Final report for WAZ22-001
Project Information
The Arizona State Implementation Program (SIP) for Western SARE has the overall objective of helping Arizona's agricultural professionals become more familiar with the core principles of sustainable agriculture. By leveraging the excellent products already developed by the SARE program, our goal is to help teach agricultural professionals how to incorporate the sustainable agriculture concepts and principles into their Extension education programming. Through incorporation into individual education programs, we will successfully reach agricultural producers both large and small in all Counties and Native American communities across our diverse state. This will be accomplished primarily through our annual SARE Conference. We will also help facilitate travel, through travel grants, for agricultural professionals to attend SARE related conferences where knowledge may be gained and brought to bear on issues that our stakeholders across the state encounter. Videos and other educational materials will be produced as part of this implementation grant to help support the educational effort related to sustainable agriculture.
The principal objectives of our Arizona SARE SIP program are to educate the target audiences of Extension faculty, NRCS personnel, NGOs, and other agricultural professionals in the concepts of principles of sustainable agriculture as they relate to specific conditions experienced by agricultural producers in the diverse climate regions of Arizona. The Arizona SARE State Implementation Program will accomplish these educational objectives by utilizing SARE resources to sponsor attendance at nationally recognized SARE events, sustainable agriculture conferences, video creations, and publications while also developing local and regional professional development opportunities related to sustainable agricultural production specific to Southwest production operations and Arizona conditions. When necessary, we will also use SARE resources to sponsor small research and extension grants (mini-grants) to explore sustainable techniques specific to local needs further. Local Extension agents, assistants, and associates in Extension professionals will be encouraged to apply for SARE grant opportunities, especially for opportunities they may have to improve their understanding and professional knowledge base on sustainable agriculture topics. The Arizona WSARE SIP will carry out all these activities in the fall of 2022, Spring/Fall of 2023, and Spring/Fall 2024
Arizona’s natural desert arid environment creates unique challenges for all producers, and the current long-term drought in the Southwest adds a critical emphasis. It has been frequently asserted amongst agriculture producers if one can produce out in the desert, they could produce anywhere. The environmental issues most producers contend with throughout the state of Arizona and the diversity of climatic and micro-climate conditions make it essential for the current cadre of Arizona Extension agents, assistants and associates in Extension, their supporting specialists, other agricultural professionals, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), decision-makers, producers, and consumers to work together synergistically. The key to these linkages is effective communication, collaboration, and partnership at all levels. For these reasons, it is crucial that all parties better understand the concepts of sustainable agriculture and the methodologies required to apply them in arid land and indigenous conditions appropriately. Arizona state implementation program facilitates the distribution of knowledge and experience to stakeholders statewide. The state program coordinators encourage communication and interaction between interested parties in Arizona and all segments of the national and regional SARE programs.
In Arizona, great strides have been made in helping Extension faculty and others better understand the nature and applicability of sustainable agriculture concepts. This increased knowledge has been demonstrated in adopting sustainable agriculture principles into Extension programming, stakeholder awareness of SARE grant opportunities, and faculty engagement with local, sustainable agriculture producers. Specific needs requiring focus are detailed in the proposed activities for 2022-2024, including efforts through online media to reach younger audiences. This application builds upon a solid foundation previously laid and addresses the next needed steps to move these endeavors sufficiently forward.
Advisors
- (Educator)
- - Technical Advisor
- - Technical Advisor
- - Technical Advisor
- - Technical Advisor (Educator)
Education
Target audience: Extension faculty, Assistants and Associates in Extension, NRCS personnel, Non-Governmental Organizations, and agriculture specialists and professionals.
- 5 Extension professionals will use a travel grant to attend a sustainable agriculture conference or event.
- 90 individuals will participate in 1 statewide sustainable agriculture conference.
- 5 new Extension faculty will complete at least one SARE National Continuing Education course.
- 2 video creations covering critical aspects of sustainable agriculture production.
- 2 total advisory board meetings will be conducted throughout each year.
- At least 1 SARE grant application submitted from Arizona.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
Through this program, we hope to raise awareness of SARE among agricultural stakeholders throughout the state of Arizona as well as among agricultural and natural resource professionals working in our university system.
Our goals were to distribute SARE instructional materials, do formal and informal presentations, set up informational booths, and take part in more events where SARE might sponsor in addition to providing information to stakeholders.
