Progress report for NCKS22-002
Project Information
Initiatives for the Kansas SARE Professional Development Program for 2023-2024 prioritize three broad categories: Adapting to Changing Climate and other Food System Disruptions, Diversification in Agriculture, and Generational Transfer in Agriculture.
Kansas Initiative 1: Adapting to Changing Climate and Other Food System Disruptions
Includes, but is not limited to, outreach and educational opportunities related to crop and livestock production, carbon market potential, drought mitigation, potable water conservation, food waste, small scale meat processing, and rural community development, especially around local food processing.
Expected Outcomes:
- 15 Extension educators increase their knowledge of small scale meat and food processing options for Kansas
- 15 Extension educators increase their knowledge about water conservation and drought resilience
- 5 Extension agents increase their knowledge about carbon markets
- 10 Extension agents increase their knowledge about regenerative practices
- 1 mini grant for climate smart ag workshop
- 2 mini grants for local food/food hub/local food processing workshop
Activities:
- Support workshops and travel scholarships focused on carbon market information
- Mini grants and travel scholarships awarded for small scale meat processing initiative in Kansas
- Support educational programming about climate-smart and regenerative agriculture
- Cooperate with other NCR states on regional programming opportunities
Evaluation: Post-event evaluations will be collected to determine change in knowledge and intended actions based on new information.
Monitor social media activity (i.e. likes and retweets) for sponsored programs
Collect 6-12 month follow-up evaluations after programs to determine short and intermediate outcomes.
Kansas Initiative 2: Diversification in Agriculture
Includes activities related to agricultural systems - urban, suburban, and rural; social justice in the food system; scale and resilience; and soil health.
Expected Outcomes:
- 15 NRCS employees increase knowledge about urban agriculture
- 20 Extension professionals increase their knowledge of equity in the food system
- 10 Extension professionals will increase their knowledge of urban, suburban, and peri-urban agricultural production
- 10 Extension and allied ag professionals will increase their knowledge of social justice in the food system
- 1 mini grant for urban agriculture workshop/farm tour
- 1 mini grant for soil health workshop/farm tour
- 1 mini grant for food system social justice/food sovereignty training
Activities:
- Support Kansas NRCS Technical Sub Committee on Urban Agriculture
- Continue quest to establish relationships with Haskell Indian Nations University and Kansas Tribes
- Travel scholarships to encourage Extension agent participation in workshops, field days, farm tours, and on-farm demonstrations sponsored by KSRE, Conservation Districts, NRCS, and NGOs about non-rural ag production, soil health, resilient production practices
- Cooperate with Kansas Black Farmers Association, New Roots for Refugees, and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation on inclusive educational programming.
Evaluation: Post-event evaluations will be collected to determine change in knowledge and intended actions based on new information.
Monitor social media activity (i.e. likes and retweets) for sponsored programs
Collect 6-12 month follow-up evaluations after programs to determine short and intermediate outcomes.
Kansas Initiative 3: Generational Transfer in Agriculture
Includes professional development activities that will expand capacity in the areas of beginning farming, generational transition and transfer; succession planning, and succession especially as the activities relate to transitioning to more sustainable land use practices.
Expected Outcomes:
- 25 Extension and allied ag professionals increase their knowledge about different types of transition and transfer of agricultural land in Kansas
- 10 Extension and allied ag professionals increase their knowledge about working with beginning farmers who are veterans
- 10 Extension and allied ag professionals increase their knowledge of barriers to generational farming experienced by people of color
- 1 mini grant focusing on land transfer/transition and/or succession planning
Activities:
- Travel scholarships to support K-State Extension Kansitions Program with educational opportunities about farm land access, generational transfer, generational transition, succession planning, and land link programming
- Work with Farmer Veteran Coalition of Kansas and Servicemember Agricultural Vocational Education (S.A.V.E.) farm on programming focusing on the unique needs of veterans and transitioning soldiers who want to farm
- Support programming by and cooperate with Kansas Black Farmers Association, New Roots for Refugees, and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation on educational programming about barriers encountered by people of color when beginning or transitioning to farming.
Evaluation: Post-event evaluations will be collected to determine change in knowledge and intended actions based on new information.
Monitor social media activity (i.e. likes and retweets) for sponsored programs
Collect 6-12 month follow-up evaluations after programs to determine short and intermediate outcomes.
Advisors
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Education
Kansas SARE 2023-2024 PDP Plan of Work awards professional improvement scholarships and mini grants to achieve annual education goals.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
Increase knowledge, outreach, and educational opportunities related to crop and livestock production, carbon market potential, drought mitigation, potable water conservation, food waste, small scale meat processing, and rural community development, especially around local food processing.
Many factors impact a fully functioning food system. Understanding how disruption at any point along the continuum can cause ripples throughout the entire system is vital. This objective will help increase the knowledge base about multiple food system disruptors and how ag professionals can assist farmers to minimize negative impacts from disruptive events.
In 2023, awarded 2 mini grants and 23 professional improvement travel scholarships for programming related to adapting to climate change and food system issues.
Mini Grants awarded:
International Master Gardeners Conference (attendance 500)
Kansas Association of County Agricultural Agents Spring Professional Improvement Workshop (attendance 30)
Professional Development Scholarships awarded:
Mountain Plains Farm to Child Nutrition Summit (2 scholarships)
Veggie Van Training: Mobile Market Summit (1 scholarship)
S.A.F.E.R. Controlled Environment Agriculture Conference (1 scholarship)
International Master Gardeners Conference (16 scholarships)
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Summer Meeting (1 scholarship)
Range Beef Cow Symposium (3 scholarships)
Increase knowledge, outreach, and educational opportunities related to agricultural systems - urban, suburban, and rural; social justice in the food system; agricultural scale and resilience; and soil health.
In Kansas, debate continues about agricultural specialization vs. diversification, mega vs. large vs. small vs. micro-sized farms, urban vs. periurban/suburban vs. rural, garden vs. farm. This initiative seeks to help promote understanding of all types and sizes of farms and how all types and sizes of farms contribute to and strengthen the whole of American agriculture.
In 2023, 4 mini grants and 2 professional improvement travel scholarships were awarded for programming related to expanding diversification in Kansas agriculture.
Mini Grants
Women in Agriculture Nemaha County (150 attendance)
Ottawa County Conservation District Field Day (50 attendance)
Small Ruminant Parasite Control Workshop (25 attendance)
Outreach and Innovations in Precision Ag for Conservation and Sustainability (in progress)
Travel Scholarships
Soil Health Academy (1 scholarship)
National Association of County Agricutlture Agents (1 scholarship)
Increase knowledge, outreach, educational opportunities, and capacity in the areas of beginning farming, generational transition and transfer; succession planning and succession; especially activities that relate to transitioning to more sustainable land use practices.
Agricultural transfer involves more than land changing hands. Knowledge must to be transferred as well. Maintaining a healthy agricultural system means keeping land in production and helping connect those who want to farm with the means to achieve their goals. Ag professionals play an important role in the transfer process, especially facilitating knowledge transfer.
In 2023, awarded 1 mini grant and 5 professional improvement travel scholarships for projects related to farm transition planning and infrastructure planning for historically underserved/unserved farmers.
Mini Grant
Farm Transition Planning Workshop (80 attendance)
Travel Scholarships
Kansas Cooperative Council Coop Board Development Training (5 scholarships)
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Face of SARE
SARE promotion at conferences and other educational venues in 2023:
- Great Plains Growers Conference, St. Joseph, MO, January 13-14
- No Till On The Plains Winter Conference, Wichita, KS, January 23-25
- Women Managing the Farm, Manhattan, KS, February 16-17
- Local Meat Marketing Workshops, Olathe, KS and Parsons, KS, February 23 and March 3
- Hosted session for 8 Brazilian ag professionals and 4 interpreters through Global Ties KC for discussion about sustainable agriculture in Kansas and the U.S., April 3, 2023
- K-State Commercial Vegetable Field Day, Olathe, KS, August 28
- Kansas Black Farmers Association Annual Meeting, Manhattan, KS, October 19
- K-State Research and Extension Annual Conference, Manhattan, KS, October 25
- Kansas Rural Center Farm and Food Conference, Topeka, KS, November 10-11
- Kansas Farmers Union Convention, Salina, KS, November 28-30
- Soil Health for Urban Farmers, Kansas City, KS, December 16
SARE Grant Writing Workshops in 2023
- April 4 – virtual
- September 19, Wichita, KS
- September 26, Seneca, KS
- September 28, Salina, KS