Post program phone surveys and farm visits to Marion county producers attending the institute revealed that all 28 were very satisfied with the program and 21 planned to make at least one practice change as a direct result of this program. Additionally, all 28 planned to attend the year 2000 Institute. 109 attended the Marion County Extension Services Food Handlers Training for Certification. 683 contacts were reached to encourage participation in the SHIP program. There have still been no defaults since the program began in 1992.
Local support continues to grow bringing on new instructors, new banks, and additional supporters.
We currently maintain funds with the local Chamber of Commerce for those items not covered by grant monies and monies taken in from tuition charges. This program is paying its own way thanks to the local support, which continues to grow. Success Stories Commercial producers are concerned that the general public, now several generations removed from the farm, has little understanding of the struggles in food production. This concerns growers because an uninformed public results in apathy in legislative issues that can bring passage of laws which further hinder agricultural production. One strategy for creating public interest is to get members of the general public on farms and have them dialogue directly with producers.