Often professional development programs for agricultural service providers focus on offering opportunities to build specific knowledge and skills that can be utilized to better serve farmer audiences. This project, however, recognizes that in this era of mass information sharing, knowledge and resources are often abundantly available, but spaces where agricultural providers can draw out and employ their inner resources – their sources of joy, gifts, strengths and rich identities -- are often lacking.
Cornell University's state SARE coordinator is leading this three-year project that is engaging 20 New York agricultural service providers annually to build a community of practice aimed at strengthening service providers' sense of purpose and nourishing their inner resources so they can better serve their farmer audiences. Through retreats and peer learning circles, providers will develop and shape professional learning plans that will enrich their ability to serve farmers.
Want more information? See the related SARE grant: