 92 at $6,725,000. In addition, Congress defined Sustainable Agriculture "as an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site specific application that will, over the long-term: satisfy human food and fiber needs; enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture economy depends; make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; sustain the economic viability of farm/ranch operations; and enhance the quality of life for farmers/ ranchers and society as a whole" (Title XVI, Subtitle A, Section 1603).