2009 AIAEE Proceedings of the 25 th Annual Meeting, InterContinental San Juan Resort, Puerto Rico 67 Understanding Hispanic Farmers and Their Educational Needs: A Case of Southwestern Michigan Bernardo Lopez Ariza, Ph.D. Professor Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, México Unidad Regional Universitaria de Zonas Áridas Carretera Gómez Palacio- Cd Juárez. Domicilio Conocido Bermejillo, Durango México Codigo Postal 35230 Telephone and Fax (01872)7760043 Email: lopezari@msu.edu Murari Suvedi, Ph.D. Professor Michigan State University Abstract The growth of the Hispanic population in farming and food systems presents new opportunities as well as challenges for agricultural service agencies. This study was conducted in four counties of southwestern Michigan to serve as baseline information when assisting small, minority and disadvantaged farmers. This paper is based on survey data collected through personal interviews with 82 farmers. Findings show that Hispanic farmers manage mainly blueberry farms using family labor and rely on past experience to operate their farms. Hispanic farmers are not a homogeneous group and one extension or education model may not be useful for all the Hispanic farmers. Educational programs focusing on farm management, state and federal regulations, and methods to access help from farm services agencies during the first years of farm ownership are needed. The methods used to disseminate agricultural information and education must be sensitive to Hispanic farmers’ characteristics, and could include multimedia such as DVDs, CDs, or MP3 audio. Key Words: Hispanic farmers, Needs assessments