The georgia plan of work (POW) encompasses a five-year period beginning october 1, 2025

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Fort Valley State University $7.82 million on October 1, 2025, under the Extension Services at 1890 Colleges and Tuskegee University, West Virginia State College, and Central State University program (CFDA 10.512).

The funding supports agricultural and forestry extension activities delivered through a joint Georgia Plan of Work executed with the University of Georgia across a five-year period ending September 30, 2030. Fort Valley State University, a 1890 Land-Grant Institution and HBCU, leads extension programming addressing plant and animal production, food safety and quality, health and wellness, sustainability and conservation, youth and family development, urban agriculture, and emerging agricultural technologies including AI-powered drones and autonomous tractors. The program operates annually through a multistep development model that assesses needs, identifies problems, and evaluates the impact of extension educational trainings using advisory systems at county and state levels. The funding also supports FVSU Extension's completed cold vegetable processing facility and the research meat processing facility expansion, which together address consumer demand for food safety and quality. Place of performance is Fort Valley, Georgia.

The plan addresses major agricultural issues as well as many other problems facing rural and urban areas, the environment, families and youth. Georgia's POW represents a coordinated effort between the state's 1890 and 1862 land-grant institutions, fort valley state university (fvsu) and university of georgia (UGA), thus presenting one joint POW and annual report to USDA. The joint POW includes core programs and targeted issues such as plant and animal production, community/home and life skills, food safety and quality, health and wellness, sustainability/conservation and the environment, youth and family development, urban agriculture, and emerging issues (i.e. AI-powered drones and autonomous tractors in agriculture). USDA funds for these core programs support state-level core and targeted issues facing georgia citizens. The georgia program development is a multistep process that is operational annually. The model includes a method for assessing needs and identifying problems. IT also includes program evaluation to determine impacts of extension educational trainings. The model works in unison with multiple advisory systems at both county and state levels. Goals of these programs are to demonstrate short and long-term impacts. State funding such as state-match, county funding, grants and gifts leveraged as a direct result of the work in this plan aids in creating the greatest final impacts. Critical issues are related to animal production; community, home and life skills; food safety and quality; plant production; sustainability, conservation and the environment; urban agriculture; and youth and family development. USDA facility funding afforded fvsu extension the opportunity to complete its cold vegetable processing facility. This facility is a compliment to fvsu research meat processing facility (engaged in expansion) as they are used to address consumer demand for food and value-added marketing opportunities for farmers. Also, during this fiscal year, efforts to maximize return on investment via impacts, the 1890 extension region instituted a project to gather program data across the 1890 region (all 1890 land-grant universities) called common measures. The georgia POW is design to meet the emerging issues of our communities, support the s ustainability and profitability of the agriculture industry while providing educational programs for families and youth.