Conference Sponsorships:
Arizona SARE was able to participate in multiple events during the course of the completed SIP. One conference occurred during the summer 2023 located in southeastern Arizona entitled Arizona Small Producer Summit. This meeting was attended by 84 individuals from across southeastern Arizona. A variety of sustainable agriculture topics were covered and a WSARE sponsorship table was setup where SARE related publications were on display and provided to attendees.
Another sponsorship included the Southwest Agroforestry Action Network (SWANN) which was held in Tucson, AZ in April of 2024. SARE related topics were covered throughout the conference along with a tour that included several stops dealing specifically sustainable agriculture projects including irrigation water harvesting, agrivoltaics, and neighborhood based agroforestry programs. A total of 82 individuals attended this conference.
Arizona WSARE Sponsored Travel Scholarships:
During the period covered by this SIP a total of 11 travel scholarships were provided to a variety of individuals including University Extension professionals and private growers to a variety of SARE related professional development and educational conferences and meetings. A few examples of these educational conferences include the annual meeting and professional improvement conference for the National Association of County Agricultural Agents, the National Cotton Council's Annual Beltwide Cotton Conference, the Organic Seed Alliance's Organic Seed Growers Conference, WSARE Building Partnerships for Agricultural Sustainability Summit, and the 23rd Annual Greenhouse Crop Production and Engineering Design Short Course.
Arizona WSARE Grant Writing Workshop:
Arizona WSARE conducted a second annual SARE grant writing workshop in September of 2024. At this workshop WSARE leadership provided detailed training on the availability of SARE funding opportunities and the details regarding the procedure for developing and submitting a proposal for these funds. A total of 46 individuals attended this workshop, of which 20 were from outside the University system and were private growers and other agricultural professionals. Arizona WSARE funding was used to assist six attendees participate in this this specific workshop.
Additional Meetings/Workshops/Field Days:
Arizona WSARE programming has resulted in many other meetings workshops and field days that were not sponsored specifically with WSARE resources but where sustainable agricultural concepts and theories were taught to local farmers and ranchers throughout Arizona. These meetings and field days comprised the bulk of our WSARE outreach initiative and is typically funded through internal Extension funds and external collaboration funds with industry partners. These events are conducted across areas of major farming operations across southern Arizona as this is where the bulk of our Extension professional resources reside. Additional events were conducted in northern Arizona but not as frequent due to the more sparse nature of agricultural production systems and fewer Extension professional resources. We hope to expand more in these areas in future programming. A few examples of this type of programming includes:
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Cotton Tent Talks: Shared research updates on biofertilizer and cover crops impact on cotton production.
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Southwest Ag Summit, Yuma, AZ, 2023-2025: Moderated and hosted a session on Soil Health for Desert Agriculture all three years.
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Viticulture symposium, Tucson, AZ, 2024-25: Co-organized and spoke at the symposium about soil health management in vineyards.
- Cotton, forage and alfalfa field days where site-specific management of soil borne pathogens to enhance efficiency and conserve resources were demonstrated and discussed.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Face of SARE
In order to understand and apply the principles of sustainable agriculture in the production and marketing of food, energy, and fiber products, the Arizona Sustainable Agriculture Professional Development Program (PDP) reaches out to and supports Extension, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, agricultural professionals, farmers, and ranchers. Arizona's PDP is centered around SARE initiatives and goals. Professionals are also encouraged by the PDP program to carry out research and develop educational initiatives that will support the development of sustainable agricultural systems in Arizona. Stakeholders and potential grant recipients get information and recommendations to assist them in navigating the grant application process. This happens through our annual grant writing workshop and through one-on-one interactions from the AZ WSARE co-coordinators and other WSARE personnel that are always willing to assist.
A significant focus of our Arizona PDP program is through strengthening the a priori knowledge base of our own University agricultural professionals (Extension Agents and Specialists) regarding the most resent sustainable agriculture concepts and theories so that they may be shared and disseminated to their clientele and stakeholders throughout the state. This is done primarily through our travel scholarship program of which 11 individuals took advantage of during the the ended grant cycle. This helps strengthen our own cadre or professionals so that they may all become advocates of sustainable agricultural practices in their respective research and Extension programming efforts.