Brooksville Agricultural Environmental Research Station (BAERS)

About BAERS

The FAMU-CAFS Brooksville Agricultural and Environmental Research Station (BAERS) is located in Brooksville, Hernando County, Florida. BAERS' 3,800 acres is inhabited by many species of wildlife and plant life that are captivating and a true picture of natural art to watch. At the time of transfer of the land to FAMU from the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) in 2015 the goals listed by CAFS for the Brooksville site were:

1. To conduct agricultural and natural resource research that will benefit the nation, state and local communities;

2. Develop and implement the beginning rancher and farmer programs, and outreach projects;

3. Develop and implement socio-economic projects that will enable the Brooksville site to be economically viable and self-sustaining;

4. Develop youth development and experiential learning and training opportunities for students at all grade levels;

5. Develop and showcase demonstrations designed for various alternative agricultural enterprises from current and future areas in the college; and

6. Engage faculty from FAMU and other universities to participate in the Brooksville project.

There is also the recognition that because Brooksville is located in a subtropical region, we anticipate BAERS will expand into new research related to subtropical fruits and animals and conduct research of significance to Central and South America, and the Caribbean. The establishment of an International Goat Center further strengthens the importance of BAERS in this region. Furthermore, as part of its strategic planning initiatives BAERS anticipates “a. to create a land-based economic opportunities that will enable the Brooksville /Hernando areas to be economically viable and self-sustaining; b. to develop smart and sustainable agriculture demonstration where best management practices combine with next generation technologies to optimize yield and economic value in the face of environmental variabilities; c. to develop innovative solutions to the world’s food production, food safety, and food security problems; and d. to provide interdisciplinary demonstrations of various alternative agricultural enterprises for FAMU schools and colleges through remote linear and experiential learning to students and the public."

The Mission: Helping Black Farmers Help the Land

FAMU-BAERS is partnering with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to improve the health of our Nation’s natural resources while encouraging the use of best management practices to improve the productivity of American agriculture for the underserved, socially disadvantaged Black farmer community. Our goal is to achieve this by providing volunteer participants an introduction to the technical and financial assistance available via the federal Farm Bill programs. This will be accomplished by reassuring strong partnerships with private landowners and managers in the underserved communities to conserve, protect, restore, and enhance the lands and waters upon which people and the environment depend.

The Vision:

FAMU-BAERS vision is of inclusive conservation technology for all farmers; our goal is to facilitate productive and effective governmental agency collaboration on working lands in harmony with a healthy environment, training participants to be proficient in resource conservation through the Installation of best management practices in the underserved socially disadvantaged Black farmer community.

FAMU-BAERS’s innovative use of experienced, retired USDA persons (Conservation Contractor-CC and Retired Conservation Contractors-RCC) is being used in the three Southeastern states of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Our goal is to strengthen conservation planning for a more effective and efficient delivery of the technical and financial assistance of NRCS programs and services to under-served socially disadvantaged Black farmers, through The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The CCs and RCCs will work to establish effective communication that will remove historical barriers, increase the technical transfer of information, and collaborate for the common purpose of achieving a business benefit for Black Farmers.

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BAERS Goals

BAERS Strategic Planning Initiatives:

• Enhancing agricultural and natural resource research capacity that will benefit state, local, national and international communities
• Creating a system of support for new and beginning farmers and ranchers, veterans, native Americans, minorities and women
• Creating land-based economic opportunities that will enable the Brooksville/Hernando areas to be economically viable and self-sustaining
• Developing smart and sustainable agriculture demonstration where best management practices combine with next generation technologies to optimize yield and economic value in the face of environmental variabilities
• Developing innovative solutions to the world’s food production, food safety, and food security problems
• Providing interdisciplinary demonstrations of various alternative agricultural enterprises for FAMU schools and colleges
• Providing opportunities for FAMU faculty and other 1890 and 1862 university faculty to participate in the Brooksville Station that will lead to enhanced research productivity and academic excellence
• Creating international, public and private partnerships and linkages that will enhance the quality and reach of the institution.

BAERS conducts research in the areas of:

• Preservation, conservation and ecological restoration of Florida rare, threatened and endangered plant species such as the Brooksville Bellflower (Campanula robinsiae) and Cooley’s Water-Willow (Justicia cooleyi) in collaboration with Bok Tower Gardens,
• Blueberry and Muscadine grapes small fruits research in collaboration with CAFS Center for Viticulture and Small Fruits Research (CVSFR) and CAFS Center for Biological Control (CBC),
• Ecosystems Services research that encompasses Ecotourism in collaboration with Florida Forest Service, Hernando County, Hernando Audobon Society, and related neighborhood associations.
• Watershed/Wetland Ecology in relation to Lake Lindsay and Townsen Wetland in collaboration with the CAFS Center for Water Resources (CWR),
• Invasive plant species research with emphasis on Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica, L) in collaboration with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission,
• Livestock Pasture grazing systems emphasizing stocking rates of large ruminants (beef cattle) in collaboration with the Florida Black Farmers Agriculturalists Association (FBFAA) and CAFS Animal Science Program,
• Agroforestry systems and climate change through silvopasture systems with small ruminants (goats and sheep) in collaboration with CAFS Agronomy and Animal Science Programs.
• Brazil Color Cotton Breeding and Genetics research if and when funded in collaboration with CAFS Office of Research, The Leon County Office of Economic Vitality and Cotton Droplet Research Initiative (CDRI) of Brazil.

Special Projects

There are two on-going special projects at BAERS:

The FAMU Livestock and Crop Improvement Program (FLCIP).

The FAMU Livestock and Crop Improvement Program (FLCIP) is located both at the FAMU Research and Extension Center (FAMU-REC) in Quincy, Florida and at BAERS in Brooksville, Florida. The program at BAERS is leading to the acquisition of scientific knowledge that will enable the University and CAFS to assist its stakeholders – the limited resource farmers to enhance productivity and profitability of their farming operations. The program includes livestock improvement, hay production, forage systems improvement, specialized horticultural crop, and best management practices for livestock and crop production. FLCIP also includes the training of new and beginning farmers and ranchers in Florida.

Conservation Collaboration for Selected States Project: Florida, South Georgia, and South Alabama (CCSSP-FGA).

This special project is as a result of $1.15 million competitive grant award received by BAERS from the United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Services (USDA-NRCS) for attracting more minority and veteran farmers to be fully aware of programs implemented by the USDA-NRCS. Utilizing a strategic plan from the Conservation specialists as a plan of action this project will operate from the broad-base of watershed management with four primary components: 1) wildlife habitat management (WHM), 2) wetland restoration management (WRM), 3) conservation water management (CWM), and 4) conservation planning (CP). This project involving limited resources farmers in three states (Florida, Georgia, and Alabama) is quite unique.  

Participating Counties:

North Florida:           Franklin, Gadsden, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon and Madison.

South Alabama:        Dallas, Green, Lowndes, Marengo, Sumter and Wilcox.

South Georgia:          Brooks, Early, Grady, Lowndes, Mitchell and Thomas.