Farm Energy IQ Training Program

Farm Energy IQ Training Program

Summary

                                                             Year End Report 1/2/2014

                                                   Farm Energy IQ Project: ENE13-128

1. Summary

Northeast farms are often constricted by capital and staff resources and do not have the knowledge to address energy issues that are central to farm economic and environmental sustainability. Energy is often underrepresented in farm outreach activities in the Northeast due to a lack of energy literacy among agricultural service providers, a lack of comprehensive, regionally-appropriate, and practical support materials, and a disjointed network of experts and stakeholders to support field service providers.

The need and desire for energy-related information in the region is prevalent, as demonstrated by two recent surveys of the agricultural service provider and farming communities. To address this gap, the Farm Energy IQ program will develop a comprehensive curriculum and practical toolkit for educators’ use. The curriculum will be designed to increase knowledge among Northeast regional agricultural educators and service providers (ASPs) in wide-ranging energy topics including energy efficiency, energy use and procurement, and on-farm power generation; the toolkit will bolster educators’ ability to provide energy programing in their communities. The train-the-trainer approach goes beyond simple workshops; incorporating a toolkit and lesson plans for community energy programming, hosting monthly interactive webinars to enforce content matter and engage participants, supporting outreach assignments that will result in measurable on-farm energy use and cost savings, and fostering an active network of support for regional farm energy issues.

This project aims to improve energy literacy among 120 participating ASPs, provide hands-on outreach to at least 120 farms, triple the amount of energy-related community programming in the Northeast, and foster a network of awareness and support throughout the Northeast region’s community of 135,000 farms. Expected outcomes include development of an accurate and relevant energy toolkit for Northeast ASPs, increased confidence among participants to speak to the community about energy, participants’ use of practical resources through the Toolkit and a peer network to aid energy-related project implementation, and the implementation of 60 regional farm energy projects resulting in 500 kW demand savings across the region.

Objectives/Performance Targets

2. Objectives/Performance Targets

Performance Targets

– 120 Northeast ASPs will demonstrate increased confidence in discussing agricultural energy issues

– Project participants will triple the aggregate hours spent conducting energy-related educational programming in the Northeast from their pre-workshop levels

– 60 ASPs will provide energy-related services to at least 120 regional farmers with support of regional network

– At least 60 farm operators will make changes (50% adoption rate) that produce 500 kW of demand reduction (using generally accepted engineering calculations)

Accomplishments/Milestones

3. Accomplishments/Milestones 

The Team held an organizing conference call following the final determination of the award. Since then the Team has held a monthly conference call to strategize and start the curriculum gathering process. 

The Team has developed an information format/structure that our curriculum will be put into. The specific team members are in the process of outlining their curriculum content. A January 2014 conference call is being scheduled.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

4. Impacts and Contributions 

None to report.

Collaborators: