Progress report for ENE21-172
Project Information
Pennsylvania's agriculture has been identified as a major source of nutrients in the Chesapeake Bay. Yet basic nutrient management practices are implemented by only 55-75% of Bay’s farmers while advanced practices by a mere 10-20%. This gap reflects a crucial need and an opportunity for wider adoption of these practices.
Yet, farmer understanding of 4R nutrient stewardship practices (applying the Right nutrient source for a crop at the Right rate, Right time, and Right place) to maximize crop uptake and minimize losses to the environment varies considerably from farm to farm and region to region. Meeting farmers where they are at, providing coaching and education, that communicates a consistent message yet one that is tailored to the need of individual farms is essential to support the implementation of nutrient management practices that support individual farm sustainability and improve water quality locally and at scale.
4R Nutrient Stewardship unites various sectors by showcasing how economic and environmental interests can align for farmers. This project advanced a multi-faceted approach to educating, engaging, and supporting the implementation of 4R Nutrient Stewardship including:
- Three Webinar Series
- November 9, 2021. The first, three-part webinar series was attended by 126 individuals.
- Training #1. "Crop Planning +" by Frank Schneider, Mark Goodson, and Eric Rosenbaum
- Training #2. "The Evolution of Nitrogen Management" by Dr. Charlie White
- Training #3. "Advanced Nitrogen Management" by Eric Rosenbaum
- October 26, 2022. The second, three-part webinar series was attended by 127 individuals.
- Training #1. "Nutrient Management on Pasture" by Brian Campbell
- Training #2. "Update on the PennState Cover Crop & Soil Organic Matter Nitrogen Crediting Tool for Corn" by Dr. Charlie White
- Training #3. "Field-Level Economics Driven by Subfield Agronomy" by Tim Hushon
- October 25, 2023. The third, three-part webinar series was attended by 165 individuals.
- Training #1. "The Value of In-Field Trials – A Researcher’s Perspective" by Dr. Charles White and Dr. Paul Esker
- Training #2. "The Value of In-Field Trials – A Consulting Agronomist’s Perspective " by Eric Rosenbaum
- Training #3. “The Value of In-Field Trials – A Farmer’s Perspective – The Why of On-Farm Testing” by Dusty Keifer
- November 9, 2021. The first, three-part webinar series was attended by 126 individuals.
- A Coaching Cohort. 30 participants were engaged in a training program that provided in-person kick-off and closing meetings, three roundtable discussions, and personalized coaching.
- One Field Day. Forty-eight participants joined us at our Annual Nutrient Stewardship Field Day, co-hosted by Growmark FS and the PA 4R Alliance, for a day of hands-on learning, practical innovation, and networking as presenters shared the latest advancements in agricultural practices and environmental stewardship.
- Six Nutrient Management Conversation Guides. Six brief one-page fact sheets providing seasonally pertinent information about contemporary nutrient management issues were developed.
This project engaged 252 agricultural service providers, including district personnel from 12+ county conservation districts, trusted agribusinesses like Rosetree Consulting and TeamAg Inc., as well as National Resource Conservation Service staff. A group of 23 providers underwent a thorough training program focused on effective communication and promotion of 4R best practices. Trainings included discussions on contemporary issues, personalized coaching, and a kick-off and final workshop emphasizing benefits and overcoming adoption barriers.
To measure impact, we used surveys and individual confirmations, but initial response was poor until a $100 incentive spurred 72 conversations, impacting 58,459 acres. While we're confident more conversations occurred, expecting voluntary reporting without incentives is unrealistic. Changing attitudes takes time, requiring patience, trust-building, and tailored messaging. This initiative lays the groundwork for ongoing efforts to reshape nutrient management approaches and attitudes among Pennsylvania's agricultural service providers.
150 service providers will have targeted conversations with 1500 of their farmer clients about implementing 4R nutrient management practices on their farms totaling 150,000 acres. 30 of these service providers will receive specialized training through a one-year learning cohort and will each work with 10 farmers to develop 4R practice implementation plans, leading to 30,000 acres with additional 4R practices.
Pennsylvania agriculture remains in the spotlight as the key contributor to nutrient contributions in the Chesapeake Bay, which has led to increased recognition and interest in basic and advanced nutrient management practices as a means of achieving goals outlined as part of Pennsylvania’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for nutrient reductions. A Penn State survey indicated that 55-75% of farmers are currently implementing basic nutrient management, and only 10-20% are implementing advanced nutrient management. As these practices are necessary for the improvement of water quality and to achieve goals set forth by the state’s TMDL, these low percentages highlight the need for farmers to implement these practices.
