Indiana High Tunnel Initiative: Developing Extension-Farmer Partnerships for Education

Indiana High Tunnel Initiative: Developing Extension-Farmer Partnerships for Education

Summary

The target audience for this project includes Purdue Extension Educators and other agency personnel who work with producers who are either currently involved in or considering adoption of high tunnel production systems.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Short-term outcomes for the project include:
– increased Educator awareness and knowledge of high tunnel production opportunities and limitations, increased Educator and producer collaborative teaching events and resource development.

Intermediate outcomes include:
– increased collaboration between Educators and producers on educational programs
– increased number of programs, field days, publications and newsletter articles about high tunnels developed and presented
– increased Educator skills in guiding producers through decisions about high tunnel production.

Accomplishments/Milestones

1. A project orientation and kick off session held to encourage teamwork and relationship building.

   An initial evaluation of Extension Educator knowledge and awareness of high tunnel production was completed.

   Core team educators shadowed core team producers at various locations across Indiana from March 2009 through December.

   Educational presentations were given at Purdue Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator annual training in October 2009, at Extension Area meetings and the Illiana Vegetable School in January 2010.

   3 core team Producers shared their High Tunnel growing experience as part of a High Tunnel Production session at the Indiana Horticultural Congress in January 2011.

   Data collected during the is being complied and plans for Case Study publications/resources based on the data being discussed and developed. An Indiana High Tunnel blog continues to be developed.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Data from an initial evaluation of knowledge and awareness of high tunnel production practices and growers by Purdue University Extension Educators revealed an opportunity for increased professional development. Of those Educators responding to an survey asking them to rate their knowledge level of high tunnel production including irrigation, plant nutrition, variety, selection, scheduling, design, site selection and pest management eighty-two percent rated themselves as a complete novice or a beginning. Response their knowledge level about economic factors in high tunnel production such as budgeting, construction costs, labor requirements, sales marketing and profitability 94% indicated they were either complete novice or beginner.

Core team Educators spent March 09 – December 09 shadowing current high tunnel growers on their farms to gain knowledge and understanding of high tunnel production practices. Educators across the state have gained knowledge of awareness through educational presentations including the Purdue Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educators annual training high tunnel presentation the 2010 Indiana Horticultural Congress and through the Illiana Vegetable Growers school.

The number of participants at these presentations were as follows:
• Purdue ANR Extension Educator training – 50 educators,
• Indiana Horticultural congress
o Producer panel (3 grant team member producers) – 55 attendees including 8 Extension Educators
o Wish lists for your next high tunnel- 54 attendees including 8 Extension Educators
o Small fruits for high tunnel production – 33 attendees including 5 Extension Educators
o Clarifying rules for high tunnel pesticides applications – 52 attendees including 4 Extension Educators
o Creating a fertility management program for your high tunnel – 43 attendees include 6 Extension Educators
o Options for 12 months of production – 58 attendees including 8 Extension Educators.
• Illiana Vegetable Growers school – 65 attendees including 9 Extension Educators.

For the second year of this 3 year professional development grant Educator-Producer teams continue to work together to develop field days, and Indiana specific high tunnel resources. They are collaborating on the planning and delivery of field days across the state and planning to travel to attend educational programs.

Collaborators: