Project Overview
Annual Reports
Information Products
Commodities
Practices
- Animal Production: watering systems
- Crop Production: irrigation
- Education and Training: demonstration, workshop, technical assistance
- Energy: solar energy
Proposal abstract:
Multiple professional development renewable energy workshops presenting solar energy principles and applications to agriculture will be conducted throughout the state of Arizona targeting extension educators in each of the 15 counties and five federally recognized tribal extension program (FRTEP) offices. A solar energy needs assessment of Arizona extension educators was conducted to determine interest in knowledge and skill acquisition about solar energy, identifying specific solar energy topics, time of year for workshops, optimum location for workshops, and value of tools and materials for conducting solar energy-related demonstrations for farmers, ranchers, and youth groups. The goal of each workshop is to have participants leave with multiple teaching tools including a portable pv-powered livestock watering pumping demonstration system. During year one of the proposal, tools and materials will be acquired and twenty portable stands fabricated for mounting the 95-watt solar module, solar disconnect, and pump controllers. Workshops will be scheduled and conducted for extension educators serving each of the five Indian Reservations: Colorado River Indian Tribes, Hopi Tribes, Hualapi Nation, Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, and San Carlos Apache. During years two and three, six to seven regional workshops will be scheduled and conducted for extension educators. Evaluation will be conducted using pre and post solar energy knowledge assessments, number of counties, and FRTEP offices with representation at workshops. Participating educators will be surveyed to determine the value of the solar energy demonstration materials and frequency of use in providing farmers, ranchers, and youth groups with information about solar energy applications in agriculture.
Project objectives from proposal:
During year one of the project (August 1, 2014 - September 30, 2015), the activities of our project are:
- Acquire and prepare the necessary materials to conduct a workshop at the University of Arizona Campus Agricultural Center in Tucson for Pima County Cooperative Extension personnel, and neighboring extension people from Cochise, Pinal, and Santa Cruz Counties.
- Prepare and construct solar stands for five (5) PV-powered livstock demonstration watering systems, and five (5) pump in a bucket teaching systems with measuring tools
- Prepare for a professional development program workshop for extension educators to be conducted at UA Campus Agricultural Center during year one of grant project
- Advertise date of workshop in Tucson at UA Campus Agricultural Center by email to individual county personnel, and submitting information to statewide newsletter
- Register workshop attendees and send pre-workshop assessment instrument
- Conduct first workshop in spring or summer 2015 based on feedback from county extension personnel in Pima County and neighboring counties.
- Conduct post solar knowledge and skills assessment of workshop participants
- Schedule and deliver PV-powered livestock watering demonstration systems to county centers.
- Based on feedback from first workshop in Tucson, revise workshop presentation and format based on analysis of workshop participant comments.
- Prepare and submit End of Year Progress Report to SARE reportingsystem.
During year two of the project (August 1, 2015 - September 30, 2016), the activities of our project are:
- Schedule dates for four regional workshops around State of Arizona during year two. Potential workshop sites include Maricopa Ag Center, Flagstaff, Prescott, and Kayenta.
- Communicate and identify workshop attendees, send pre-worskhop assessment survey.
- Acquire and prepare materials for multiuple regional workshops.
- Travel and conduct regional workshops.
- Analyze workshop pre and post solar knowledge assessments, and workshop evaluations.
- Schedule and deliver PV-powered livestock watering demonstration systems to county centers.
- Prepare and submit a research poster or presentation paper to a national agriculture research conference such as NACTA or AAAE to share progress of SARE project activities.
- Attend national conference to present Western SARE project.
- Deliver PV demonstration systems to county extension centers participating in regional workshops.
- Prepare and submit end of year annual report.
During year three of the project (August 1, 2016 - September 30, 2017), the activities of our project are:
- Schedule dates for two to three regional workshops around State of Arizona during year three. Potential workshop sites include Safford, and Yuma. Another presentation may occur in Tucson again or at another previous site if there attendees that express interest and were not able to attend during the Year One or Year Two workshop schedule.
- Communicate and identify workshop attendees, send pre-worskhop assessment survey.
- Acquire and prepare materials for multiuple regional workshops.
- Travel and conduct regional workshops.
- Analyze workshop pre and post solar knowledge assessments, and workshop evaluations.
- Schedule and deliver PV-powered livestock watering demonstration systems to county centers.
- Contact workshop participants three to six months following the workshop to determine the frequency of use of tools and materials in their extension activities.
- Prepare and submit end of year annual report, and Final Project Report.
During our three-year professional development program, our objectives include:
- Impact attitude, behaviors, and knowledge of county extension educators and federally recognized tribal extension program (FRTEP) educator participants in Arizona toward the use of solar energy instruction in their local county/service areas;
- Plan, schedule, and conduct seven regional workshops around the state of Arizona for extension educators and federally recognized tribal extension program (FRTEP) participants to attend to acquire knowledge and skills in solar energy education topics;
- Encourage an ideal workshop attendee to facilitator ratio of three or four (per county representatives or FRTEP) to one (3-4:1) to promote greater opportunities for hands-on instruction, and provide individual attention in the assembly and operation of solar-powered demonstration systems;
- Target a mimum of 25 extension educators to participate in face-to-face training by offering multiple opportunities to attend and participate in a regional workshop;
- Provide solar energy teaching tools and materials for construction and assembly of 20 complete multiple PV-powered demonstration systems, one compelte system for each participating county service area and FRTEP service area, and
- Determine the usefulness of teaching tools and materials through the use of post-workshop follow-up contact with each workshop participant.
