Sustainable Renewable Energy Training for Agriculture and Natural Resource Professionals

Sustainable Renewable Energy Training for Agriculture and Natural Resource Professionals

Summary

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) held the first four events in a series of six sustainability and renewable energy training sessions for natural resource and agriculture educators. Sessions held to date were: Sustainable Biomass and Oilseed Crop Production, Bioenergy Crops and Water Quality, A Whole-Systems Approach to Bioenergy, and Biomass Crops for Renewable Energy: Opportunities and Challenges. Preliminary evaluation indicates that while many participants had prior knowledge of the topics, their awareness, knowledge and understanding of sustainable renewable energy, sustainable crop production and biofuels has increased and that these lessons are being transferred on to their clients.

Objectives/Performance Targets

The overall long-term goal of our project is that farmers will produce renewable energy crops using sustainable methods as instructed by their educators. To reach this goal, we are developing and presenting a series of six training sessions. These sessions will help us achieve strategic short-term and intermediate-term outcomes, including increased awareness, knowledge and skills related to sustainable bioenergy production practices among natural resource and agricultural educators.

The short-term performance targets established in our proposal include:

* A total of 150 educators will participate in the various sessions.
* Of the target 150 participants, 100 will increase their knowledge of sustainable renewable energy; at least 50 will increase their awareness of sustainable and diversified crop production methods; and 40 will increase their knowledge and understanding of biofuel production.
* Educators will gain an understanding of biodiesel processing and awareness of the difference between small-scale and industrial-scale processing facilities and the benefits to farmers. Educators will also develop an open-minded attitude about renewable energy opportunities, benefits and challenges for farmers.

Our program participants will also change their behavior and practices as noted by the following intermediate outcomes:

* Eighty percent of participants will transfer the knowledge they have gained to their clients.
* Seventy percent of the participants will add sustainability elements to their publications, materials or documents.
* Ten participants will add sustainable research components to their work to close the research gaps on sustainable renewable energy production and processing.

Accomplishments/Milestones

In early 2008, IATP convened a planning team composed of farmers, extension educators, and nonprofit partners. The planning team worked throughout the spring and summer to build training session content and define specific educational objectives and evaluation criteria.

To date, we have held four successful and well-attended training sessions for agriculture and natural resource educators and professionals (as detailed below). Two more training sessions are being organized now and will be held during the summer of 2009. In addition, we have planted the biomass section of the IATP renewable energy garden and IATP staff member Jim Kleinschmit will attend the SARE training workshop in Kansas City in March 2009.

The first workshop, Sustainable Biomass and Oilseed Crop Production, was held at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) Energy Fair in Custer, WI on June 21, 2008. Christopher Mosel (IATP) presented on sustainable biomass energy crop production and Zach Biermann (Organic Valley) presented on sustainable oilseed production with an emphasis on his work growing and crushing camelina for biodiesel. The workshop was attended by about 70 people.

A southern Minnesota farm field day was held August 15, 2008 at Willow Lake Farm, near Windom. This session, Bioenergy Crops and Water Quality, focused on teaching participants about ways to reduce negative impacts on water quality from bioenergy crop production by adopting more sustainable practices such as planting perennial crops, reducing tillage, putting environmentally sensitive land in conservation programs, and utilizing innovative drainage control techniques to manage water flow and reduce soil and nutrient runoff. Participants were encouraged to consider ways to adapt crop production practices to a changing climate, by, for example, preparing for dryer overall conditions and also for more extreme storms when rains do come. Highlights included an on-farm oilseed processing and biodiesel production demonstration and tours of water control installations and native prairie plantings. The Willow Lake Farm Field Day was attended by about 90 people.

A west-central Minnesota farm field day was held August 22, 2008 at Prairie Horizons Farm, near Benson. This program, A Whole-Systems Approach to Bioenergy, emphasized the importance of considering the big picture. Participants learned about the multiple requirements and objectives underlying sustainable bioenergy production systems. For example, participants learned not only about growing native perennial grasses for bioenergy, but also about farm economics, integration with food production and grazing systems, landscape management, and regional biomass markets. Morning activities covered using biomass harvests to manage conservation lands, sustainably establishing perennial native grasses that are useful for both biomass production and grazing, and growing alternative crops such as hazelnuts for bioenergy production. The learning process was hands-on as attendees toured a perennial grass biomass field study planting and a third crop demonstration plot. In the afternoon, participants learned about local gasification projects that are creating a market for biomass. Representatives from the Central Valley Ethanol Cooperative and the University of Minnesota-Morris spoke about the goals, status, successes and challenges of their gasification projects and discussed the potential for gasifying native grasses in addition to woodchips, corn stover, and corn cobs. Jim Kleinschmit (IATP) gave the closing remarks at this field day, highlighting the multiple benefits that sustainable biomass production can provide and the real opportunities for sustainable biomass production that the bioenergy sector represents. This field day was attended by 53 people.

