Colorado 2018-20 PDP project

Our target audience is new and beginning livestock producers, or experienced livestock producers, both of whom are interested in accessing and developing the supply chain for specialty and differentiated livestock products sold primarily through direct to consumer markets. In the first year we expect to work with 25 participants over the course of 6 weeks.

We have multiple channels for promoting this class series: 1) our website foodsystems.edu; 2) our Food Systems newsletter; 3) through our community and state partners such as San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition, Community Ag Alliance, Colorado Farmers Market Association, Colorado Department of Agriculture, CAMP, NMPAN; 4) social media such as partner Facebook pages; 5) direct communication with livestock producers on CSU Extension email lists.

We are developing a 6-week class that, during its pilot period, will be held in 3 different locations: Routt County; San Luis Valley (near Alamosa); and La Plata County. The class covers the following six modules to provide producers with production, processing and marketing information designed to build the skills and connections they need to be successful in direct to consumer markets.

Module Learning Objectives

Marketing #1: Understanding and developing new markets for meat • Understand the range of market opportunities for meat and value-added meat products

• Learn about consumer tastes and preferences for meats
• Develop a competitive advantage in marketing your products

Production #1: Breed selection, range/pasture management and animal nutrition for sustainable meat production • Understand how breed influences rates of gain, meat quality and profitability

• Learn the basics of animal nutrition
• Understand how forage quality influences meat production and quality
• Learn about tools to develop a grazing plan

Production #2: Meat quality and safety • Understand carcass quality on the hoof

• Learn how finishing influences final meat quality
• Learn about disease prevention and biosecurity

Processing #1: Basics of meat processing • Understand how to identify and work with a processor

• Understand processing costs
• List the information a processor needs to deliver the product you will be selling
• Calculate yield of packaged product

Processing #2: Processing for specific markets • Understand meat cutting requirements for different market channels

• Learn how to provide specific cutting instructions to meet your customers’ needs

Marketing #2: Pricing and selling to your target markets • Develop pricing strategies for your meat products, by market channel

• Learn how to educate your customers on meat cuts, handling and preparation
• Understand state and federal regulations around meat sales

The 6-week course will focus on increasing the awareness and knowledge of livestock producers to help them better understand market conditions around the state and the changing demand for differentiated products in direct-to-consumer markets. Based on this knowledge, the course will teach producers specific production attributes that will help them raise more consistent, high-quality products that will yield cuts desired by different types of buyers (individual consumers, restaurant buyers, retail grocers). The course will also help course participants understand how to work with their meat processors in order to ensure that the animals they deliver to be slaughtered and processed always yield the desired packaged products.

Based on knowledge gained in this class series, producers will make the following changes in decision-making with resulting actions: 1) know how to adjust feeding, grazing and handling of their animals to positively impact meat quality and yield during processing; 2) establish differential pricing for different cuts of meat and meat products, based on their market outlets and their costs of production; and 3) select markets that offer the highest and most consistent return to their business.

This course will emphasize the benefits of land and water management of livestock production, some of which will be entirely grass-based systems. Stewardship of the resource base is essential for continued production of high-quality meat products. In addition, we will focus on the costs and returns of direct to consumer markets for differentiated meat products, and discuss strategies for accessing these markets such as developing processor and buyer relationships.

To evaluate outcomes resulting from course participation, livestock producers will: 1) complete assessments of their knowledge of production, processing, marketing and other business topics, both before and after the course; and 2) characterize community resources, connections and new market opportunities they have identified since beginning the course and that they hope to build upon following completion of the course. These evaluations results will then be used to help us plan the next round of courses in other parts of Colorado, and help other states replicate this model should they wish to.

The target audience? Specifically, identify the group or groups that will be targeted for participation in your project.

Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are the primary audience

Ag professionals are the secondary audience

How will you promote the event to insure reaching this audience?

Email listservs from CFVGA, agencies, producer groups, etc.Flyers, Website https://cfvga.org

Describe briefly what you’re going to do, such as hold an educational event, produce educational materials, etc.We will offer a two day educational conference with networking and breakout sessions.

• Ag producers and professionals will increase knowledge regarding the challenges and opportunities facing the fruit and vegetable industry in Colorado.
• Ag producers and professionals will show intention to implement or create programs for growers to implement best practices for food safety, labor, production and business development.
• Ag producers will increase farm resiliency and realize business goals through improved access to appropriate resources and best practices.

Paper evaluation at the conference to all attendees.

In this inaugural year we will be targeting beginning and novice beekeepers. Included in this group are current backyard beekeepers who are relatively new and have a desire to learn more as well as those that have not raised bees in the past but would like to.

An aggressive social media advertising campaign has been designed to reach an audience that includes gardeners and those interested in pollinator issues. Print media will also be utilized including flyers in home and garden stores. Finally, the word will be spread to regional Bee Clubs to expand the audience to their friends, neighbors and contacts that may have expressed an interest in beekeeping.

A 2-day course covering topics in which an aspiring beekeeper would need to know to be successful and sustainable has been designed. Local, experienced beekeepers as well as Extension professionals will be leading these classes. A course book for participants will be designed and printed to provide participants with reference material to review as they need. By having both the classroom and book the desire is that the information presented will be remembered and utilized as attendees begin or continue in their beekeeping endeavor.

The expectation is that participants in this course will leave with the knowledge and resources to become successful beekeepers. They will be more aware of management practices and health issues that currently affect the sustainability of bees. As we create more awareness and successful beekeepers we hope to also increase the population of pollinators in the area.

Our desire is to show that with the proper knowledge and management, bees can be successfully kept by those willing to put forth the effort. The hope is that those with intentions of raising bees would become more aware of what is required and make more educated decisions when it comes to managing their hives.

Pollinator’s and the honey bee in particular have been a hot topic the last several years. The struggle to maintain the population and importance in food production has been well documented. This has led to many people having a desire to do their part and not only keep bees but to also improve their practices in order to provide better habitat and better health of bees. The education and mentoring that will take place as a result of this school will help to insure the future sustainability of pollinator’s in the area. Those in attendance will learn from local beekeepers and experts about management and health of bees therefor better equipping them to begin or continue in their beekeeping aspirations.

Surveys will be administered at the conclusion of the class to assess the knowledge gained and intentions of use of this knowledge by participants. By utilizing a digitally based survey system we hope to be able to track knowledge and intentions with demographic data in order to assist instructor’s in targeting future educational needs and marketing.

Agent have been teaching Seed Saving Classes for the past 4 years in our region (Norwood, Ridgway, and Montrose (More than a dozen). The plan is to continue. Some of these classes are in support of regional seed libraries (Norwood, Ridgway and now maybe Telluride).

• Agent will collaborate with a fellow seed saving teacher (we attended a teacher training together several years ago) and a local small produce/seed farmer and seed company (High Desert Seed) to offer classes in support of regional seed libraries.
• With High Desert Seed, and Agent hopes to do an advanced class for farmers in Montrose area.
• Agent is starting Grower Meetings in the area and will share on regional seed systems, seed saving, small farm breeding, etc. at least one of those meetings this year. I think farming seeds is something that has potential in our area.

2) Project description – answer the following questions:

1. Who is the target audience? Specifically, identify the group or groups that will be targeted for participation in your project. Practicing ranchers throughout Colorado who are most likely to encounter wolves in the next few years. i.e., Ranchers in Western Colorado

1. How will you promote the event to ensure reaching this audience? It will be posted on the CSU Extension website and on the website for the new Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence.  It will be marketed to livestock organizations like Colorado Cattlemen's, Colorado Woolgrowers, Agricultural Extension Agents in Western Colorado and local livestock associations.

1. Describe briefly what you are going to do, such as hold an educational event, produce educational materials, etc. We will create 8-15 individual video interviews of ranchers and wolf experts in MT and WY. Once these videos are created, we will edit them and place them all on a Colorado State University webpage, individually or as a package.

1. What changes in awareness, knowledge or attitudes are expected to occur as a result of the target audience participating in the project? (Be specific) Wolves have been absent from the sate since the mid 1900's. Contemporary ranchers in Colorado have never had to operate with this predator and it's well documented that wolves prey on domestic livestock, principally cattle and sheep. Current Colorado ranchers have little to no practical knowledge operating with wolves. These videos will raise their awareness about wolf and livestock management tools and practices used by ranchers in the Northern Rockies states who have been dealing with this predator for 20-40 years. The attitudinal changes include learning about wolf management tools so ranchers can see they can manage wolves and still have a sustainable agriculture business.

1. What changes in decision-making, intentions or action do you hope will take place among the target audience? Tools and strategies that can be implemented by Colorado ranchers will enable them to minimize wolf predation and sustain their ranches. These tools are greater than just lethal means, and that's specifically important since killing an introduced grey wolf in Colorado is a federal crime. Non-lethal means are less known than lethal management methods by Colorado ranchers. These educational videos will show other ranchers using nonlethal tools to manage wolves.

1. What is the intended benefit from these changes (e.g. improved stewardship, economics, market access)? Livestock production in Colorado will have to incorporate practices for the management of wolves. If ranchers in other Northern Rockies states can manage them, Colorado ranchers can learn to manage wolves too and thus sustain the Western American tradition of raising livestock and food production in Colorado.

1. Evaluation plan – How will you determine if your educational outcomes have been achieved? (Describe the methods) We will be able to track visitors to the CSU video webpages, and create a post-viewing test to determine how effective the information was and exactly what was learned from the videos.

3) Budget Narrative: Explain the expenses listed. Eligible expenses include reasonable speaker and project travel expenses, notebooks, publications used at meeting or event, plot or project inputs (like seed or fertilizer), postage, promotional expenses, photocopies, laboratory analysis expense and equipment rental.

Ineligible expenses include salaries, equipment and food, including food service items such as plates and cups. The exceptions to this "food rule" are if participants must travel more than 50 miles to an event or if the continuity of the event will be broken up by meals being served off-site.  Our estimated expenses are:

• Lodging - 11 nights at $100 per night for 2 rooms ($2,200)
• Mileage - 3000 miles; Rent from commercial source, $850 + gas $400 (3000/20 x $2.5/gal) = 1250
• Meals - 12 days for 2 people (average meal per diem/day $66 x 12 days x 2 is $1584)
• Miscellaneous video production expenses ($500)
• The total project budget estimate is $5,534. Amount requested due to COVID $6500. This does not include the salaries of participating individuals.

• Who is the target audience? Specifically, identify the group or groups that will be targeted for participation in your project.

1) Ranchers

2) Land managers (both public & private)

3) NRCS employees

4) Forest Service employees

5) BLM employees

6) CSU Extension employees

7) Soil Conservation District employees

8) Colorado Section of Society for Range Management members

9) CSU Range students

10) Open Space managers

We hope to have between 100 & 150 people in attendance.

• How will you promote the event to insure reaching this audience?

The CSSRM will distribute conference information in a variety of newsletters, social media, and email list serves that committee members have access to. The section will also look for promotional assistance through partners such as the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s monthly statewide newsletter.

Additionally, the section will provide an electronic flyer via the CSSRM list serve. In addition to these methods, Barn Media may be willing to provide an announcement on their website and we might be able to get it onto their radio broadcast around the state.

• Describe briefly what you’re going to do, such as hold an educational event, produce educational materials, etc.

An educational conference will be hosted to discuss topics such as animal health, land health, grazing management, family communication, ranching enterprise diversity, and other critical issues and topics facing ranchers and land managers today. The key focus of this year’s conference will be breaking down communication barriers on the range and encouraging conversation on tough social topics. This will encourage all stakeholders to focus on collaborative land management for the betterment of our resources. Presenters will be a mix of communication experts in the field of natural resources and specialists throughout the field of range. Additional topics will include a tour of the Poudre Learning Center short grass prairie restoration, agricultural leasing opportunities, a young professional focused session, native seeding for reclamation with Don Hijar, interviews with Maria Fernandez-Giminez (CSU) and Nick Trainor (Trainor Cattle Co), and presentations on the Rangeland Assessment Platform presentation and the CARM Grazing Calculator.

