2007 Professional Development Projects

ES06-087 Kentucky Sheep and Goat Herder Curriculum – Phase I, $90,000

Kentucky is experiencing explosive growth in the meat goat industry, and significant growth in the sheep industry. Producers need objective, research-based information to ensure sustainability of their enterprises. There are few extension personnel in the state with full-time meat goat responsibilities, and none working with sheep.

This project creates a collaborative effort among UK, KSU, farmers, and producer associations to expand the state's outreach capabilities. We will develop modules for a web-based and field-deliverable Kentucky Sheep and Goat Herder (KSGH) curriculum. Updatable curriculum modules will address Kentucky-specific production and marketing issues. The project team will train extension agents, small farm assistants, and farmer-instructors to deliver KSGH locally, through a web-based Facilitators' Guide and in-service trainings.

Producer participation in Kentucky Sheep and Goat Summits, advisory panel membership, service as farmer-instructors, or attendance at two pilot KSGH offerings involve end-users in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the project.

Goals include:
-increased knowledge base of trainees
-development of skills, confidence, and competence to teach KSGH
-adoption of best management practices in Kentucky sheep and meat goat operations
-improved public perception of the industries
-increased capacity of associations to assist their industry
-expanded capacity of state sheep and goat outreach efforts

Pre-/post-training surveys will be used to measure progress. Follow-up surveys will document actual producer practice changes. Tracking of web-based course participation and test scores will indicate capacity building among producers and other agricultural professionals. The ability of associations to secure funding for KSGH continuation will measure capacity building within those groups.

What the reviewers had to say:

• Methods are clearly presented
• Timeline is reasonable for scope of work
• Balanced collaboration between the two universities

Jimmy Henning
University of Kentucky
N-122 Ag Science Bldg. N
Lexington , KY 40546-0091
Ph: 859-257-1846
Em: jimmy_henning@uky.edu

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ES06-088Building Organic Agriculture Extension Training Capacity in the Southeast, $195,000

The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension System, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Clemson University, North Carolina State University, Auburn University, Alabama A&M, Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, have teamed up to train and educate Cooperative Extension System personnel and other agricultural professionals in their corresponding states on the philosophy, certification, production methods and economics of organic agriculture systems. Through state trainings in Year One and in-depth region-wide trainings in Year Two, participants' knowledge, confidence and technical skills of organic agriculture will be improved and enhanced. These trainings will give participants the skills and resources to conduct future organic workshops and enable them to assist new and transitioning organic farmers. Teaching modules and supplemental resources developed and adapted for this project will be available on a project website for participants and educators throughout the SSARE regions to utilize for conducting future organic trainings and addressing common organic present and changing production issues.

Public awareness and interest in organic foods has increased at a rate of more than 20% per year for more than ten years. U.S. farmers have responded to the public demand for organic products by increasing acreage in organic production from a million acres in 1990, when the Organic Food Production Act was written, to over four million acres in 2005 (1). However, the growth in organic production is not equally distributed throughout the U.S. The southern region of the U.S. lags in the number of certified operations; 9 of 15 states with the lowest number of certified operations are in the South. Although southern farmers face extra production pressures from mild winters, hot humid summers and a long growing season, Land-Grant Universities and Cooperative Extension systems in the South have been slow to incorporate organic research and information into their educational systems. As a result, agriculture professionals, including Extension personnel currently have limited ability to support new and transitioning organic farmers because they lack the knowledge and resource base for organic agriculture. Stakeholders have indicated that a major obstacle to the adoption of organic practices is the lack of information and research being generated and dissipated by the Land Grant University Systems. For example, in Arkansas it was noted by focus groups that the UACES did not have educational programs or informational materials that targeted organic production systems and that, often, conflicting responses are given regarding organic and sustainable farming practices (2). Consequently, many new farmers, small producers and direct market producers who want to participate in organic production or use organic methods but choose not to undergo certification, have rarely utilized Extension or other traditional farm agencies for information or advice on organic production systems. Therefore, there is an increasing need to equip educators in the Land Grant University System with the necessary experience and skills to educate and mentor beginning organic farmers and conventional farmers who plan a transition to organic production and enable them to adapt to a changing organic marketplace.

Some states have responded to this need by providing training support to agents, agricultural enterprises, and farmers and developing partnerships with organic networking groups that support organic agriculture. For example, South Carolina extension agents and other agriculture professionals are now much better prepared to assist clients with information related to organic production and certification through participation in the SSARE Model State Program and have provided regularly scheduled training for agriculture professionals in sustainable/organic farming practices. Because of these efforts, South Carolina has seen an increase in the numbers of landowners who are interested in starting organic farming enterprises. These include people with conventional farming operations, and also people with land who want to begin a sustainable/organic farming operation not only to generate income, but also to improve the land and protect it from development (Zehnder, personal communication ). However, other states such as Arkansas have provided few training opportunities to prepare agents to guide existing or future organic farmers. A 2006 survey of UACES personnel to identify and develop support needs for sustainable and organic agriculture indicated: 1) a strong need for organic in-service training, 2) inadequate current resources to support organic consultation, and 3) limited knowledge about the National Organic Program and organic weed, nutrient and pest management practices by Extension personnel (3).

Misconceptions concerning the feasibility of organic production systems still exist among Extension personnel even among states with strong organic agriculture education programs such as North and South Carolina ( Davis , personal communication ). Continuing trainings are needed for new Extension personnel and farmers to reinforce and re-learn organic principles, create greater awareness among agricultural professionals of the opportunities available to small and midsize organic growers, and to increase the professional level of support for these growers (including young and minority farmers) who are in position to supply the growing demand for organic products in South.

The proposed two year collaborative, multi-state, educational project between UACES, UAPB, Auburn University, AAMU, Clemson University, NC State University, sustainable agriculture groups, and farmers seeks to overcome this information and training gap by working together to provide science-based and best practice information and training on organic agriculture to extension agents and farmers. The overall goal is to generate a greater knowledge base and resources in the region to which agriculture educators and industry related professionals can turn to for information and decision-making when advising growers interested in organic production systems.

T ogether, the collaborating institutions will develop comprehensive core curricula for project participants and for future use by states in the SSARE region and throughout the U.S. We will be able to include a comprehensive curriculum of key topics related to successful organic production, marketing and economics. Educational materials generated through this project will be posted on the web as modules for anyone interested in conducting training for their own organization or learning about principles of organic agriculture as they apply to the Southeastern U.S. This website will be hosted and maintained by the UA Horticulture Department. Following the development of these educational materials, training of extension professionals will begin.

Year-One training will be tailored to meet the specific needs of the individual states. Each state will develop their own educational objectives and methods of instruction based on stakeholder input and knowledge need assessments of the participants in the state. The education process will utilize various means of program dissemination, such as in-service training workshops involving case studies, on-farm tours, science-based literature reviews, etc. Educational materials for these training sessions will be selected from the core curricula materials developed by the project collaborators and instruction will be conducted by organic and ecosystem based producers, representatives of organic support systems, and project leaders. The farm tours will serve a dual purpose: Participants will have an opportunity to see organic curricula principles at work and to develop a networking system with these farmers who can serve as models and mentors for participates. Year Two will be dedicated to advance training of Year-One participants. Training will involve on-farm, experiential learning and will take place on selected farms located in North and South Carolina . Training curricula will be developed by consensus of the project cooperators and based on feedback from participants in Year-One training. This on-site training will be led by farmers with assistance by subject matter experts as needed. Subject matter experts will be drawn from a pool of organic farming specialists and farmers who routinely participate in workshops and other educational events in the region. The long term goal of this project is to implement and enhance organic/sustainable horticulture practices on small farms in the SSARE region through education and training of educators in the Extension system.

IWhat the reviewers had to say:

• Project coordinators have extensive experience with the USDA organic standards and with leading multistate projects
• Multi-state leadership and input from five states with participation allowed from surrounding states will insure a broad involvement
• Project leaders have expertise in everything from pest management to poultry litter to starting farmers markets so that their combined experiences touch on all aspects of farming that need to be considered when transitioniing to organic
• Use of farm tours in conjunction with class room study
• Course will serve extension personnel who work with all kinds of producers interested in some phase of organics, not just the ones who want to become certified organic.

Elena Garcia
Extension Tree Fruit Specialist
University of Arkansas CES
Dept of Horticulture
316 Plant Sciences Bldg.
Fayetteville , AR 72701
Ph: 479-575-8619
Em: megarcia@uark.edu

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