1999 Annual Report for ENC99-041
Toolbox Training for Sustainable Agriculture Education
Summary
Objectives of this project include:
1) To determine a set of relevant and practical biological-based on-farm production and management skills, practices and procedures commonly valued and used by producers and ranchers in implementing sustainable agriculture systems.
2) To develop and distribute to North Central PDP Coordinators a resource notebook of practical skills, procedures and practices needed by key agricultural professionals in working in sustainable agriculture.
3) To conduct two in-field Toolbox Workshops in the North Central region illustrating practical and relevant skills, procedures and practices in sustainable agriculture.
4) To determine and assess use and impact of new skills gained by Extension and NRCS staff through training.
Extension, NRCS and other agricultural educators must be familiar and comfortable with hands-on skills and practices used by farmers in sustainable agriculture. Farmers in Iowa, Indiana and the Midwest will be surveyed concerning practical skills. Sets of practices will be developed into a workbook. Two one-day workshops will be help in Indiana and Iowa for 200 Extension, NRCS and farmers where hands-on training will be provided on use and application of practical skills and practices. Notebooks will be distributed to other North Central states for use in PDP education. Participants will be evaluated to determine the impact of training on educational programming and clientele impact.
For more information:
Wendy Wintersteen
Iowa State University
Extension Administration
132 Curtis Hall
Ames, IA 50011
515-294-7801
515-294-5334 (fax)
x1winter@exnet.iastate.edu