• What changes in awareness, knowledge or attitudes are expected to occur as a result of the target audience participating in the project? 

1) The audience will become familiar with restoration practices available to practitioners on the short grass prairie.

2) The audience should gain knowledge in animal health, range science, & animal

behavior principles which can help improve productivity and keep a ranching operation both sustainable and environmentally sound.

3) The audience should increase their awareness in social relationships and build a stronger knowledge base in how communications can impact the ranching operation. This information should be valuable both within the family and for interconnected relationships working towards improving and building upon current range practices.

4) The audience will become familiar with new tools available to them to improve range-related practices.

• What changes in decision-making, intentions or action do you hope will take place among the target audience?

1) It is hoped that as a result of this conference the audience members will be better equipped to engage in communication with family members and partnering entities in their ranching operation. We also hope that they will seek to understand differences and find common ground when communicating.

2) As a result of attending this conference the audience should better understand animal health and range management principles that can allow them to make smart decisions for animal/land interaction.

3) As a result of attending this conference, it is hoped that the audience will be more informed on best available science and tools to understand grazing threshold and rangeland health.

4) It is hoped that audience members will utilize knowledge gained from this conference to apply some principles of short grass prairie restoration in their land management techniques and utilize native seeds in restoration efforts.

• What is the intended benefit from these changes (e.g. improved stewardship, economics, market access)?

1) Better stewardship of both the land & the livestock.

2) Greater potential for profitability and/or efficiencies through use of new tolls in rangeland management.

3) A foundation for starting conversations with people from different backgrounds and differing opinions to better create relationships to benefit rangeland management

• Evaluation plan – How will you determine if your educational outcomes have been achieved? 

Audience members will be asked to evaluate the program at the end of each of the three days. This way we do not miss feedback from participants who only attended one or two days of the conference. The program evaluation will be conducted either in a paper form or else using clicker technology.

Project description – answer the following questions:
a. Who is the target audience? Specifically, identify the group or groups that will be targeted for participation in your project.
The primary target audience of this grant is the landowners who wish to refrain from using chemical to control Canada Thistle on their properties. The project will be open to private landowners who are interested in the program, this will include landholding organizations, local governments, and businesses.

An additional target audience is the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) who is interested in this partnership because it informs their insectary staff about the efficacy of rust fungus control on Canada Thistle at the high elevation of Custer County and the relatively dry climate.

b. How will you promote the event to insure reaching this audience?
On file in the Extension Office is a list of landowners who have called seeking alternatives to chemical control of Canada Thistle. This list will be contacted as well as the local High Altitude Gardening Club, the Custer County Weed Advisory Board, and our partners at the San Isabel Land Trust for promotion of the program. The program will also be promoted through social media, newspaper, and radio press releases. This request will purchase 20 releases (each release is about 75 grams of the rust fungus) and so participation will be limited.

To engage the CDA, we will purchase a subscription that will provide 20 releases and will support their staff returning in future years to monitor and collect spores.

c. Describe briefly what you are going to do, such as hold an educational event, produce educational materials, etc.
The Extension Office will order the releases, purchase spray bottles for each landowner, create educational materials, and advertise the program. The Extension Office will also oversee the application of the spores to the Canada Thistle and work with the landowner to make sure

Community members will be recruited for this program through promotional strategies including word of mouth, direct contact, social media, newspaper, and radio press releases. Site visits of all interested landowners will be conducted to identify the best properties to release the fungus. The owners of selected properties will receive a required training on Integrated Pest Management Strategies and how to apply the rust fungus.

Landowner education will teach participants how to inoculate the thistle plants, how to nurture the growth of the fungus for maximum success, and how to mark them for monitoring. Another component of the education will include the access expectations for state and extension staff.

In following years, this project will provide information to the CDA about growing conditions for this fungus in Custer County. For example, was it more successful near water? Was it successful in a grazed or mowed area? The CDA staff will also work with the Extension Office to collect future supplies of the fungus for local and statewide application.

d. What changes in awareness, knowledge or attitudes are expected to occur as a result of the target audience participating in the project? (Be specific)

The primary change is to have landowners manage their Canada Thistle in a way that suppresses the infestations. Because some people do not wish to use chemicals, they are hand pulling or doing nothing to control the infestations.

This project will increase awareness about the safety of host specific biocontrol use, as often people misunderstand how bio-controls are developed. The Rust Fungus is already present on the plant and therefore in the state and county. This project aims to increase the abundance of the fungus for systemic control of thistle patches. In future years, successful marketing of the program, and the success of this specific project on patches will increase interest and help control local and statewide Canada Thistle infestations.

e. What changes in decision-making, intentions or action do you hope will take place among the target audience? (Be specific)
The intent of the inaugural Rust Fungus program is to create a demand for future purchase and release of this fungus in the county. CDA currently lists over 250 acres infested with Canada Thistle in the county and it is the goal of this program that this program continues in future years and using this inaugural year as a catalyst for future participation.

f. What is the intended benefit from these changes (e.g. improved stewardship, economics, market access)?
The benefit of these changes is to improve the control of Canada Thistle in the county on properties that will not receive chemical controls. The other benefit will be the supply of rust fungus for the CDA Insectary for distribution in similar climates across the state.

Project description – answer the following questions:
a. Who is the target audience? Specifically, identify the group or groups that will be targeted for participation in your project.

1) Ranchers
2) Land managers (both public & private)
3) NRCS employees
4) Forest Service employees
5) BLM employees
6) CSU Extension employees
7) Soil Conservation District employees
8) Colorado Section of Society for Range Management members
9) CSU Range students
10) Open Space managers
11) Rocky Mountain Farmers Union

We hope to have between 70 people in attendance COVID dependent depending on COVID restrictions. The event will be filmed and edited for a short webinar style film.

b. How will you promote the event to insure reaching this audience?

We will promote through CSU Extension small acreage and Range Management websites and facebook pages. We will also invite all ranchers and farmers who have participated in high fungal compost studies with CSU and Mosca-Hooper conservation district and local ranchers. Nicole is a world-renowned regenerative soil scientist capable of drawing an audience. If we cannot hole a live workshop due to COVID, we will video soil pits and fields with Nicole and discuss in a webinar format.

c. Describe briefly what you’re going to do, such as hold an educational event, produce educational materials, etc.

An educational two-day workshop will include a field component on the ranch digging soil pits, analyzing soil tests as a group, and discussing problems with fallow field regeneration. We think this group will share similar issues and will be excited to brainstorm on solutions with Nicole. If we have to video Nicole in the field due to COVID, we will use precautions with just Nicole and likely produce a live webinar the second day so ranchers and ask her specific questions.

d. What changes in awareness, knowledge or attitudes are expected to occur as a result of the target audience participating in the project? (Be specific)

1) The audience will become familiar with restoration practices available to practitioners world-wide.
2) The audience should gain knowledge keeping a ranching operation both sustainable and environmental sound through new emerging soil building techniques.
3) The audience should increase their social circles and connections interested in building soil health.
4) Participants will learn how to interpret soil tests that highlight deficiencies in micronutrients.
4) The audience will become familiar with new tools available to them to improve soil deficiencies such as the use of humic acid, high fungal compost, fish emulsion, and fertilizers to improve soil and plant biology.
5) The audience will collectively discover solutions for similar issues related to pasture renovations. For example, many ranchers have problems with foxtail barley or low organic matter in kochia dominated fields. Nicole’s book explains the micronutrients missing in kochia dominated fields.

e. What changes in decision-making, intentions or actions do you hope will take place among the target audience? (Be specific)

1) It is hoped that as a result of this conference ranchers will do a soil test prior to trying to renovate a pasture and grapple with new emerging science of soil biology. It is also a hope that the community of ranchers engaged will experiment with different techniques and share results.

f. What is the intended benefit from these changes (e.g. improved stewardship, economics, market access)?

1) Better stewardship of both the land & the livestock.
2) Greater potential for profitability and/or efficiencies through use of new tools in rangeland management related to soil health.
3) A foundation for starting conversations with people from different backgrounds and differing opinions to better create relationships to benefit rangeland management.
4) Empower ranchers to enter into different markets including ecosystem services and the potential carbon market.

Project description – answer the following questions:
a. Who is the target audience? Specifically, identify the group or groups that will be targeted for participation in your project.

Cattle, hog, sheep and other (non-poultry) livestock producers in Colorado interested in building new production, processing and marketing strategies.

b. How will you promote the event to insure reaching this audience?

Through CSU Extension, our website (https://foodsystems.colostate.edu/educational-impacts/meat-supply-chains/), and our e-newsletter than includes >1,000 people.

c. Describe briefly what you’re going to do, such as hold an educational event, produce educational materials, etc.

The Western Meat School is an innovative learning experience where farmers, ranchers, butchers, & others will learn how to direct market meat. This 6 week long course will cover key topics in production, processing, & marketing to produce high-quality meat and sell to diverse market channels.

d. What changes in awareness, knowledge or attitudes are expected to occur as a result of the target audience participating in the project? (Be specific)

The meat school covers all of the essential for direct marketing meat from experts in production, marketing, processing and pricing, and includes six interactives classes, two optional classes, textbook, handouts, and a private student forum. Module topics include marketing (identifying and developing new markets for meat), production (finishing ruminants for optimal gains and quality meat), production 2 (animal handling, meat quality, and evaluating a live animal), processing (basics of meat processing, carcass quality, meat science, fabrication, regulations ,and working with your processor), processing 2 (processing for specific markets, maximizing carcass value, packaging and labeling), marketing 2 (selling meat, attracting customers, building loyalty).

e. What changes in decision-making, intentions or action do you hope will take place among the target audience? (Be specific)

As a result of participation in the Western Meat School, Colorado ranchers will better understand the entire meat supply chain, therein producing higher quality meat, understanding how to better communicate with processors and customers, and getting a premium for their product through diverse, loyal markets.

f. What is the intended benefit from these changes (e.g. improved stewardship, economics, market access)?

Participants should become more profitable, in part through gaining access to new and expanded markets as a result of the course.

Project description:
a. Who is the target audience? Specifically, identify the group or groups that will be targeted for participation in your project.
Colorado beef cattle ranches (cow-calf operations). Any size and location.

b. How will you promote the event to insure reaching this audience?
TRAC works with local extension and cattlemen’s groups to identify and recruit participating ranches. We currently have a waiting list of 15-20 interested ranches.

c. Describe briefly what you’re going to do, such as hold an educational event, produce educational materials, etc.
TRAC team members make on-site ranch visits to meet with producers, listen to their unique successes and challenges, and collect an array of production and financial data. To gain better insight into the ranch involved, a pre and post survey is sent to each producer who participates. Data collected is analyzed to determine critical production, financial and integrated measures. Producers receive a custom report that details performance measures specific to their operations, with only an aggregate summary of results reported to the public for benchmarking purposes.

d. What changes in awareness, knowledge or attitudes are expected to occur as a result of the target audience participating in the project?
Results will strengthen producer and educator knowledge of production and financial targets and increase the value of cow-calf management recommendations in Colorado.

e. What changes in decision-making, intentions or action do you hope will take place among the target audience?
An individual TRAC report is then given to the ranch which provides a unique opportunity for each ranch to identify areas to reduce cost of production and improve production and marketing efficiency. We hope that through the TRAC process each producer will acquire a more accurate record keeping system and utilize performance measures/trends to make improved decisions for their operations.

f. What is the intended benefit from these changes (e.g. improved stewardship, economics, market access)?
To improve ranch family livelihoods through a dedicated partnership around continual analysis and integration of animal-, human-, and resource-oriented program pillars.

Funds ($4,000) are being requested for the TRAC team members (2-3 travelers) to travel and conduct (8) ranch visits to collect producer data and present previous benchmark results. The locations are unknown at this time, but costs include reasonable estimates for mileage reimbursement, 1 day lodging and per diem. We are estimating mileage at an average of 500 miles round trip. 8 ranch visits (500 miles, .52/mile, $260/trip; lodging 1 night X 1 rooms, $120/trip; per diem for 2 travelers, $120/trip).

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