Final report for RGR20-007
Project Information
With this project Master Stockman Consulting (MSC) will teach ranchers in Utah methods and tools for evaluating research based projects to see if they are economically sustainable in their individual operations through a 3-phase approach. This project will utilize 4 previously funded Western SARE projects (GW17-040, FW18-013, GW17-059, OW10-309) with direct application for Utah producers and combine them with analysis tools from the Wyoming Ranch Tools website. Phase 1 – MSC will partner with USU Extension to offer 4 producer workshops throughout Utah. MSC has partnered with USU Extension for the last 8 years to offer workshops with annual attendance of over 120 producers.
Workshop Outline
- Using Wyoming Ranch Tools to evaluate potential changes (can you afford to incorporate recommended practices)
- Dormant Season Grazing using Protein Supplementation
- Combine with stocking rate calculator and partial budget tool
- Based on SARE project GW17-040
- Fodder Beats as Late Season Forage
- Combine with relative value of feed calculator and partial budget tool
- Based on SARE project FW18-013
- Understanding Cattle Diets using Advanced Plant DNA Technology
- Combine with partial budget
- Based on SARE project GW17-059
- Reducing Nitrogen Fertilization by Inter-seeding Legumes
- Combine with AUM value calculator and Partial Budget
- Based on SARE project OW10-309
Phase 2 – MSC will partner with USU Extension and at least 4 producers to implement “on ranch” demonstrations. Phase 3 – MSC will create 4 YouTube “How to” videos documenting the “on ranch” demonstrations and using the Wyoming Ranch Tools to estimate economic sustainability. Each of the 4 YouTube videos will also be available in Spanish. This 3-phased approach will effectively take 4 Western SARE projects from Research to Grass Roots while also giving producers tools for evaluating other research projects.
Master Stockman Consulting has ambitious objectives for this project. However, given past experience MSC feels the objectives are attainable.
- Increase participants understanding of Western SARE Projects and the importance of sustainability research.
- Increase participants understanding of the 4 projects.
- Dormant Season Grazing using Protein Supplementation
- Based on SARE project GW17-040
- Fodder Beats as Late Season Forage
- Based on SARE project FW18-013
- Understanding Cattle Diets using Advanced Plant DNA Technology
- Based on SARE project GW17-059
- Reducing Nitrogen Fertilization by Inter-seeding Legumes
- Based on SARE project OW10-309
- Dormant Season Grazing using Protein Supplementation
- Introduce participants to user friendly tools that enable them to make more informed ranch management decisions.
- Increase the use of decision support tools in evaluating implementation of research projects.
- Increase the use of decision support tools in evaluating diversification strategies.
- Increase the economic sustainability of livestock producers by use of decision support tools for making economic ranch management decisions.
Many ranchers have come to my office to discuss potential changes to implement on their ranch. The changes are usually sound changes that are backed by good research. Often as we use economic tools to analyze the changes it reaffirms the decision for that producer to implement the change. However, there are many times when a change is analyzed that even though it is research based and may even be working successfully on a neighboring ranch, it is likely to lead to severe economic consequences. It is important for producers to learn how to decide which decisions to implement, and just as important to be able to decide which changes to avoid. In short it has been my experience in conducting similar workshops over the last 15 years that producers are better at evaluating decisions based on the production or physical science based criteria than they are at evaluating those decisions based on longterm economic sustainability.
Our project directly ties 4 previously funded Western SARE research projects to the decision support tools. This project will better prepare producers to be able to make those critical longterm economic decisions using sound principals like partial budgeting, time value of money, opportunity cost of capital and others. Recently the Wall Street Journal published an article that highlighted the increasing debt and shrinking equity faced by producers. The article pointed out that farmers and ranchers were increasingly turning to "Pay Day" type lending institutions. These "Pay Day" lending institutions, and their extremely high interest rates, are perilous tools for agriculture producers with capital intensive and tight margin operations. Given this current financial trend, it is critical that producers learn and utilize sound economic analysis tools and strategies.
Cooperators
- - Producer
- (Educator)
- - Producer
- - Producer
- (Educator)
- (Educator)
- - Producer
- - Producer
- (Educator)
- (Educator)
Education & Outreach Initiatives
Teach producers how to use the Wyoming Ranch Tools site to evaluate the 4 selected Western SARE projects.
These workshops will teach producers about the evaluation tools as well as provide producers with an overview of the 4 Western SARE projects.
These workshops were originally planned for Jan. 2021, but due to issues with COVID the workshops are now scheduled for June 2021.
June 15, 2021 - Cedar City, UT
June 16, 2021 - Nephi, UT
June 17, 2021 - Logan, UT
June 18, 2021 - Oakley, UT
A total of 64 participants attended the four in-person workshops. Learning outcomes were very positive from these events. Participants were given pre and post evaluations to establish learning effectiveness.
Participants were asked to rate knowledge before and after the workshops. 1=Strongly Disagree - 5=Strongly Agree
| Topic | Pre Workshop Score | Post Workshop Score | Percent Improvement |
| Economic Tools | 1.7 | 3.19 | 186% |
| Season Grazing | 2.88 | 3.46 | 120% |
| Fodder Beets | 1.3 | 3.27 | 250% |
| Interseeding Legumes | 2.3 | 3.38 | 147% |
| DNA Metabarcoding | 1.73 | 3.03 |
175% |
Assist producers in better understanding the steps to evaluate and implement research on their own operations.
4 educational YouTube videos were produced utilizing W-SARE research projects to help producers understand the steps to evaluate and implement research on their own operations.
Implementing Ag Research - Interseeding Legumes to Reduce Nitrogen Requirements
Implementing Ag Research - Utilizing Fodder Beets for Livestock
Implementing Ag Research - Dormant Season Grazing using Protein Supplementation
Implementing Ag Research - Using DNA to Determine Livestock Forage Consumption
We will track viewership and retention to help determine outcomes. We have also provided a link to an evaluation in the YouTube description of each video.
The YouTube videos from this project were viewed by a total of 144 individuals.
Interseeding Legumes to Reduce Nitrogen Requirements = 40 Views
Utilizing Fodder Beets for Livestock = 38 Views
Dormant Season Grazing using Protein Supplementation = 31 Views
Using DNA to Determine Livestock Forage Consumption = 35 Views
A link to an evaluation was provided at the end of each video to capture viewer feedback and impacts. Viewers were also encouraged to provide comments through YouTubes comment feature.
No viewers chose to complete the evaluation through the link provided.
No comments were left by viewers (a limitation to the comment feature is that you must have a YouTube account to comment). One video did receive a "like".
A portion of the views were from Utah State University students enrolled in Advanced Farm and Ranch Management. In preparation for me guest lecturing in the class. When asked the students indicated the videos were helpful in understanding how to use decision support tools and describing Utah relevant research projects.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
As part of this project Master Stockman Consulting offered 4 in-person workshops in Utah. Additionally, MSC has developed and published 4 educational YouTube videos that help producers understand how to implement research.
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Project participants outcomes and impacts included significant increase in knowledge, increased use of decision support tools, use of tools and information by other agriculture professionals.
Increase in Knowledge:
Participants indicated a 186% increase in knowledge of the economic tools on the Wyoming Ranch Tools site.
Participants indicated a 120% increase in knowledge of dormant season grazing using supplement.
Participants indicated a 250% increase in knowledge of fodder beat grazing.
Participants indicated a 147% increase in knowledge of interceding legumes to reduce fertilizer.
Participants indicated a 175% increase in knowledge of the utilization of DNA metabarcoding to identify diet.
Use of Decision Support Tools:
According to google analytics the Wyoming Ranch Tools site had 117 new users from Utah during this project. Google analytics also indicated a 50% increase in page views immediately following the 4 in-person workshops. The project PI was also contacted directly by 3 participants to answer questions and assist in the use of the online tools.
Agriculture Professionals:
The 4 in-person workshops were conducted in conjunction with Utah State University Extension. Five USU Extension Educators attended the workshops. All of the educators indicated that they would use concepts and materials from the workshops in future programs. In addition to Extension employees at least 6 agriculture lending professionals attended the workshops as well. These professionals also indicated knowledge gain, and a willingness to utilize the tools.
After the Oakley workshop a rancher from Duchesne County Utah approached me (the PI) and stated that the economic tools portion of this workshop was extremely valuable and needed by producers in his area. He later shared this information with the organizers of the Duchesne County Cattlemen meeting. They contacted me and asked me to present at their meeting. As a result of the Oakley program 37 additional producers attended a workshop on using the Wyoming Ranch Tools. This is an additional 37 producers and is not represented in the totals provided in this report.
One year after the 4 in-person workshops 2 agriculture lending professionals introduced themselves to me and reminded me that they attended the in-person workshops. They indicated the value of the workshops and that they had used the tools in their work.
A rancher from Utah attending the Wyoming Ranch Camp indicated to team members for this project that she had watched the YouTube videos and found them very helpful.
Information Products
- Implementing Ag Research - Using DNA to Determine Livestock Forage Consumption
- Implementing Ag Research - Dormant Season Grazing Using Protein Supplementation
- Implementing Ag Research - Utilizing Fodder Beats for Livestock
- Implementing Ag Research - Interseeding Legumes to Reduce Nitrogen Requirements