A northwest Wisconsin workshop, Biomass Crops for Renewable Energy, was held October 8, 2008 at the Spooner Ag Research Station in Spooner, Wisconsin. In the morning, participants learned about sustainable production and marketing of biomass crops for bioenergy; in the afternoon session the focus was on the conservation benefits of growing biomass crops. Presentations included information on growing and pelleting switchgrass, establishing hybrid poplars, the benefits of perennial polycultures, and the opportunities and challenges associated with bioenergy crops and conservation. Participants also enjoyed tours of the miscanthus and switchgrass test plots and the hybrid poplar planting which had been grazed by sheep during establishment and was nearly ready for harvest. The workshop was attended by 45 people.

The final two workshops are currently being planned for 2009. The IATP Renewable Energy Garden Tour and Small-Scale Biodiesel Workshop will be held at IATP this summer and feature (among other things) a tour of the renewable energy garden planted in 2008. The Sustainable Oilseed and Biodiesel Workshop and Tour will take place this summer at Organic Valley in Cashton and La Farge, Wisconsin.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

As stated above, the overall long-term goal of our project is that farmers will produce renewable energy crops using sustainable methods as instructed by their educators. Because this project is focused on educating the educators, our short-term, direct outcomes have to do with positive changes in attitude and increased awareness, knowledge and skills among agriculture and natural resource educators, including farmers.

Thus far, the training sessions have been attended by a combined total of about 258 people, which has far exceeded our goal of 150 people, and we still have two workshops to go! We have offered programming that has informed educators about a wide range of topics related to sustainable production of bioenergy. Educators have learned from experts with hands-on experience growing, harvesting, and utilizing biomass and oilseed energy crops. Topics such as farm economics, community impacts, business models, climate change, water quality, natural resources management, and technologies such as gasification, oilseed pressing, and pelletizing were addressed by researchers and practitioners.

By working with our project partners, we have been able to offer exceptional demonstrations and tours which have given educators practical knowledge to pass on to farmers. Also, because our training sessions were also attended by a number of farmers and businesspeople, extension educators and natural resource professionals had many opportunities to receive valuable practical feedback.

To assess the impact of our activities, evaluation surveys developed by the planning team were distributed to training participants at the events, and follow-up surveys were conducted via email and phone to see if participants had transferred knowledge gained to clients, added sustainability components to their publications or materials, and/or engaged in work to close the research gaps on sustainable renewable energy production and processing since they attended a training session.

Although response rates for both the initial and follow-up evaluations were lower than anticipated, the responses were overwhelmingly positive, as nearly all respondents indicated that their knowledge increased as a result of attending the particular field day. A larger portion of respondents than expected indicated that they already had some knowledge of sustainable renewable energy production. Thus, while fewer participants than hoped indicated that they added sustainability components to their work or outreach materials, we were encouraged to find that a larger number than expected included such components prior to their participation. We were especially pleased to find that many of those participants who came to the trainings with a substantial knowledge base reported an increase in their knowledge levels after the trainings.

Detailed Evaluation Results

Most of the 14 participants at the Willow Lake Farm Field Day who returned evaluation surveys indicated that they were knowledgeable about sustainable renewable energy production and the connection between bioenergy crops and water quality prior to attending the field day, but most also indicated that their knowledge increased as a result of attending the field day. All respondents ranked their experience between 8 and 10 on a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and about a third of respondents indicated that they would use what they learned in their work. Several participants indicated that their knowledge of farming practices that could improve water quality increased substantially.

Twenty-two evaluations were returned at the Biomass Crops for Renewable Energy Workshop in Spooner, Wisconsin. Twenty-one participants indicated that their knowledge of biomass energy crop production increased. Fifteen indicated that their knowledge of bioenergy markets increased. Seventeen indicated that their knowledge of the benefits of perennial polycultures increased. In general, participants indicated that their knowledge of economic and conservation opportunities and challenges associated with sustainable bioenergy crop production increased. Eleven participants said they planned to use what they learned in their work and/or publications.

Twelve evaluations were completed by participants at the Prairie Horizons Farm Field Day. Nine people indicated that they gained knowledge about sustainable bioenergy production as a result of attending the farm field day. Nine educators/researchers indicated that they planned to include what they learned in their technical assistance and/or publications.

Collaborators: