Missouri Annual State Report

Final report for NCMO17-001

Project Type: PDP State Program
Funds awarded in 2017: $130,000.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2018
Grant Recipients: University of Missouri; Lincoln University
Region: North Central
State: Missouri
State Coordinators:
Dan Downing
University of Missouri
Co-Coordinators:
Dr. Zelalem Mersha
Lincoln University
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Project Information

Abstract:

The 2017-18 Missouri State SARE PDP POW will focus on initiatives identified by the MO SARE PDP Advisory Board in association with the University of Missouri and Lincoln University Extension priorities. These SARE initiatives include: Integrated Pest Management, Sustainable Crop Production, and Sustainable Livestock Production. The advisory board also elected to participate in the North Central Region's Soil Health & Water Initiative. Additionally since this plan of work covers a two year time frame and it is difficult to predict future needs the Advisory Board added another initiative entitled "Emerging Issues". Two PDPs will be carried out under this initiative as detailed below. One additional PDP, with content to be determined will also be carried out under this initiative. This PDP has been calculated into the two year budget with a total expense based upon the total costs for the other PDPs. The content of this PDP will be determined as the need emerges and based upon critical training needs that arise over the next two years.

Project Objectives:

There will be five Missouri state initiatives for 2017-18, with both universities sharing in leadership roles.

• MU & LU - Integrated Pest Management

• MU & LU - Sustainable Crop Production

• MU & LU - Sustainable Livestock Production

• MU & LU - Soils Health & Water

• MU & LU - Emerging Issues

Introduction:

During 2018 the approach to addressing the 2017-18 initiatives changed significantly with substitute professioinal development programs being offered while still addressing and staying true to the intended initiatives.  This major shift was due primarily to budget and personnel struggles within the academic institutions intending to host and/or conduct the professional development training activities.  The substituted pdps are detailed below.

Additionally one face to face advisory board meeting was held and another by teleconference.  Three advisory board members retired or otherwise moved on.  Two of these positions have been filled with new advisory board members. 

 

Advisors

Click linked name(s) to expand/collapse or show everyone's info
  • Lindsey Jones
  • Michael Gold (Educator)
  • Ray Massey (Educator)
  • Kelly Smith
  • Touria Eaton (Educator)
  • Janet Hackert (Educator)
  • Webster Davis
  • Austin Stanton
  • Miranda Dushack (Educator)
  • Josh Payne
  • Brad McCord

Education

Educational approach:

The Missouri SARE Professional Development Program is focused on providing professional development  opportunities for agricultural educators to hone or update their specific areas of professional expertise.  This is primarily accomplished by offering professional development workshops (PDPs), professional development travel scholarships, and funding mini-grant projects with an emphasis on professional development.

Through a series of these opportunities detailed under Education and Outreach Initiatives section of this report state and county based Extension Specialist, Natural Resources Conservation Service personnel, Missouri Department of Agriculture personnel, High School Vocational Agriculture Teachers, and other educators a total of 107 educators were involved in professional development trainings planned and carried out by the MoSARE program, 17 educators participated in workshops utilizing professional development travel scholarships, and 3 received mini-grants.  

Education & Outreach Initiatives

Integrated Pest Management
Objective:

Through training, workshops, mini-grants and scholarships educators will hone their skills in integrated pest management tools and strategies.

Description:

2018

The Missouri Tomato School - was a two day workeshop offered in Jackson, Missouri with eleven MU/LU Agricultural Educatiors participating learning all aspects of Tomato production including:  cultivar selection, pest control, disease control, high tunnel production techniques, field production techniques, and martket development strategies.  These topics were presented by a panel of experts from throughout the midwest and the nation.

 2017

Pinero-Intl-IPM-symposium-train-the-trainerThirty six educators attended the PDP: Updates on Integrated Management of Foliar and Soil borne Disease on Fruits & Vegetables : Host Resistance, Biologicals and use of Cover Crops - Leads, Dr. Zelalem Mersha - LU, Dr. David Trinklein - MU.

The two-day training followed third approaches to accomplish its objectives. First, various subject areas related to fruit and vegetable disease management were covered during the interactive presentations. Second, parts of the hands-on activity and showcases were made on research and outreach projects at LU farms: George W. Carver and Alan T. Busby Organically Certified farm. Major crops for this training will include but are not limited to solanaceous, cucurbits, and leafy vegetables as well as grape, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry and blackberry. Third a walking tour of these research facilities and interactive discussion was held.

Outcomes and impacts:

As a direct product of attending this  workshop eleven educators incorporated newly gained knowledge into the ongoing programs, regular news letters, or created new programs on the topic directly reaching hundreds of producers.

Sustainable Crop Production
Objective:

Through training, workshops, mini-grants and scholarships educators will hone their skills in sustainable crop production management tools and strategies.

Description:

2018

Forest Farming - Nine MU/LU educators participated in this two day workshop conducted at the University of Missouri HARC research center at New Franklin Missouri.  Presentations included all aspects of Mushroom production, Ginseng production, nut & fruit production, and medicinal plant production.  Presentations and discussions also included economic opportunities and challenges.

 

2017

This objective for 2017 was addressed through the PDPs reported under the Topics of Integrated Pest Management and Emerging issues. In 2018 it will be addressed by and PDP Entitled Silviculuture & Timber Management Strategies.

Outcomes and impacts:

Sustainable crop production concepts and practices were integrated into the curriculum presented at the Forest Farming workshop.  Since this workshop was offered late in the year (Oct.) It is anticipated the new knowledge and resources will be encorporated into ongoing programs or new program in the coming year.

 

Sustainable Livestock Production
Objective:

Through training, workshops, mini-grants and scholarships educators will hone their skills in sustainable livestock production management tools and strategies.

Description:

 

2018

No PDPs were offered in 2018 addressing this initiative.  Instead two sustainable livestock production workshops were offered in 2017

2017

Beef Facilities, Animal Health/Welfare, and Manure Management - Leads - Dr. Ten Lim, MU, Dr. Joe Zulovich, MU
Twenty extension educators participated in this two day face to face pdp training. Areas discussed in this comprehensive PDP include training on: Housing - Covered feeding barns, Hoop house style calf barns, Wind Breaks, Others, Working facilities - Cattle psychology, Animal Health & Welfare, Facility Design, Environmental Considerations - Manure containment/management/water quality.

Sustainable Aquaculture - Shrimp & Fin Fish Production in the Midwest - Lead - Dr. David Brune, MU and Chuck Hicks, LU (emeritus) was presented.

This was a two day face to face training. designed to provide an overview of shrimp and fish production from low intensity ponds to super-intensive closed-system aquaculture processes. Twenty four farmers, investors, and other stake-holders participated increasing their knowledge and understanding of aquaculture production of large-mouth bass, crappie, catfish, marine and freshwater shrimp, as well as, economics of aquaculture systems, including required capital investment, cash flow, and profitability. Participates were offered a field trip to view pond production of freshwater shrimp, in-pond raceway production of crappie, and catfish, and indoor, recalculating culture of large-mouth bass, and super-intensive zero-discharge production of marine shrimp. In addition, all participates were afforded a hands-on opportunity to experience water quality analysis, animal sampling, microbial identification, and system-wide measurement of photosynthesis and water treatment capacity.

Outcomes and impacts:

2017

As a direct result of participation the PDP Beef Facilities, Animal Health/Welfare and Manure Management ten regional extension educators have had direct consultation with seventeen beef producers interested in development of on-farm beef feed-out facilities and/or beef handling facilities. Additionally material presented at this workshop were incorporated into ongoing programs and newsletters.

Soil Health and Water
Objective:

Through training, workshops, mini-grants and scholarships educators will hone their skills in understanding and managing the interactions between Soil Health and Water and include a sub-focus on the use of cover crops.

Description:

2018

Professional Development Travel Scholarships

Through the use of professional development travel scholarships MU/LU Extension Educators participated in:

The Missouri Agro-forestry academyThe Midwest Cover Crops Council Conference

The One Waters Action Forum

The National Soil Health & Cover Crops Conference

The American Society of Agronomy National Meeting

2017

Through the use of MoSARE sponsorship ten Extension Educators participated in:

The Missouri Agro-forestry academy
The Midwest Cover Crops Council
The National Soil Health & Cover Crops Conference
The Missouri Non-point Source Pollution Educational Conference
The American Society of Agronomy

Through the use of a MoSARE mini-grant two educators conducted demonstration and trainings on the use of bio-char and other organically derived soil amendments with the intent of improving soil health and water holding capacity.

Outcomes and impacts:

Soil health and water quality is a broad topic with many ways to approach the issue. MoSARE has provided professional development scholarships for educators to attend existing soil health and water related trainings and conferences rather than create and host new workshops.  Extension educators took advantage of these opportunities incorporating their newly gained resources into their existing programming impacting hundreds of producers. The educators report consultations and workshops with producers on use of cover crops to improve soil overall soil health and microbial activity, soil organic matter, water holding capacity and increased yields.

Emerging Issues
Objective:

To identify and quickly respond to the need for training pertaining to an emerging issue. In this case, the need for an all inclusive workshop on commercial scale tomato production.

Description:

 

2018  

National Conference Our Farms Our Future - Missouri was well represented at this conference by numerous MU/LU educators, the Missouri SARE advisory board, and farmers participating as recipients of scholarships.  The MoSARE program provided financial assistance to thirty-three of these participants.  The conference featured a wide variety of presentations from farmers, agency personnel, Extension educators, and others.  

2017

The issue of the need for training in the realm of commercial scale tomato production was identified

The Missouri Tomato Workshop, a one day training was held in South West Missouri, organized by Patrick Byers, Robert Balek, Nashon Bishop, and David Middleton was conducted. Of the participant one-hundred plus participant, eleve extension educators participated, four vocational agriculture instructors, and two Missouri Department of Agriculture employees participated. They received training in all aspects of tomato production including IPM, cultivar selection, growing tomatoes in-doors, in-field propagation, plasti-culture, market development strategies, use of cover crops and more.

Outcomes and impacts:

2018 

Participants in the OFOF conference networked with others from throughout the country with similar views on alternative and sustainable production techniques.  As a direct result of participating in this conference follow-up inquires were made to the MoSARE co-coordinator by three individuals.  Additional three others attended farmer rancher grant writing workshops. MU/LU educators have followed up with the MoSARE co-coordinators regarding additional funding and programmatic opportunities.

2017 Missouri has small but, robust vegetable production industry that is in part the result of the demand for natural and/or locally raised food products. Tomato production in Missouri mirrors this overall trend. Through this workshop educators were able to enhance their technical skills in commercial scale vegetable production and utilize this with their clientele. Since this workshop educators report having directly interacted with over one-hundred producers on IPM, cultivar selection, plant propagation, season extension, and market considerations. Additionally the educators have incorporated their new knowledge into ongoing programs, producer meetings, and newsletters.

Educational & Outreach Activities

95 Consultations
2 Curricula, factsheets or educational tools
1 Journal articles
2 Minigrants
2 On-farm demonstrations
6 Published press articles, newsletters
3 Tours
38 Travel Scholarships
10 Webinars / talks / presentations
4 Workshop field days

Participation Summary:

50 Extension
1 NRCS
6 Researchers
4 Nonprofit
4 Agency
3 Ag service providers (other or unspecified)
55 Farmers/ranchers

Learning Outcomes

225 Participants gained or increased knowledge, skills and/or attitudes about sustainable agriculture topics, practices, strategies, approaches
45 Ag professionals intend to use knowledge, attitudes, skills and/or awareness learned

Project Outcomes

7 Grants received that built upon this project
125 Agricultural service provider participants who used knowledge and skills learned through this project (or incorporated project materials) in their educational activities, services, information products and/or tools for farmers
850 Farmers reached through participant's programs
Additional Outcomes:

The emerging issue:  Commercial Scale Tomato production workshop was one of the eye-opening, highlights of the year.  Although the program targeted local educators and producers attendance due to interest and need was incredible. Only publicized locally the event drew small scale farm market producers to large commercial producers with participants from four states.  The MoSARE state coordinators believe this level of interest is indicative of need.

 

Success stories:

Another highlight for the year was the first ever Mid-mo Backyard Garden to Small Farm Expo.  The MoSARE program helped to organize this event.  Previously there had been a "small farms" conference hosted in Central Missouri by a private business entity.  That event moved from the area approximately five years ago leaving a void for small scale and start-up farmers.  Sponsored by the local county extension office the Mid-Mo Expo is working to fill that void.  Approximately 100 people participated in the first expo.  The second expo is currently being developed for February of 2018.

Face of SARE

Face of SARE:

The MoSARE programs approach to the "Face of SARE" topic is to  provide support, sponsorships, scholarship, and conduct educational activities that promote the core values of the SARE program.  The MoSARE program displayed, exhibited at, or sponsored mini-grants in support of the following:

2018

Governors Conference on Agriculture - Display

Missouri Association of Soil and Water Conservation districts - Display

Cover Crops Education and Awareness - Scholarships

SARE Grant Writing Workshops - Hosting

Food Safety Modernization Act Training - Scholarships

Mid - Mo Expo - Minigrant and Scholarship

The Western Association's Western Farm Show - Display

The Great Plains Growers Conference. - Display and Scholarships

The Missouri Veteran's Association Conference

2017

Midwest Organic Association - Display and Scholarships

Governors Conference on Agriculture - Display

Missouri Association of Soil and Water Conservation districts - Display

Bringing Back the American Small Farm - Display and Scholarships

Heart of America Grazing Conference - Display and Scholarship

Hispanic and Latino Audiences - Agricultural Programs Awareness - Mini-grant

Cover Crops Education and Awareness - Scholarships

SARE Grant Writing Workshops - Hosting

Food Safety Modernization Act Training - Scholarships

Mid - Mo Expo - Minigrant and Scholarship

The Western Associations, Western Farm Show - Display

The Great Plains Growers Conference. - Display and Scholarships

2,200 Farmers received information about SARE grant programs and information resources
225 Ag professionals received information about SARE grant programs and information resources
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.