Final report for WSP20-005
Project Information
Nevada’s SARE-Professional Development Program (PDP) will support training 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. Training will
improve their knowledge and understanding of SARE principles related to sustainable agriculture. SARE-PDP
funds will help professionals incorporate sustainability principles in education, technical assistance and outreach
programs. SARE funding may also, support inter-agency teams (assembled by Extension) to hold training
sessions in Nevada with national experts and from Nevada’s agricultural community, including state and federal
agencies and farmers.
Nevada’s SARE-Professional Development Program (PDP) for 2021 will support training 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.
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.
SARE-PDP funds will help professionals incorporate sustainability principles in education, technical assistance
and outreach programs. SARE funding may also, support inter-agency teams (assembled by Extension) to hold
training sessions in Nevada with national experts and from Nevada’s agricultural community, including state and
federal agencies and farmers.
Advisors
Education
To provide professional development workshops and conferences to agricultural professionals, research scientists, agronomists, government agencies, Non-profit organizations, and farmer/producers. These opportunities will provide opportunities for agricultural professionals to provide education and outreach in sustainable agricultural practices in a variety of climes and locales.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
An Extension team across Nevada will explore how best to develop a Youth Pollinator Ambassador project through attending national training with some youth ambassadors, develop workshops and provide two statewide tours for youth. The goal is to educate and develop interest in youth in the needs of their natural environment and encourage them to educate others about these needed sustainable practices.
The 4-H Pollinator Ambassador Program team included: Lindsay Chichester, Katelyn Brinkerhoff, Jessica Gardner, Rachel McClure, Sarah Chvilicek, Kelsey Conklin, Carrie Stark, Lori Leas, Kenny Haack-Damon, and Anay Gomes.
Four team members attended the National 4-H Ignite summit: Lindsay Chichester, Katelyn Brinkerhoff, Kenny Hacck-Damon, and Anay Gomes. Lindsay and Katelyn presented two sessions to 70 youth and adults on 4-H Bee and Pollinator Bootcamp. Additionally, we took eight Nevada 4-H Pollinator Ambassadors to the conference.
Tours were held under the 2022 grant.
Attending the National 4-H Ignite Summit introduced us to new resources and curriculum available for developing the pollinator program. It also allowed us an opportunity to get to know the 4-H Pollinator Ambassadors better and for them to be able to bond as a cohort. 4-H Pollinator Ambassadors shared their experiences and knowledge gained during National Pollinator Week (June 19-25, 2023)
Develop a tour of western state agrivoltaic research and demonstration sites to learn the discoveries occurring in agrivoltaics and what can be done in Nevada.
The Western SARE Grant funded a Western States Agrivoltaics Tour of operations and research in Arizona, California, Colorado and Oregon. Misha Allen toured ten sites ranging in size from a small Elementary School site plot to a sprawling utility-scale operation with over 3,200 acres. This demonstrated the scalability of agrivoltaic operations: shared land use projects incorporating agriculture, solar, and wildlife conservation exist and are feasible at a utility scale. Such shared land use projects require different operations and management approaches – not harder, just different – deviating from the solar industry’s standard models.
The tours and discussions with the researchers and scientists at the toured sites, informed current research needs:
- AVS on Public Lands – can inexpensive land leases increase new ag producers in the industry? Can it increase agricultural acreage under production? Can it increase the quantity of ag products for consumption and use?
- Community Benefit Agreements – how to leverage them with large projects to contribute to community sustainability
- What does the solar industry need to adapt its business operation and management models to accommodate shared land use strategies like agrivoltaics?
As a result, two publications were developed for public education:
- Allen, M. (2023). Agrivoltaics – Revisioning Solar in Nevada. University of Nevada, Reno Extension Informational Publication. Reno, NV. IP-23-02.
- Allen, M. (Submitted 09/2023). Agrivoltaics Potential in Nye County and Nevada. University of Nevada, Reno Extension Fact Sheet. Reno, NV. FS-xx-xx.
The learnings were shared through four presentations to 81 participants:
- Two presentations were provided to Nye County Planning Department and Natural Resources Department administrators as they develop policy to address the influx of solar permit applicants on private and public lands
- One presentation to California State University, San Luis Obispo NR310 Global Climate Change students
- One presentation to University of Nevada Reno Engineering Department Faculty – potential AVS research collaboration emerged
Learning materials and technical assistance pertaining to agrivoltaics has been provided to Esmeralda County, Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, Duck Valley Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, and a community in Clark County. Misha’s knowledge gained through this grant have been critical to educating and guiding my county and communities across the state.
In order to learn more about mobile slaughter units, Staci Emm, UNCE Professor and local processor, Lawrence Mori, traveled to Oregon and Washington State.
Mobile slaughter units (MSUs) are self-contained slaughter facilities that travel to various locations for processing. Typically, the units provide slaughter services to small, regional producers at conveniently located host farms. In recent years, livestock producers have expressed an interest in obtaining additional updated financial information, including a sensitivity analysis based on differing meat pricing schemes and operating volume.
In order to learn more about mobile slaughter units, Staci Emm, UNCE Professor and local processor, Lawrence Mori, traveled to Oregon and Washington State. They consulted with TriVan Truck Body of Ferndale, Wash. for information about costs and specifications of a mobile slaughter unit due to its experience in constructing MSUs as well as their proximity to Nevada.
Currently, the MSU project has received additional funding, and an MSU has been obtained. The project leaders are now in the process of getting a USDA Slaughter Permit and should begin operations this coming year.
To provide professional development workshops and conferences to agricultural professionals, research scientists, agronomists, government agencies, Non-profit organizations, and farmer/producers. These opportunities will provide opportunities for agricultural professionals to provide
WSARE funds in 2023 were used for Brad Schultz’s professional development to attend the International Conference of the Society for Range Management in Boise, Idaho. Post-COVID, Brad renewed professional contacts with range management professionals at other Land Grant Universities, research scientists with the Agricultural Research Service and the US Forest Service Forest and Range Experiment Stations, and management specialists employed with federal land management agencies. Attendance at workshops, symposia, and technical talks provided research related to sage-grouse ecology and management; fuels management and reduction of wildfire risk; vegetation management, particularly sagebrush ecosystems; vegetation response to grazing by livestock and wildlife; and management of riparian systems. He presented work on 1) repeat photo study in the Santa Rosa Mountains, NV., with paired photos being from 30 to over 100 years apart and 2) using sagebrush harvested at seed-ripe and staked to the ground as both a seed source and snow catchment to enhance seedling establishment compared to traditional broadcast seeding. Brad contributed to a third presentation about considerations for using livestock to control invasive cool season annual grasses on western rangelands.
Information has been presented at other locations in Nevada, with the repeat photo study used as a foundation for four photo-monitoring presentations at Cooperative Extension’s 2023 Cattlemen’s Update which reached 440 participants.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
In 2022 report on the pollinator project.
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.