Progress report for WNV23-001
Project Information
The Nevada State Development Program (SDP) for Western SARE has the overall objective of helping Nevada's agricultural professionals become more familiar with the core principles of sustainable agriculture. The Nevada SDP program for WSARE will utilize grant funding for two types of programs in 2023-2025, industry-wide workshops and discussions on top agriculture sustainable needs and funding to support faculty and professionals with professional development and mini-grants.
Through stakeholder workshops and professional development travel grants, we will build stability during weather changes in livestock and food production systems. The topics of the workshops will follow top needs identified in a statewide needs assessment to be completed in early 2023. SARE funding will also support inter-agency teams (assembled by Extension) of Nevada's agricultural community, including state and federal agencies and farmers to strategically develop plans to advance sustainable agriculture in Nevada.
Nevada's State Development Program (SDP) will support training for Cooperative Extension faculty and staff, faculty from the University of Nevada's College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources, and Government/Non- government organizations that apply for support. Training will improve their understanding of SARE principles related to sustainable agriculture. We will also offer development and implementation grants for training program applicants through mini-grants.
The Nevada State Development Program (SDP) for Western SARE has the overall objective of helping Nevada's agricultural professionals become more familiar with the core principles of sustainable agriculture. By utilizing the excellent products already developed by the SARE program, our goal is to teach agricultural professionals how to incorporate sustainable agriculture concepts and principles. Through incorporation into individual education programs, we will successfully reach large and small agricultural producers in counties and Native American communities across our diverse state.
Due to the lack of sustainable agricultural resources available in Nevada, professionals need to seek outside training to improve their knowledge and understanding of SARE principles related to sustainable agriculture, which include profit over the long term, stewardship of our nation's land, air and water, and quality of life for farmers, ranchers and their communities.
Nevada's agricultural industry has been the consistent baseline industry in the state. While tourism and mining industries have had their boom-and-bust cycles or burst bubbles, agriculture has been steady and reliable. As stated in many studies, the sustainability of rural communities is at stake.
Nevada has eleven cooperative extension educators/specialists with full or partial agriculture/horticulture appointments to reach all of the communities across the state. To be effective, extension educators rely on partnerships, collaboration, and cooperation with other agencies and agricultural groups to disperse information across the state. Therefore, these funds will be utilized to help accomplish the mission of providing awareness and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.
During the 2023-2025 funding period, our advisory committee will develop priorities within sustainable agriculture topics based on a new statewide needs assessment. A statewide needs assessment is in progress, with secondary data collection nearly complete. The needs assessment's final stage will prioritize the needs through key stakeholder discussions and finalize in early 2023.
Nevada, like other states, is in unprecedented times with extended drought, flash floods, wider temperature swings, and agricultural water supplies dwindling. The essential agriculture industry (by cash receipts, 19% hay, 45% cattle, and 21% dairy, Nevada Agricultural Statistics bulletin 2021) can advance through key industry stakeholders implementing strategies and education.
The sustainable agriculture topics, likely covered by this statewide team, are adaptations to changing weather, water use and efficiency, improved forage and livestock production systems, and food resiliency for Nevada.
The Nevada team and advisory group will meet in the winter of 2023 to plan and discuss the grant's goals and identify priorities for the year. Annual meetings of the advisory group will guide the workshop topics and other activities. The Nevada WSARE Coordinator with the Extension team will plan industry discussions and the workshop for each year.
We intend to initiate a call for proposals for the professional development travel and mini-grants in each of the three years of the grant cycle in January and June. In 2023, the travel and mini-grants funds will come from the no-cost extended 2021 and 2022 WSARE grants. The Nevada Coordinator will notify interested Extension, university, government, and non-government agencies of the opportunities and activities. The State Coordinator will review travel and mini-grant program requests and be approved/disapproved by the advisory committee. Upon completion of the requested travel/mini-grant programs, participants must submit a final report and evaluation.
Successful award recipients should complete the proposed professional development activity or mini-grants will submit a progress report before December 15th of each year. The Nevada WSARE coordinator will complete a progress report in years one and two and a final report at the end of the grant award before the end of January.
Advisors
- (Educator)
Education
Nevada's SARE's State Development Program (SDP) provides training, grants, and resources for ag professionals to build their awareness, knowledge, and skills related to sustainable agriculture concepts. PDP opportunities are intended for a wide range of professionals, including Cooperative Extension Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), and the private sector NGOs
SARE-SDP funds will help professionals incorporate sustainability principles in education, technical assistance and outreach programs. SARE funding will support inter-agency teams (assembled by Extension) to hold training workshops in Nevada with national experts from Nevada's agricultural community, including state and federal agencies and farmers.
Nevada's SARE State Development Program (SDP) for 2023-25 will continue to support professional development through travel to essential trainings for Cooperative Extension faculty and staff, faculty from the University of Nevada's College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources, and any other Government/Non-government agency or organizations that apply for support.
The SDP will accomplish the educational objectives by utilizing SARE resources to sponsor attendance at nationally recognized SARE events and sustainable agriculture conferences, develop video creations and publications, and provide local training in sustainable agricultural production, specific to Nevada's production operations and conditions.
Hiring of Andrew Waaswa, the Co-coordinator of Western SARE PDP in Nevada
We used the Western SARE grant to hire and bring Andrew Waaswa on board, who has diligently brought the face of the SARE to the public. He presented and highlighted different Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE) materials and resources and answered questions about producer grants at the Carson River Coalition – Agricultural Producers Working Group meeting. The Carson River Coalition – Agricultural Producers Working Group works with Carson River Watershed (CRW) agricultural-associated partners to enhance soil health practices, maintain and improve water quality and water resource management, increase agricultural economic resilience (from drought, climate change, invasive species, etc.) and promote agriculture as a beneficial and critical land use for the protection of the CRW floodplain. The immediate outcome was appreciation by one of the 16 participants who said, "Great information, Andrew. Thank you for sharing!" The group pledged to continue working with Andrew on WARE educational resources and contact me for technical advice when the next WSARE producer grant applications open.
Also, Andrew coordinates with the rest of the UNR Extension faculty members – he identifies the appropriate SARE resources they need to accompany their workshops and other educational events and makes them available.
We will also use SARE resources to sponsor small extension grants (mini-grants) to explore sustainable techniques specific to local needs. Local 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.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
Nevada has an agriculture industry spread throughout the state with a small network of professionals who have not found the time to determine the statewide needs in agriculture and natural resources. We aim to develop a statewide needs assessment to build discussions and plans to identify how Nevada agencies can work together to address top needs during these rapidly changing times.
The steps to develop the needs assessment is first, to collect current and relevant materials to provide a basis of what is known and thought about in Nevada. Second, the information will be compelled into a background report. Third, key stakeholder meetings and surveys will be used to provide feedback on what needs are top priority in sustainable agriculture for Nevada.
In 2023, students compiled collected information into a document. The document is far too long due to the large amount of material. Edits were started to make the document more concise.
Starting in August 2024, edits were made to the previous needs assessment document that was compiled using secondary data, and the document was summarized into five pages. This, in addition to the additional reviewed literature, provided information that guided the development of the questionnaire and focus group discussion guides that have received an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval through UNR. The questionnaire and the focus group discussion guides (FGDs) have been designed to collect information about the four thematic areas in Nevada, including Horticulture, Agriculture, Natural resources, and Environment (HANRE). The questionnaire encompasses all the HANRE components while three FGDs have been designed with Horticulture and Agriculture being independent subjects while Natural Resources and Environment have been merged. Plans are laid to collect primary needs assessment data across the entire state of Nevada following the IRB approval and the needs assessment exercise is projected to be concluded by the end of 2025.
Learn new ways to identify insects that are in Nevada.
Learn new insects that may be a potential threat to Nevada’s landscape
Get community members' insects identified.
How to properly report an invasive pest and what defines an invasive pest
Education for Extension staff for insects - class training.
The class was taken at the end of 2023 but is planned to be used in numerous public education functions planned in 2024.
The Bee & Garden Conference 2024 aimed to provide educational opportunities for gardeners, beekeepers, and environmental enthusiasts through expert-led sessions, hands-on workshops, and networking opportunities. The event focused on promoting sustainable practices, increasing awareness of pollinators’ roles, and equipping participants with knowledge to enhance their gardening and beekeeping skills.
The conference was held from March 22-24, 2024, at Carson Valley Inn, Minden, NV. The agenda featured a diverse range of sessions tailored for beekeepers, gardeners, and special interests. The topics covered included pollinator conservation, landscape design, plant propagation, irrigation techniques, and beekeeping economics. Sessions were conducted by renowned educators, researchers, and experienced practitioners from the University of Nevada, Reno Extension and beyond. A highlight of this educational event was the Northern NevadaScapes track, which emphasized landscape planning and sustainability, covering aspects such as planting design fundamentals, irrigation basics, and native plant selection.
Participant Summary & Feedback
101 participants registered for the conference. A sampling of the evaluation is below.
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- 19 attendees participated in the Northern NevadaScapes track.
- 37% increase in knowledge was reported by participants.
- 100% satisfaction with the course content (rated at least 4 on a scale of 1-5).
- 100% satisfaction with the instructors (rated at least 4 on a scale of 1-5).
