2016-2017 Model State Program Oklahoma State University

This event continues to set very high standards for programming year after year.  The OkSARE PDP is pleased to report that there has been a substantial increase in the participation of women and minorities in agriculture and rural small businesses as a result of this yearly conference.  Each year this training reports extremely favorable feedback responses and that the opportunities for informal networking between participants and interaction with conference experts often lead to personal and professional inspiration, ideas and solutions.  This year, 97 % of participants from the statewide conference responded very positively to the information, education and/or workshops provided, citing the overall satisfaction of the conference as “Good” or “Excellent”. As a result of the programs, attendees said they would “be able to take a stronger role in their farm/ranch business” and will be able “to improve [their] operation”.  It was also noted that the programing will assist them in “starting and growing [their] business”.  On the program evaluation survey, participants were able to estimate the annual economic benefit to their operation from attending the two-day conference, with the average amount at $1,500 and outlier amount of $100,000. The statewide conference has also encouraged the launch of several regional women in agriculture conferences around the state. 

The No-till Oklahoma Conference has proven to be a very valuable tool for the Oklahoma crop producers who are interested in learning the latest in management practices aimed at reducing input costs while preserving or improving soil and water quality.  The attendees rated the overall quality of this conference at 4.85/5.0.  The respondents for this event also reported an average estimated value of information gained at this conference as $5.00/acre.  As they further reported that there were in excess of 200,000 acres impacted as a direct result of this training, the overall respondent value placed on the information gained at this conference at $1,000,000.00. 

This event is held each spring and draws attendees from all across this region.  There were attendees from six states this year.  The conference garners quite favorable feedback with most rating the program 4.0/5.0 scale. 

This program was quite well received by the registrants.  They reported that it is important to be able to recognize native species and encourage their use in urban and suburban settings as they tend to be more disease and drought resistant.  Perhaps the greatest impact was that attendees remarked on their greater appreciation for the diversity of plant materials outside Oklahoma yet suitable to grow in this region (OK).  

The learning and action outcomes from this training show that while the program may have been sparsely attended, the quality of the information gained was reported to be 4.8/5.0 scale.  There is a growing interest in this yearly event and attendees have all indicated that they will be continuing to support this valuable program.  This initiative was originally begun as a collaborative effort between the NRCS, OSU Extension, the Oklahoma Dept. of Ag, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and several NGO's and tribal organizations.  As of this summer, the administration of the Organic Oklahoma program was been assumed by the OSU Plant and Soil Science Department who continues the collaborative relationship with the previously mentioned groups and anticipates continued steady growth for this initiative.

Attendees were exposed to plant materials and cultural techniques from over 12 countries.  Furthermore,  participants were able to learn more about the critical role women play in agriculture across the world.  Lastly, over seven novel fruits not available in this region were highlighted and passed out to actually taste.  Of further importance, one of the key impacts from this program highlighted the universality of the issues involving agriculture, particularly in this ever-shrinking world.

The impact to the commodity production in Oklahoma from this program can best be described as key.  This event supplies very important training for certified crop advisors as well as pesticide applicators.  These two groups are required to attend trainings each year in order to earn continuing education units for their ongoing certification.  It is imperative that these required trainings contain information related to sustainability and soil/water quality issues to protect our Oklahoma natural resources.  

Possibly the greatest learning and action outcome from this event were the 500+ contacts reported in the Canola Learning Lab which was set-up at this event.  Attendees had the opportunity to view actual examples of insect infestation on canola plants.  This is becoming quite an economic issue with aphids in canola.  In addition to insect damage, there were also examples of diseases and soil quality impacts on canola plants.  One of the most popular exhibits in the Learning Lab was the spray nozzle demonstration.  Please see the following pictures:

By leveraging our OkSARE PDP funding with that of other commodity groups it was possible for each district/area meeting to be tailored to that particular area.  As can be seen when viewing the itineraries above, each meeting was designed specifically for the concerns and issues facing producers in that area.  This level of specificity is generally not possible when holding events for the entire state.  This was the first year to attempt a series of smaller trainings geared to the specific needs of each area.  It was quite well received.  Attendees enjoyed the site specific information and the small intimate groups allowed for greater interaction and idea exchange between participants. At each of these events, the OkSARE PDP was able to engage each individual and we have received valuable feedback which will be used in planning training events for the coming year. 

It remains imperative that groups active in our local food systems have access to approved trainings in food safety and biosecurity.  To that end, OkSARE PDP continues to support the development of programs approved to train these producers and their cooperatives in the paradigm mandated by the Food Safety and Modernization Act.  This legislation will have far reaching impacts for our local food markets and OkSARE is committed to assisting with efforts designed to prepare our producers to meet these guidelines. 

It is important that newcomers to extension are provided with exposure to SARE programming early in their careers.  These efforts appear to be having a long-term impact as in the last few years, there is a measurable increase in the willingness in these young professionals to engage in research and to request assistance from the OkSARE PDP when desiring to expand their professional development through attendance at trainings and events.

These small group attendances at various events held in our state have become very popular and provide valuable exposure for educators to different enterprises.  This has been shown to encourage 'out of the box' thinking and stimulates interest in alternative production methods or value-added product development.