Advanced Training in Sustainable Production Systems in the Northern Great Plains

Advanced Training in Sustainable Production Systems in the Northern Great Plains

Summary

The initial professional development training was held in November 2004, at Bismarck, ND. It was designed to not only provide training to participants in areas critical to sustainable livestock production (farm and ranch management, range and pasture management, livestock production, complex systems) but to also initiate an Integrated Resource Management (IRM) approach to solving producer issues. In addition, the teach/coach/mentor methodology for teaching adults and the Balanced Scorecard concept were introduced. Regional IRM teams were formed consisting of community-based agricultural advisors (CBAA). Each team was assigned to initiate a relationship with a volunteer producer in their region.

Objectives/Performance Targets

1. Teach community-based ag advisors (CBAA, mostly Extension Educators and NRCS employees from SD and ND) about the components of livestock production systems and teach them to better understand the complexity of these systems and the need for a systems approach to solving producer problems.

2. CBAA understand adult education concepts, information dissemination, and enhance presentation skills.

3. CBAA incorporate knowledge of production systems into their programming efforts.

4. Experienced CBAA assume the roles of teacher, coach, and mentor to those just starting in the training.

5. CBAA develop a network of people to serve as their coaches, mentors, and IRM team members.

6. IRM teams identify and work with a producer in their region to help solve problems and develop a management plan using the concepts from their training.

7. CBAA encourage/invite new participants to continually strengthen the teams.

8. CBAA, Specialists and producers work together to develop a long-term feedback mechanism to monitor success of educational efforts.

Accomplishments/Milestones

• 37 CBAA and Specialists participated.

• Training was provided in goal setting, credit opportunities, Cowboy Accounting, range and livestock production, and the teach/coach/mentor concept.

• Several of the 2004 training instructors were students from a previously-funded SARE PDP project “Training in Sustainable Livestock Production Systems on Rangelands of the Western Dakotas”.

• Regional IRM teams were assigned, and each team was given the assignment of finding a producer family to work with.

• Exit evaluations overwhelmingly showed that participants’ ability to approach complex systems from a systems perspective was improved.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Seven IRM teams were formed consisting of 6-7 CBAA each, and one Specialist as a mentor. Each team subsequently completed the assignment of locating a producer with whom to work. The expectation is that IRM teams will initiate a process that will not only serve as a learning opportunity, but will ultimately improve the profitability and sustainability of 7 livestock operations.