Progress report for WSP18-001
Project Information
Conference training and educational topics are developed with the input of an active and interested advisory committee. This SARE PDP grant will enable the cosponsoring of additional conferences and workshops/trainings with partners and collaborators. Additionally, funds will be used to maintain an Alaska SARE listserv, printed materials, Zoom meeting platform, and Alaska webinar/newsletter which is integral for connecting hundreds of Alaskans with innovations and information regarding sustainable agriculture. The Alaska SARE webinar and newsletter platform is dedicated towards sustainable farming operations, research, and projects occurring around the state and abroad. Lastly, the PDP grant funds will also support the state WSARE state coordinator to travel to the annual WSARE PDP summer meeting.
The topics that will be highlighted at the Annual Alaska Sustainable Agriculture Conferences and Alaska PDP Trainings/Workshops include: 1) sustainable soil and crop management, 2) sustainable poultry and livestock management, 3) integrated pest management, plant disease, and crop nutritional deficiencies, 4) water quality, crop irrigation, natural resources, and fish/wildlife habitat, 5) composting and fertilizer management, and 6) agricultural business management. Farm health and safety, farm business diversification, integrated pest management, as well as agricultural business management and economics will be emphasized, since this information is crucial for beginning farmers and ranchers, as well as maintaining agriculture businesses across Alaska. Since interest in the production and management of reindeer has been increasing within the state, livestock management aspects of the conference will be aimed at further developing the reindeer industry within Alaska.
1) Increase the knowledge of agricultural professionals about sustainable agriculture practices and achievable goals that they can adapt and implement in Alaska,
2) Increase the emphasis on sustainable agriculture practices that agricultural
professionals incorporate into educational programs and publications,
3) Facilitate the transmission of knowledge of sustainable agriculture principles from agricultural professionals to agricultural producers, and
4) Promote the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices by agricultural producers and assist them in developing the skills necessary to make these practices successful.
Advisors
Education
The Alaska SARE PDP is part of the Agriculture and Horticulture Department of the School of Natural Resources and Extension at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Along with SARE, we include programs in commercial agriculture/horticulture, integrated pest management, pesticide safety, and plant diagnostics. Other partners include the USDA NRCS, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and Alaska Division of Agriculture.
Due to the long distances between communities and limited number of extension agents in Alaska, the SARE program is used to build partnerships, collaborations, and linkages with other agricultural groups as well as educate agriculture professionals. We frequently do this by using SARE funds to cosponsor existing agricultural conferences and workshops.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
Host the Annual Alaska Host the Annual Alaska Sustainable Agriculture Conference.
Provide a 3-day Sustainable Agriculture Conference.
Participants will gain or increase knowledge, skills, awareness about sustainable ag topics, systems, principles, technologies, practices and resources.
Participants will gain or increase motivations and skills to effectively educate farmers and ranchers about sustainable agriculture.
Participants use information learned to conduct educational programs about sustainable agriculture topics, systems, principles, practices, technologies, and resources.
Participants use information learned to incorporate information into products and educational tools.
Participants use information learned to share project materials and/or SARE and other sustainable ag resources with farmers and others.
Participants use information learned to develop and/or strengthen professional collaborations and involvement in teaching, research and demonstration of sustainable agriculture topics, systems, principles, and practices.
Participants adopt sustainable systems, approaches and practices.
Provide workshops focused on sustainable agriculture.
Will provide workshops focused on sustainable agriculture.
Participants will gain or increase knowledge, skills, awareness about sustainable ag topics, systems, principles, technologies, practices and resources.
Participants will gain or increase motivations and skills to effectively educate farmers and ranchers about sustainable agriculture.
Participants use information learned to conduct educational programs about sustainable agriculture topics, systems, principles, practices, technologies, and resources.
Participants use information learned to incorporate information into products and educational tools.
Participants use information learned to share project materials and/or SARE and other sustainable ag resources with farmers and others.
Participants use information learned to develop and/or strengthen professional collaborations and involvement in teaching, research and demonstration of sustainable agriculture topics, systems, principles, and practices.
Participants adopt sustainable systems, approaches and practices.
Provide webinars/newsletter focused on sustainable agriculture.
Will provide webinars/newsletter focused on sustainable agriculture.
Participants will gain or increase knowledge, skills, awareness about sustainable ag topics, systems, principles, technologies, practices and resources.
Participants will gain or increase motivations and skills to effectively educate farmers and ranchers about sustainable agriculture.
Participants use information learned to conduct educational programs about sustainable agriculture topics, systems, principles, practices, technologies, and resources.
Participants use information learned to incorporate information into products and educational tools.
Participants use information learned to share project materials and/or SARE and other sustainable ag resources with farmers and others.
Participants use information learned to develop and/or strengthen professional collaborations and involvement in teaching, research and demonstration of sustainable agriculture topics, systems, principles, and practices.
Participants adopt sustainable systems, approaches and practices.
Host and provide access online to conference/workshop presentations and recorded webinars.
Will host and provide access online to conference/workshop presentations and recorded webinars.
Participants will gain or increase knowledge, skills, awareness about sustainable ag topics, systems, principles, technologies, practices and resources.
Participants will gain or increase motivations and skills to effectively educate farmers and ranchers about sustainable agriculture.
Participants use information learned to conduct educational programs about sustainable agriculture topics, systems, principles, practices, technologies, and resources.
Participants use information learned to incorporate information into products and educational tools.
Participants use information learned to share project materials and/or SARE and other sustainable ag resources with farmers and others.
Participants use information learned to develop and/or strengthen professional collaborations and involvement in teaching, research and demonstration of sustainable agriculture topics, systems, principles, and practices.
Participants adopt sustainable systems, approaches and practices.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Face of SARE
Outreach is coordinated through our University Website as well as Cooperative Extension Service Offices and Statewide Agency Offices. We also release information through our list serves, websites, and social media pages across state agency and University offices.