Farmer advisers in Pennsylvania, with diverse education backgrounds, vary greatly in their level of understanding about the science behind making in-field nutrient management decisions with a concept called 4R nutrient stewardship (applying the Right nutrient source for a crop at the Right rate, Right time, and Right place to maximize crop uptake and minimize losses to the environment). As an unfortunate result of differing levels of 4R knowledge, farmers may receive conflicting advice from their nutrient management planners, crop consultants, and conservation practitioners. In order to achieve the environmental and economic outcomes provided by following 4R nutrient stewardship, the team of advisers working with farmers need to align in the practices and products that make sense for a farmer’s particular situation, which allows farmers to maintain trusted relationships with their advisers.
The 4R Nutrient Stewardship concept is embraced by the agribusiness industry, regulatory agencies, farm organizations, environmental non-profits, and academia because the concept demonstrates to farmers how economic and environmental priorities can work together, rather than conflicting. The Mid-Atlantic 4R Association aligned farm advisers around the benefits and implementation of 4R Nutrient Stewardship practices through education. This project's educational activities included the presentation of nine virtual training modules which provided holistic education on Nutrient Stewardship implementation topics to farm advisers over the course of the program. Additionally, we formed a learning cohort of farm advisers who received specialized in-person workshops, coaching, and virtual learning opportunities to apply 4Rs with their clients. Each cohort participant has committed to working with ten of their farmer-clients to advocate for the adoption of 4R Nutrient Stewardship practices. To make the largest impact on the state’s water quality improvement goals, in-person trainings were be held within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. However, in addition to in-person training, online learning modules for each topic were shared with continuing education partners throughout the state to ensure the largest reach possible for the training materials.
Cooperators
- (Educator)
Educational Approach
PA4R developed a comprehensive training program to develop farmers’ trusted advisers into 4R nutrient stewardship advocates that will utilize the knowledge and skills developed through the training program to work with farmers in implementing 4R practices. Participants gained the confidence to share the 4R concept with their clients and the knowledge of where to access additional resources for technical and financial assistance.
In order to access a broad audience from across Pennsylvania, we developed a series of 4R training modules hosted through webinar format. Topics included advanced nutrient management, precision agriculture technologies, 4R communications strategies, and tools to overcome barriers to adoption. PA4R developed six previous training modules focused on topics such as manure nitrogen loss pathways, supplemental fertilizer considerations, and low-disturbance manure injection. Three additional training modules were developed through this project. Conversation guides were developed to accompany modules to assist advisers in facilitating conversations with farmers. We coordinated with the State Conservation Commission (SCC) and other programs to ensure that participants received continuing education credits for participation. We recorded all webinars for the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s virtual Clean Water Academy and for sharing on YouTube to reach future audiences.
In conjunction with the virtual training modules, PA4R provided continuing support to advisers by establishing a training program for a smaller cohort of interested participants, called the “4waRd Thinking” learning cohort, that was recruited from participants in our webinar series. Applicants to the program completed an application form where they expressed their interest in the program and ability to work with their farmer clients on 4R planning. This cohort provided us the opportunity to provide individual guidance and coaching to participants. We hosted an in-person kick-off workshop in Winter 2022 to spend one day focused on identification of barriers to 4R practices and communications strategies to overcome those barriers. We invited speakers with expertise in these topics. Following the in-person kick-off, we hosted three virtual round-table discussions where a 4R partner covered a topic in depth and the cohort broke into small discussion groups to share questions and experiences. We hosted three of these virtual discussions. Each cohort member was expected to work with at least 10 farmer clients to plan and implement 4R practices while they are in the program. Rosetree Consulting LLC, through their engagement with PA4R, offered phone consultations and in-person visits to program participants as they work with their clients to develop customized 4R programs. The program closed with a final in-person workshop in a central location in Spring 2023, where participants shared the lessons learned from their interactions with farmers and learned about how to access technical and financial assistance in the future.
Conversation Guides developed as a tool for service providers to start discussions about 4R practices with their farmer clients:
4R Conversation Guide - August
4R Conversation Guide - January
Milestones
150 service providers will be recruited to participate in the 4R webinar series starting in Fall 2021. They will learn about the 4R webinars and training program through media articles, newsletters, social media, and word of mouth.
150
126
August 31, 2021
Completed
November 09, 2021
Advertised via Pennsylvania 4R Alliance's mailing list, the networks of its members, and its participation in the 2021 Keystone Crops & Soil Conference (10/29-30/2021 in Grantville, PA), the three virtual training modules were attended by 126 individuals.
150 participants will attend three virtual training modules in Fall 2021 to learn about how to start conversations with their farmer clients on advance nutrient management practices. These webinars will focus on the use of adaptive in-season
management of nutrients, introducing participants to tools and technologies that they can work with their clients to improve nutrient use efficiency. Surveys will be provided following the sessions and again six weeks later to assess lessons learned.
150
126
December 31, 2021
Completed
November 09, 2021
Recordings of all trainings are available on the YouTube channel of the MidAtlantic 4R Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO-hqhqyXPLsa1AzuvRFE_g). Eligible attendees received continuing education credits as Certified Nutrient Management Specialists and/or Certified Crop Advisors.
Participation in post-webinar surveys was low, with only 12 survey responses completed in total. These surveys were sent immediately after the events and asked about lessons learned. All respondents indicated high satisfaction with the webinars, and 7 of 12 indicated increased knowledge of 4R Nutrient Stewardship as a result of the trainings. Surveys of virtual attendees were revised so they require fewer open-ended answers, as these types of questions seemed to decrease the ease of participation. Surveys sent out six weeks after the events, about 4R conversations with farmers resulting from lessons learned, garnered no responses.
30 participants will be recruited in Fall 2021 to become members of the 4waRd Thinking Learning Cohort to become trained in how to work with their farmer clients to provide technical and financial assistance in implementing 4R practices. We will select thirty participants to participate in the program based on ranking to assess interest in the program and willingness to utilize lessons learned to increase 4R implementation.
30
23
January 31, 2022
Completed
February 28, 2022
An overview and application form developed to recruit participants for the learning cohort can be found at this link: Cohort Overview & Application.
By 12/23/2021, only 12 individuals applied to become members of the "4waRd Thinking" Learning Cohort. The cohort was advertised in-person at the 2021 Keystone Crops & Soil Conference (10/29-30/2021) and PennAg's Agronomic Products Council winter meeting (11/10/2021); by email to conservation district staff, agribusinesses, and attendees of this project's Fall 2021 virtual training modules; via newsletters of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Pennsylvania Certified Crop Advisors, and the Pennsylvania Soil Health Coalition; and announced during the Fall 2021 virtual training modules.
To increase enrollment, a second recruitment effort was completed via phone calls, conversations at in-person meetings, and advertising at the 2022 Pennsylvania Agronomic Education Conference (1/20-21/2022). Ultimately, the number of cohort participants reached 30; however, only 23 of them are agricultural service providers. In addition, there have been many employment changes among participants in the past year, with some cohort participants switching employers and ultimately leaving the cohort.
30 learning cohort participants will attend a kick-off workshop will be held in Winter 2022 to introduce them to the program and provide a comprehensive overview of barriers to 4R adoption and communications tools that can be used to overcome those barriers. Participants will leave the workshop with a better understanding of the challenges that they will face as they seek to advance 4Rs and the tools that PA4R Alliance can provide to overcome those barriers.
30
14
March 31, 2022
Completed
February 23, 2022
Project stakeholders planned and executed this event on 2/23/2022 at Horizon Farm Credit's Community Room in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. Without enough notice to change plans, several cohort members indicated they ultimately could not attend due to illness or their organizations’ strengthened covid safety protocols.
The agenda can be found at this link: SARE Kickoff Workshop Agenda. In addition to an overview of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship concept and its application on Pennsylvania row-crop farms by agronomist Eric Rosenbaum, the project team focused this event on how to best communicate and “sell” 4R best-practices. Sales trainer Brian Dennis of Growmark FS and social scientist Dr. Matt Houser of The Nature Conservancy addressed this focus of the agenda.
150 service providers will attend three webinars as part of a Fall 2022 Nutrient Management webinar series, open to the public, and required for Learning Cohort members.
150
127
December 31, 2022
Completed
October 26, 2022
Advertised via Pennsylvania 4R Alliance's mailing list and the networks of its members, the three virtual training modules were attended by 127 individuals.
- Training #1. "Nutrient Management on Pasture" by Brian Campbell (10/12/2022) focused on optimizing nutrient use efficiency of manure, fed-hay, and commercial fertilizer on Pennsylvania pasture.
- Training #2. "Update on the PennState Cover Crop & Soil Organic Matter Nitrogen Crediting Tool for Corn" by Dr. Charlie White (10/19/2022) focused on sharing a simple web-based tool for determining optimal nitrogen recommendations to corn, and the research behind it.
- Training #3. "Field-Level Economics Driven by Subfield Agronomy" by Tim Hushon (10/26/2022) focused on the value and possibilities of integrating variable-rate technologies in row-crop operations, and their value for improving fertilizer efficiency.
Recordings of all trainings are available on the YouTube channel of the MidAtlantic 4R Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO-hqhqyXPLsa1AzuvRFE_g). Eligible attendees received continuing education credits as Certified Nutrient Management Specialists and/or Certified Crop Advisors.
Participation in post-webinar surveys was low, with only 23 survey responses completed in total. These surveys were sent immediately after the events and asked about lessons learned. All respondents indicated high satisfaction with the webinars. Surveys sent out six weeks after the events, about 4R conversations with farmers resulting from lessons learned, garnered no responses.
30 learning cohort participants will attend three virtual round-table discussions taking place quarterly throughout 2022 and early 2023 to provide small group discussion on specific seasonally relevant 4R topics and opportunities for participants to share experiences, case studies, and ask questions. Participants will leave each round-table discussion with a better understanding of how to approach nutrient management challenges they see with their clients.
30
43
February 28, 2023
Completed
February 22, 2023
Project stakeholders planned and executed these events as a weekly series in February 2023.
- February 8th: Addressing Sulfur through Nitrogen Source Decisions with Eric Rosenbaum (Rosetree Consulting)
- February 15th: The Latest on Biological Use & Research in Pennsylvania with Dr. Charlie White (Penn State University)
- February 22nd: Enhanced Nitrogen Fertilizers & Stabilizers with Dean Collamer (Growmark FS)
30 Learning Cohort participants will participate in a closing workshop in Winter/Spring 2023 to provide next steps and coaching on advanced topics. Through the program, participants will engage with at least 10 farmers to develop 4R plans and will document implementation of 4R practices on 1000 acres each, for a total of 30,000 acres with new 4R practices. Participants will walk away from the program with confidence to influence adoption of 4R practices.
30
26
June 30, 2023
Completed
March 14, 2023
Project stakeholders planned and executed this event on March 14, 2023, at the Susquehanna River Basin Commission’s conference facilities in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The agenda can be found at this link: Closing Workshop Agenda. Based on our interactions with the cohort, we found that understanding how best to communicate the 4R Nutrient Stewardship concept and its economic impact for individual farms was most important to this group of farm-advisors. These focuses were addressed by speakers Steve Groff (Cover Crop Coaching), Dr. Kevin Curry (PennState), and Mary Lynn Marks (NRCS).
As an alternative to unrewarded self-reporting of acres that have been influenced, the project coordinator worked with the MidAtlantic 4R Association to offer a $100 gift-card incentive to each cohort participant who logged conversations with ten farmers by 3/10/2023. Incentives were distributed at the closing workshop in order to simultaneously encourage attendance at this event. Following announcement of the $100 incentive – seventy-two 4R conversations with farmers have been logged by cohort participants, influencing 58,459 acres. By the end of the project 81 farmer conversations have been logged by cohort participants influencing 70,259 acres.
150 participants in our Fall Webinar Series will be surveyed immediately following each series and again six months and twelve months after participation to document level of knowledge, skill, and awareness changes that occurred after their participation in our training series. We will seek to document the acres influenced through their discussions with farmer clients.
150
37
June 30, 2023
Completed
December 20, 2023
Participation in post-webinar surveys was low, with only 35 survey responses completed in total in 2021 and 2022. All surveys sent immediately following the events indicated high satisfaction with the webinars. To-date, surveys sent out weeks or months after the events, about 4R conversations with farmers resulting from lessons learned, garnered no responses.
This project expected to impact 150,000 total acres through improved 4R knowledge offered to webinar attendees and cohort participants. (The 150,000-acre total includes an expected 30,000 acres impacted through our in-depth 4R training of cohort participants). The $100 incentive for cohort participants who report all ten of their agreed-upon 4R conversations was a great motivator. Following the announcement of the $100 incentive – seventy-two 4R conversations with farmers were logged by cohort participants, influencing 58,459 acres.
30 learning cohort participants will receive 1:1 or 1:2 coaching throughout the 18-month duration of the program through both phone consultations and in-person visits with farmer clients by Eric Rosenbaum, PA4R Alliance Executive Director. These individual coaching opportunities will provide participants with greater confidence as they work with their farmer clients to develop plans for and implement 4R practices.
30
8
July 31, 2023
Completed
July 31, 2023
Despite reminding cohort participants of the opportunity for personal coaching in-person at cohort field days, by postcard, phone, and email, only eight met with Eric Rosenbaum for personal coaching in Fall 2022 and none have made use of phone consultations. An easy-to-use online scheduling form was created for the purpose and Mr. Rosenbaum offered opportunities on multiple days in counties across the project's geography.
150 service providers will attend three webinars as part of a Fall 2023 Nutrient Management webinar series, open to the public.
150
1
164
December 31, 2023
Completed
October 27, 2023
As a way to make effective use of additional funds, The Nature Conservancy expanded its subcontract with the MidAtlantic 4R Association to host an additional 3-part, weekly, fall webinar series to replicate the success of our previous two annual series.
Advertised via Pennsylvania 4R Alliance's mailing list and the networks of its members, the three virtual training modules were attended by ~165 individuals (some of the attendees joined more than one webinar)
- Training #1. "The Value of In-Field Trials – A Researcher’s Perspective" by Charles White and Dr. Paul Esker (October 11th, 2023) who shared their experiences advancing research-based field trials while identifying opportunities for future collaboration.
- Training #2. "The Value of In-Field Trials – A Consulting Agronomist’s Perspective " by Eric Rosenbaum (October 18th, 2023) who shared his experience advancing in-field trials with farmers.
- Training #3. “The Value of In-Field Trials – A Farmer’s Perspective – The Why of On-Farm Testing” by Dusty Keifer (October 25th, 2023) who shared his experiencing advancing in-field trials on his farm. After Mr. Keifer’s presentation, a panel consisting of the speakers from prior presentations, joined the webinar for a robust Q&A session.
To increase survey response rates, participants were given five minutes at the end of the webinar to complete the survey. This eliminated the need to send a survey a post-webinar survey request that seems like an afterthought, is easier to ignore, and is more likely to get lost in the many other emails received throughout the day. In total, 55 responses were received for a 33% average response rate, however, the response rate did decrease for each subsequent weekly webinar. Per the survey responses, 100% of the respondents rated the webinars as high or very high quality. Respondents also noted the experience and diversity of speakers, the quality and clarity of presentations and materials provided, and the direct applicability of the information presented as successful elements of the webinars. In addition, 100% of the 15 respondents to the final webinar survey stated that they were “very likely” to attend future webinars and were "somewhat likely" to "very likely" to apply what they learned to their work.
Recordings of all trainings are available on the YouTube channel of the MidAtlantic 4R Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO-hqhqyXPLsa1AzuvRFE_g). Eligible attendees also received continuing education credits as Certified Nutrient Management Specialists and/or Certified Crop Advisors.
50 agricultural service providers will attend a Nutrient Management Field Day during the fall of 2023
50
48
December 31, 2023
Completed
October 05, 2023
Forty-eight participants joined us at our Annual Nutrient Stewardship Field Day, co-hosted by Growmark FS and the PA 4R Alliance, for a day of hands-on learning, practical innovation, and networking as presenters shared the latest advancements in agricultural practices and environmental stewardship.
The event was held from 9:00 to 3:00, lunch was provided, and PA Act 38 Nutrient Management CECs and CCA CEUs were available!
The morning featured engaging presentations and a dynamic panel discussion with esteemed speakers.
- Jill Whitcomb, PA Department of Environmental Protection Director, Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management. Learn about demonstrated local successes and improvements to water quality in PA's Chesapeake Bay Watershed while also exploring areas for continued improvement.
- John Clune, United States Geological Survey Ph.D. Research Hydrologist, and Gary Shenk, Chesapeake Bay Program Office Modeling Team (CBPO). Scientists from the USGS & CBPO will share updates from water quality monitoring and modelling data to provide an overview of water quality trends, needs, and opportunities in the Chesapeake Bay.
- Eric Rosenbaum, Executive Director of the PA 4R Alliance. Discover how the PA 4R Alliance works with farmers to deliver science-based systems that improve crop productivity through increased nutrient use efficiency while reducing nutrient losses to the environment.
In the afternoon, we ventured into the field to witness firsthand the results of field trials designed to test the efficacy of innovative agricultural products.
Milestone Activities and Participation Summary
Educational activities and events conducted by the project team:
Participants in the project’s educational activities:
Learning Outcomes
Of the 35 virtual training module participants who responded to surveys, 16 ranked their knowledge of 4R Nutrient Stewardship as being higher after the trainings than before. 25 of 35 included comments about the lessons they learned from the modules, especially regarding the opportunities created by new technologies (i.e. nitrogen modeling and variable-rate application) and that investments in nutrient management can be profitable. In the 2023 Fall Webinar Series, 100% of the 15 respondents to the final webinar survey stated that they were “very likely” to attend future webinars and were either "somewhat likely" or "very likely" to apply the training provide to their efforts.
Performance Target Outcomes
Performance Target Outcomes - Service Providers
Target #1
150
150 service providers will have targeted conversations with 1500 of their farmer clients about implementing 4R nutrient management practices on their farms totaling 150,000 acres.
1500
150,000 acres
11
81
70,259 acres
Target #2
30
30 service providers will receive specialized training through a one-year learning cohort and will each work with 10 farmers to develop 4R practice implementation plans, leading to 30,000 acres with additional 4R practices.
300
30,000 acres
- 81 Consultations
Through this project, we engaged 252 agricultural service providers. This included conservation district personnel from more than 12 counties who consistently provide guidance and assistance to farmers. It included trusted agribusinesses, such as Rosetree Consulting, TeamAg, Inc., The Mill, Growmark FS, and others, who have repeated conversations across the seasons and over the years, with hundreds of farmers on farms ranging in size from tens to thousands of acres. It included National Resource Conservation Service staff who again are part of the team of agricultural service providers who consistently guide, influence, and support the farmers of Pennsylvania.
We also engaged a cohort of 23 agricultural service providers in an extensive training program. The program began with a kick-off meeting that focused on how to best communicate and “sell” 4R best-practices. Additional training opportunities included roundtable discussions on contemporary 4R-related issues and personalized coaching. The Training Program concluded with a final workshop focused again on how to effectively communicate the benefits, including the economic benefits, of 4R practices, while also providing space for discussions that explored the barriers to 4R adoption and the opportunities for future networking and partnerships.
Target verification methods included surveys of project participants and 1:1 confirmation with cohort training members to determine if participants had targeted conversations with farmers about 4R nutrient management. Unfortunately, surveys sent out six weeks after 4R Events to confirm if 4R conversations occurred with farmers garnered no responses. Conversations between cohort trainees and farmers were also slow to happen until a $100 incentive per farmer conversation was offered. This incentive was the catalyst for eighty-one 4R farmer conversations that influenced 70,259 acres. In addition, through the engagement of 252 agricultural service providers, we are confident that many more 4R conversations with farmers influencing many more acres has and will occur; however, expecting project participants to voluntarily report or verify these conversations through 1:1 conversations or surveys, without some sort of incentive that compensates participants for their time and effort, is unrealistic.
Transforming attitudes is often an intricate and time-consuming process. It demands patience, unwavering reinforcement, and adaptability. Building trust serves as the foundation for fostering open dialogues that debunk myths and display social validation. Crafting messages that resonate with audience values and emotions is pivotal but requires a deep understanding of the audience. This initiative provides a solid foundation for continued efforts that will gradually reshape the nutrient management approaches and attitudes of agricultural service providers across Pennsylvania.
Performance Target Outcomes - Farmers
Additional Project Outcomes
During the term of this grant, the team supported the development of four additional funding applications, two of which were funded. Both proposals rely on a foundation of collaboration working with partners to advance a collective mission. Several of the participants there were participants and collaborators in this project, including agribusiness and conservation district staff, are also involved in some way in these additional projects. In addition, one of the projects provides agribusinesses with a financial voucher for coaching farmers nutrient management approaches. The lessons learned through this project, provide a foundation for developing 4R messages that resonate with other agribusiness as well as farmers, ultimately resulting in additional engagement and implementation.
Collaborations were also significantly expanded as a result of this project.
- The United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Education. Staff from both agencies were keynote speakers at the Hershey Field Day. Through this collaboration, we began exploring opportunities for collaboration and have already engaged the USGS in another project.
- PA Soybean Board. Again, through their participation in our Fall 2023 Three-Part Webinar Series, we look forward to staying connected and exploring further opportunities for collaboration around on-farm trials.
- Conservation Districts. Numerous conservation district personnel engaged in the trainings offered by this project have now been added to our mailing and distribution lists as we hope to continue to engage them in future efforts.
Following is feedback received per our Fall 2024 post-webinar series surveys:
- It verified the ways we are doing on-farm trials.
- Interesting to see how Penn State does trials.
- I liked the variety of trials that were used to develop the data.
- Interesting research. I was unaware of the research network statewide.
- Presentations were straightforward and presenters were knowledgeable.
- The webinars were helpful in managing crops and field biomes affecting crop production.
- It was a good introduction to how to help set up trials to answer the farmers questions.
- Tons of information.
- What did you like most? Everything!
And following are quotes from two of our cohort participants:
- Amber Funk - Regulatory Planner, Rosetree Consulting LLC (Private Sector). As a service provider I learned more about how I interact and provide information to clients. The way I present information may not always work best for the client, so listening to and interacting with other service providers has been helpful to think of new ways to interact with clients to help provide a better experience and service.
I actively discussed long-term management with relation to nutrient placement in regards to nutrient management planning. These conversations did result in some immediate decreases of manure applications, and changes in timing of applications in the client's nutrient management plans.
- Lindsey Schoch - Agricultural Consultant, Rosetree Consulting LLC (Private Sector). What I learned the most as a service provider has been how to have different conversations with growers about 4Rs. Seeing and learning about how other service providers teach and interact with growers around this topic has been helpful. Throughout the industry we face similar challenges even though we work in different aspects of the industry. However, I realized that we can (and should) all align when it comes to helping growers implement more 4R practices.
As a result of being in the cohort, I keep the 4Rs in mind during every meeting I have and focus on this topic especially hard when discussing yearly goals and new practices with growers. When reviewing the crop year and planning for the upcoming growing season, I have been able to encourage growers to try new 4R practices because I am more confident and aware of the topic and the benefits of 4R practice implementation.
- Engaging the Cohort. The opening workshop was essential for providing a foundation for networking and building relationships and engaging and motivating participants to continue with the learning series.
- Engaging Mid-Level Management is essential to ensure cohort participants have the support and buy-in of supervisors to enable their schedules can accommodate the demands of a learning series. These kinds of trainings are "added value" but also "added time" to the regular duties and workloads of participants, so getting mid-level manager buy-in ensures that the time needed to effectively engage and learn from this training is available to participants.
- Conservation District Engagement. Through this project, over twelve conservation districts were engaged, however looping in regional conservation district coordinators may help to support even more district engagement in future work.
- Developing, Advancing, and Incentivizing a Tracking Method. Tracking outcomes, such as the recording of 4R Nutrient Management conversations and the verification of farms with changed behavior, was a challenge during this project. Response rates to surveys and requests to verify 4R conversations with farmers were very limited. People are busy and taking the time to respond to survey, that is emailed to participants sometimes weeks to months after an event, is often no longer considered a priority, is relatively easy to ignore, and may not be perceived as providing them with a direct benefit. Similarly, tracking efforts can also be time consuming and may not seem worthwhile compared to other more immediate tasks. In today's information-rich world, participants may feel overwhelmed by numerous surveys and feedback request. Without adequate incentives, people may not feel motivated to track outcomes, respond to surveys, etc. In this project, surveys provided immediately following events had a higher response rate than those sent months later. Tracking 4R conversations with farmers increased significantly when a financial incentive provided a catalyst for verification. In future efforts, repeated and consistent communications sharing the expectation, streamlining the process for reporting, while providing an incentive for tracking are recommended for consideration.
Information Products
- 4R Conversation Guide - April (Manual/Guide)
- 4R Conversation Guide - August (Manual/Guide)
- 4R Conversation Guide - June (Manual/Guide)
- 4R Conversation Guide - July (Manual/Guide)