AgFTAP
Contact AgFTAP: 1-888-200-6013
The Agricultural Finance, Tax and Asset Protection (AgFTAP) education program seeks to enhance farmer and rancher ability to understand and navigate the farm business tax and asset protection decisions for their operations, as well as the important relationships between federal income taxes and USDA farm programs. This mission, supported by USDA, is carried out through an online portal of educational trainings and resources.
Trainings focus on ag tax issues such as filing complete and accurate tax returns; business planning strategies; and asset protection such as managing future tax liabilities associated with debt-financed construction and loan servicing assistance.
AgFTAP leverages partnerships with 1862, 1890 and Hispanic Serving Land-Grant institutions to manage a national network of educators seeking to educate farmers and ranchers across the country. Program seeks to identify a program contact in every state and territory of U.S. To learn more visit the AgFTAP portal.
Staff
Program Manager
Celise Weems
Program Manager Celise Weems Weems is an experienced agricultural professional driven to help farmers and ranchers enhance their business operations. She promotes the Center's resources and stakeholder engagement activities across the region. She holds a Master of Agricultural Economics from the University of Arkansas and an MBA from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is also certified in Mental Health First Aid.
cweems@uada.edu(501) 671-2344
Project Director
Dr. Allison Vetter
Allison serves as the Project Director for AgFTAP. Allison is an alumna of Doane University in Crete, Nebraska and received her master’s degree and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Allison was raised on one of the first certified organic farms in the Midwest and continues to take an interest in its operations.
avetter@uada.edu
Regional Coordinator
E’licia L. Chaverest
E’licia L. Chaverest, has over 20 years of experience educating and empowering small, limited resource socially disadvantaged farmers located throughout the states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Her professional interests are in public policy, new and emerging government programs/services, access to capital and funding opportunities, and managing agricultural risk management for small minority business/agribusiness. One of her many accomplishments was in 2019, when she was appointed by the USDA Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue for the New and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Advisory Committee (2019-2022 term and 2024-2026). She holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from Alabama A&M University, respectively (2001) and (2003).
Program Specialist
Brittany Gabriel
Community Engagement
A passionate Program Specialist for the AgFTAP program at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. As the primary contact of this program, Brittany provides guidance, resources, and assistance to help farmers and ranchers thrive in the agricultural industry.
Cultural Liaison
Giselle Alfaro
With over a decade of experience as a language specialist, Alfaro focuses on Spanish interpretation and translation. As a cultural liaison for AgFTAP, she ensures our resources are relevant and culturally appropriate for the Hispanic community. She encourages and empowers members of the Hispanic community to become active participants in the educational activities and programs offered by AgFTAP. She holds a B.S. degree in Finance and Economics from the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark.