For Immigrant Farmers

A 15-18 unit certificate is being developed to give students a concentrated focus in Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching.

Two Certificate Options are Available:

1. Students enrolled at either Washington State University or University of Idaho may sign up for classes through the regular channels and are eligible to receive the Certificate of Completion in Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching.

2. Community members, not enrolled in a degree program, can sign up for Continuing Education Units. These students are eligible to receive the Certificate of Proficiency in Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching.

Continuing Education Students have fewer class assignments, but course requirements and options are the same for either certificate.

		PROGRAM QUICK LINKS __________________ Cultivating Success™ Courses Starting Soon in ID Cultivating Success™ Courses Starting Soon in WA How to Enroll in a Course How to Offer a Course Course Descriptions Internship/ Mentorship Program Featured Farmer Mentors: Tom and Cheryl Kammerzell of Maple K Farms Earn a Certificate in Cultivating Success™ WA State Programs for Latino & Hmong Farmers _________________

About	WA State Programs for Immigrant Farmers
	Results from the 2002 Census of Agriculture show that immigrants are the fastest growing demographic sector of U.S. farmers. While many other segments of agriculture were declining, between 1997 and 2002, the proportion of U.S. farms reporting “Spanish, Hispanic or Latino” principal operators grew from 1.51 percent to 2.37 percent. In Washington, Spanish, Hispanic and Latino principal operators now comprise 3.08 percent of Washington farms, up from 2.4 percent in 1997. Washington also has growing numbers of Hmong farmers. Although none of these farms were counted in the last Census of Agriculture, the WSU Small Farms Program has identified 99 Hmong families farming in King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties. Increasing numbers of Sumatran and Ethiopian farmers are also making Washington their home. Immigrant farmers live in diverse areas of the state and produce a wide array of crops for sale in direct and wholesale markets. While many immigrants are highly skilled in agriculture and are passionate about farming, they often have limited access to basic resources such as land, water, and farm financing. Finding ways to support this new generation of aspiring farmers will be critical to preserving the future vitality of Washington’s agriculture and rural communities. --From the Washington State University Small Farms Team Website, 2006 For more information on Cultivating Success™ courses and other programs for immigrant farmers, visit http://smallfarms.wsu.edu/immigrant_farmers.php
About the Cultivating Success™ Certificate A 15-18 unit certificate is being developed to give students a concentrated focus in Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching. Two Certificate Options are Available: 1. Students enrolled at either Washington State University or University of Idaho may sign up for classes through the regular channels and are eligible to receive the Certificate of Completion in Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching. 2. Community members, not enrolled in a degree program, can sign up for Continuing Education Units. These students are eligible to receive the Certificate of Proficiency in Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching. Continuing Education Students have fewer class assignments, but course requirements and options are the same for either certificate.