- 94% of participants indicated they would apply at least one concept learned during the sessions.
- SARE Publications Distributed During the Bee & Garden Conference and two other Sustainable Agricultural Conferences in 2024
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- 25 Managing Alternative Pollinators
- 10 cover cropping for pollinators and beneficial insects
- 10 Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests
- 25 Smart Water Use on Your Farm or Ranch
- 20 Profitable poultry
- 25 Farming with soil life
- 10 Scaling up your vegetable farm for wholesale Markets
- 100 flash drives with the SARE publications
- Participant Comments
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- "A lot of information was covered, but it was extremely informative."
- "Carrie did a fantastic job keeping the material relevant, with good group activities and great handouts!"
- "Very good!"
- "Excellent speakers, very knowledgeable."
- "In the future, can UNR make someone available or have resources to evaluate landscaping plans?"
- "Your NevadaScapes presentation was absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much!"
- The Bee & Garden Conference 2024 successfully met its objectives by fostering education, engagement, and knowledge-sharing among attendees. With high satisfaction rates and tangible learning outcomes, this event served as a significant platform for advancing gardening and beekeeping education in Northern Nevada. Western SARE resources were distributed to the participants, and this, plus continued collaboration, is expected to enhance the long-term impact of the knowledge shared.
- Another impactful outcome of the Western SARE grant is the ongoing statewide needs assessment which has gained shape and is expected to guide the development and delivery of educational events around sustainable agricultural education across the state of Nevada.
Faculty can go to places and attend conferences
During the Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024, project period, University of Nevada, Reno Extension sponsored faculty to attend the following events:
- Society for Rangel Management (SRM) 2024 Annual Meeting, Sparks, NV, Paul Meiman. Lodging comped due to Paul Meiman being on the Planning Committee
- 2024 Annual SRM, Sparks, NV, Brad Schultz
- 2024 Western SARE State Conference in Missoula, MT, Holly Gatzke.
One of the faculty members indicated that his participation in the 2024 SRM Annual Conference of the Society for Range Management helped him expand his knowledge and awareness of a wide variety of issues and topics that affect rangelands and rangeland management in Nevada. In the following months, his efforts working with livestock producers, landowners, and natural resource managers (private, state, and federal agencies) in Nevada was enhanced by what he learned at the conference. Clients in Nevada became more aware and more knowledgeable of a wide variety of issues and topics that affect rangelands and rangeland management in Nevada. Specifically, he improved his understanding and awareness of BLM’s planned implementation of the Public Lands Rule and Outcome Based Grazing demonstrations and influenced his work with Nevada producers and public land managers. New monitoring efforts were initiated on 2 NV ranches, and recently initiated efforts on another NV ranch were expanded. These efforts improve rangeland management on nearly 1 million acres of Nevada Rangeland and improve efforts to manage livestock grazing on rangelands to be consistent with the endangered Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. In summary, participation in this conference contributed to the successful promotion of “good stewardship of natural resources” and supported “profitable and sustainable ranching methods that strengthen agricultural competitiveness” while “enhancing natural resources and fish and wildlife habitat” on rangelands including riparian areas/wetlands.
Additionally, the same faculty was sponsored to participate in the Central Utah Grazing Expo the previous year which allowed him to learn about the poisonous plants cell phone app that USDA-ARS, Poisonous Plants Lab developed; about how low-tech, process-based meadow restoration was used in UT; and how the UT Public Lands Policy Committee addressed recent public lands policy issues that also affect Nevada. In January 2024, he made several presentations throughout Northern Nevada as part of the Cattlemen’s Update, demonstrating how the USDA-ARS’s Poisonous Plants smartphone app is used and the information it provides to the user. Fewer than 10% of those who attended the presentations were aware of this app. Nearly everyone who attended the presentations downloaded the app during the presentations and used it. Seventy-five to eighty percent of attendees indicated that they found the app useful and planned to use it in the future. This will help “promote good stewardship of natural resources” and “support profitable sustainable farming and ranching methods that strengthen agricultural competitiveness while enhancing natural resources and fish and wildlife habitat”.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Face of SARE
The face of SARE was directly promoted through this project as workshop participants were educated on the SARE programs, various SARE grant programs and presented results from regional projects. The state coordinator also interfaced directly with multiple producers throughout the state, informing of sustainable agriculture practices and the SARE program as part of Extension, Farm Bureau and Cattleman workshops and conferences.
On Dec 11, 2024, the state WSARE co-coordinator presented at the Carson Coalition Agricultural Producers Working Group quarterly meeting and shared about WSARE resources and grant programs to 19 producers and agriculture-related professionals. One member of the group has constantly followed up with the co-coordinator indicating the need and use of the WSARE resources.