Sustainable Renewable Energy Training for Agriculture and Natural Resource Professionals

2009 Annual Report for ENC07-097

Project Type: Professional Development Program
Funds awarded in 2007: $50,000.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2009
Region: North Central
State: Minnesota
Project Coordinator:
Karen Quiroz
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Co-Coordinators:
Jim Kleinschmit
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

Sustainable Renewable Energy Training for Agriculture and Natural Resource Professionals

Summary

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) held the final two events in a series of six sustainability and renewable energy training sessions for natural resource and agriculture educators. Sessions held were: Getting Juiced, Sustainably and On-Farm Oilseed Production Workshop. Preliminary evaluation indicates that, similar to the results of the first year’s trainings, 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 developed and presented a series of six training sessions. These sessions helped 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 participating 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.

In our proposal, we predicted that program participants would 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

Following the successful convening of a planning team and first four events in 2008, IATP held the final two events for the project in 2009.

The first 2009 workshop, Getting Juiced, Sustainably, was held Wednesday, July 8 at the IATP offices in Minneapolis. There were more than 50 participants. The day began with a presentation on the story of ethanol in Minnesota. Dr. Steven Taff discussed the “hows and whys” of ethanol, including the shift from a focus on local, value-added opportunities for corn farmers to a large, industrial sector that has environmental, climate and economic impacts associated with it. In addition, Dr. Taff also discussed some of the critical quality and performance concerns, including the need to have a uniform product to process into fuel. The participants then split into two groups. One group learned about small-scale biodiesel economics from Seth Fore, University of Minnesota Graduate Research Assistant. The other group went outside with Jeff Jensen from Rural Advantage to tour IATP’s Garden Shed Biodiesel Processor and learn the process of making biodiesel. The groups switched and then took a break for lunch. Upon returning from a lunch break, participants viewed IATP’s Renewable Energy Garden and heard from plant experts including Maggie Mangan, University of Minnesota Graduate Research Assistant; Dr. Paul Porter, University of Minnesota Professor; Linda Meschke, Rural Advantage; and Jill Sackett, University of Minnesota Extension Educator.

The day ended with a panel discussion on “Where are we going? All Juiced Up, Sustainably.” Presenters represented community renewable and sustainable energy “emerging successes” and included Linda Meschke, Rural Advantage; Julia Olmstead, IATP and Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance; and Joel Tallaksen, Biomass Gasification Project Coordinator at the University of Minnesota-Morris.

The second workshop, On-Farm Oilseed Production, was held Saturday, July 25 at the Kickapoo Country Fair in LaFarge, Wisconsin. Jake Wedeberg and Zach Biermann, both Organic Valley Staff, presented the training session for over 30 participants. The first half of the workshop was a presentation in a training tent, where Mr. Biermann and Mr. Wedeberg discussed Organic Valley’s history of biodiesel, economics and work with cooperative farmers. Organic Valley began using vegetable oil in 2002 and then began using biodiesel not long after. Since then, they created a demonstration trailer to show co-op member farmers how to create their own on-farm fuel. Following the presentation, participants split into two groups; one toured the mobile oilseed crushing/biodiesel processing demonstration trailer and the other went into the sunflower and camelina field to learn about the crop production.

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.

The final two workshops attracted about 90 people. (Although we had already far exceeded our attendance goals with the first two workshops, we felt it was important to attract as many participants as possible to these final two.) As in 2008, we succeeded in offering programming that has informed educators about a wide range of topics related to sustainable production of bioenergy.

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. And 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 actual impact of our activities, we did on-site evaluations at each event and also followed up later with participants using a Web-based survey. As in 2008, the results of the onsite surveys were positive on the whole. The vast majority of participants in both events reported an increase in knowledge of many different biodiesel subjects, and, perhaps even more importantly, the majority of participants also either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “Overall, my attitude towards the importance of sustainability in renewable energy increased by attending this workshop.”

Results from the Web-based follow up survey for the first event were more mixed, although we believe this is at least in part because the surveys were conducted only two months after the workshop. Of the fourteen participants who completed the survey, when asked if they have presented any of the sustainable renewable energy information to their clients, four said yes and five said no. Another five marked “not applicable.” Four respondents also stated that they have added sustainable renewable energy information to their publications, materials or other documents for their clients and one respondent stated that they have added sustainable renewable energy research components to their work. One survey respondent stated that he would add “not yet” as a choice, a confirmation of our suspicion that folks are planning to make changes, but just haven’t had the chance yet.

Follow up survey results from the second event were similar. Of the seven participants who responded to the survey, two respondents reported that they have presented some of the sustainable renewable energy information about on farm oilseed production received at the training session to their clients. When asked if they added sustainable renewable energy research components to their work three stated that they had. We suspect that the short time frame between the workshop and the follow up was a factor in these results as well, and remain confident that lessons learned at the events will result in many participants adding or adapting sustainability components to their renewable energy education efforts.

Collaborators:

Katie Ross

Agricultural Project Director
Seventh Generation Energy Systems
100 S. Baldwin St., Suite 304
Madison, WI 53703
Office Phone: 6084670123
Website: www.seventhGenergy.org
Paula Westmoreland

Owner
Ecological Gardens
4105 Washburn Ave. N.
Minneapolis, MN 55412
Office Phone: 6125883942
Website: www.ecologicalgardens.com
Andrew Dane

Assistant Professor of Community Resource Develop.
University of Wisconsin Extension
Chippewa County Courthouse
711 N Bridges, Room 13
Barron, WI 54812
Office Phone: 7155376250
Linda Meschke

President
Rural Advantage
1243 Lake Ave., Suite 222
Fairmont, MN 56031-1942
Office Phone: 5072385449