The Systems 360° Initiative: Curriculum development and delivery of land management educational tools for Alabama cattle producers

Survey participants indicated that there was a need for both web-based and printed content on land and animal management strategies for Alabama beef farmers. The main web-based content that the group decided to focus on was webinars and short, YouTube videos to highlight best management practices. Short, printed publications were also an identified need. The group decided to "package" these publications into a short handbook that would be the guiding curriculum piece for farmer-based discussion groups. This would allow technical service providers to still access these as individual publications online, or provide a printed, collective text book to participants in the working groups. An iBook was discussed as another option for extending the reach of this material. However, the committee felt that the web-based archiving of publications would provide as much reach as an iBook for the same cost. Instead, an emphasis was placed on promotion of these products through our collective social media outlets.

• There are 28 educational products that have been created as part of this project (when videos/budget sheets are categorized as a single output).
• This information is housed at www.alabamabeefsystems.com for use by technical service providers and stakeholders.
• Web evaluation metrics (Google Analytics) showed that these resources were accessed by 2,456 visitors to the Alabama Beef Systems Extension webpage in 2018. 

• The above described resources have been used as part of two in-service training opportunities for technical service providers (n = 21 participants total).
• There was a 38% increase in knowledge regarding the availability of beef cattle management resources for use as part of their educational programming efforts in the state.
• Eight Animal Science and Forage Regional Extension Agents participated in a more extensive training on starting a Systems 360 working group. Seven of these agents agreed to start a working group in fall 2018 targeting beef cattle producers who wanted more in-depth knowledge on sustainable land-animal management practices. 

Pilot Program - 2017

• 62% of the program participants noted that they preferred learning from on-farm discussion groups, highlighting that peer-to-peer learning is an effective tool for improving understanding of these topics.
• There were 3,072 acres and 1,300 head of cattle impacted by the pilot program. Additional working groups (n = 3) are being implemented for a more statewide reach in 2018.
• A poster on this program was presented at the Southern Pastures and Forage Crop Improvement Conference in June 2017:
  • SPFCIC-Poster-Systems-Working-Group-Mullenix-and-Thompson
• Participants reported an average economic impact of $2,500 per operation from this program.
• One participant indicated that he saved more than $3,500 in his soil fertility program from the adoption of precision soil sampling in pastures and hayfields.
• Participants plan to work towards 300 days of grazing per year and improve their calf marketing programs in the next year as a result of this program.

Statewide Program Launch/Outcomes - 2018 to 2019

• Three of the five discussion groups are continuing to completion in spring 2019. These groups include two in North Alabama, and one in West Alabama. These regions reflect where the majority of cattle owners/operators in the state are located. Two of the groups met once or twice, but did not continue meeting through the additional three modules. Time commitment to the program waned in these groups, which may be a result of length of the program and time of day that it was offered (typically late afternoon, early to mid part of the week). 
• Survey data reported from 2 of the 3 existing working groups is reported below. The third working group will finish their program in May 2019.
  • Participants who completed the discussion group had high satisfaction with the program, and indicated that 100% of them would participate in a similar program format again if offered. 
  • There was a 33% increase in knowledge among producers on the topics of grazing management, watering systems, animal marketing and management, and climate response considerations in beef operations. 
  • Producers indicated that they learned the most from 1) getting to know other farmers in the working group (35%) and 2) on-farm visits (28%), showing that this format was unique and created a different learning environment from traditional, fully classroom based educational programs.
  • There was an average of 2,790 head of beef cattle and 5,950 acres impacted by the information provided as part of this program. 
  • Producers reported an average savings of $25 per calf produced as part of participating in this program, or about $69,750 across participants for the program total to date (April 2019; not including final working group data for one ending in May).
  • Specific practices adopted by producers as a result of participating in a Systems 360 Working Group included:
    • The addition of a watering tank/pump system for cattle - reducing access to ponds, creeks, and streams
    • Implementation of cross fencing in pasture systems to achieve rotational grazing goals
    • Purchasing a no-till drill to start planting cool-season forages to complement their existing forage production system, and to reduce the need for hay feeding and supplementation of the cow herd in the winter
    • Improved nutrient distribution in pasture systems from unrolling hay and not creating a single, heavy use area for feeding hay in the winter
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