2020 Model State Program- North Carolina State University

Final report for SNC20-001

Project Type: PDP State Program
Funds awarded in 2020: $22,222.00
Projected End Date: 06/30/2022
Grant Recipient: North Carolina State University
Region: Southern
State: North Carolina
State Coordinator:
Dr. Chris Reberg-Horton
North Carolina State University
Expand All

Project Information

Abstract:

North Carolina SARE (NC SARE) is a collaborative effort from North Carolina State University (NCSU) and North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University (NCA&T). NC SARE promotes sustainable agriculture in North Carolina and supports sustainable agriculture trainings for agriculture professionals, which include North Carolina Cooperative Extension (NCCE) professionals and other educators defined by Southern SARE. NC SARE offers sustainable agriculture trainings primarily through competitive travel scholarships. These travel scholarships benefit agriculture professionals at all levels, as educators may apply for trainings that best suit their service regions/counties’ needs and resources, as well as their own level of expertise. Applications for technical and educational training in any area of sustainable agriculture can be submitted. Possible trainings may include, but not limited to, the annual Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s Sustainable Agriculture Conference (CFSA SAC), the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) Workshops, the NC Choices’
Carolina Meat Conference/ Women Working in the Meat Industry (CMC/WIM), and NCSU and NCA&T Field Days. NC SARE also offers the NC SARE Outstanding Educator award, in partnership with CFSA. Ag. Professionals will be able to participate in workshops/trainings by registering directly with NCEE agents. NC SARE will be providing competitive funding to Extension Educators to provide a focused training to NCCE agents in a topic of sustainable agriculture. Guided by the Advisory Council, NC SARE has been a visible presence in NC sustainable agriculture and publicizing events through its website, the NC Extension portal, and providing sustainable agriculture educational materials, such as SARE publications, to trainers.

Project Objectives:

NC SARE plans to:

• Provide travel scholarships to approximately 25 agents/personnel/farmers to attend the CFSA SAC, 12 agents/personnel/farmers to attend the Women Working in the Meat Industry,
• Provide 8-11 agents, personnel, and/or farmers to attend CEFS training events,
• Provide scholarships to 3-6 agents to attend other sustainable agriculture trainings that become available in NC,
• Provide funds for training materials for the NCA&T Small Farms Field Day
• Provide funds for a focused, Extension Specialist-led training for agents on a specialized aspect of sustainable agriculture.

We expect to offer travel scholarships and trainings to a total of approximately 48 agents, personnel, and/or mentor farmers. We expect 25-30 agents, personnel, and mentor farmers to participate in the NC Small Farms Field Days, which provides excellent training on production and marketing information for small farms, and the latest research applicable to small farms in NC.

Advisors

Click linked name(s) to expand/collapse or show everyone's info
  • John Beck
  • Davon Goodwin
  • Jim Hamilton
  • Debbie Hamrick
  • Craig Mauney
  • Karen McSwain

Education

Educational approach:

NC SARE goal is to provide scholarships for agents or other agriculture professionals to receive training they can use to assist/help producers and the communities in sustainable agriculture and it's benefits.

We were able to support 19 agents to attend the CFSA conference, 5 agents to engage in farm tours at the November 2021 conference.  Additionally we were able to support 18 presenters for this 3 day virtual event.

We were able to sponsor a Spring Showcase of upcoming cover crop varieties, in which we invited farmers, NCSU researchers, and national cover crop seed companies. Objective of the event was to explained how the Cover Crop Breeding Network works.

 

Education & Outreach Initiatives

Training
Objective:

The main objective for 2020-2021 to promote and help provide sustainable agriculture trainings for extension agents, NRCS and Soil and Water personnel, appropriate non-profit personnel and mentor farmers. NC SARE plans to:
• Provide travel scholarships to approximately 25 agents/personnel/farmers to attend the CFSA SAC, 12 agents/personnel/farmers to attend the Women Working in the Meat Industry,
• Provide 8-11 agents, personnel, and/or farmers to attend CEFS training events,
• Provide scholarships to 3-6 agents to attend other sustainable agriculture trainings that become available in NC,
• Provide funds for training materials for the NCA&T Small Farms Field Day
• Provide funds for a focused, Extension Specialist-led training for agents on a specialized aspect of sustainable agriculture.

Description:

Due to the pandemic and many events being delayed, an NCE has been requested as all objectives have not been met as of this date.  Many events are scheduled for later in the summer and into the fall.

What we have been able to accomplish so far was:

Registration scholarships were provided to sponsor a total 19 extension agents to participate in the CFSA SAC which was mostly virtual with a day of farm tour for small groups in which 5 agents participated.  Additionally, we were able to provide speaker support for 18 presenters at the CFSA November 2021 conference.  

We hosted a spring Showcase on cover crop breeding networks and educating on the various pipelines for different crops.  Invited guests included extension agents, seed companies and farmers.

Additionally we have been able to support training programming with the purchase of video/audio equipment for delivery of virtual training events.  This includes virtual only, as well as recording live events and making some hybrid events for those who cannot attend in person, and also then have them recorded for reference for those who can’t attend in person.   Examples of events:  at the Cover Crop demonstration in May filming will produce footage used for a Sept virtual training.  A hybrid event on no-till practices.  Filming at the Symposium on Agriculture, Food Systems and Climate Change event in August.  Collecting footage over approximately a year for a virtual training on turning woodland into silvopasture.  This equipment will support a variety of training programs moving forward.

 

 

Outcomes and impacts:

From the CSFA conference: Survey after 5 months revealed 75% of respondents were able to establish new programming based on knowledge gained.  Of that 67% were a field day/workshop and 33% consultations with clientele.

Audio video equipment allows for more and better quality training opportunities, especially in the pandemic and post pandemic environment.

 

Educational & Outreach Activities

1 Consultations
19 Travel Scholarships
4 Workshop field days

Participation Summary:

23 Extension

Learning Outcomes

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

Project Outcomes

5 New working collaborations
6 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

Face of SARE

Face of SARE:

Updating sustainableag.ces.ncsu.edu 

Promoting events through the NC Cooperative Extension listserv

with agents in all 100 counties 

Board members reaching out and promoting events to their communities and area's of influence.

 

1,000 Farmers received information about SARE grant programs and information resources
100 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.