Project Overview
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Animals: goats, sheep
Practices
- Animal Production: parasite control, animal protection and health, grazing management, grazing - rotational
- Education and Training: technical assistance, extension, networking, workshop
- Farm Business Management: agricultural finance, risk management, whole farm planning
- Pest Management: integrated pest management
- Production Systems: holistic management
- Sustainable Communities: partnerships, analysis of personal/family life
Abstract:
Sheep and goat production is popular with many beginning farmers and is a new enterprise for some experienced farmers. Extension agents working with these farmers need tools to support them. This project, the Toolbox for Small Ruminant Educators: Building on the Small Ruminant Resource Manual, involved producing, collecting, and expanding materials to assist agents. Two complete manuals, a PowerPoint library, workshop plans and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list were loaded onto 1 GB jump drives, labeled “Small Ruminant Toolbox 2010”.The jump drives were distributed to agents at training workshops in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
Project objectives:
The overall purpose of this project is to increase the ability of educators to assist sheep and goat producers, thereby encouraging diversification of agricultural enterprises and increasing sustainability. This project will create new materials, improve on existing materials, and offer training workshops for educators. All activities will be done with input from sheep and goat producers. The products created during this project and used during the training workshops are described as “tools;” they are listed below along with the evaluation method for each project objective. The following are the desired results of this project:
1. At least 100 educators (Extension agents, NRCS field staff, Young Farmer advisors, Heifer International field representatives) will be better equipped to serve the needs of sheep and goat producers, especially limited-resource producers. At least 40 of the educators will actually use the materials within three months of receiving the training.
• Tools—PowerPoint library, tutorial, manual, FAQ list, and Checksheet
• Evaluation method—list of participants and questionnaire three months after the training
2. At least 100 educators will know how to obtain further information about sheep and goat production and marketing.
• Tool—Small Ruminant Resource List and Small Ruminant Manual
• Evaluation method—list of participants and questionnaire three months after the training
3. At least 100 educators will gain knowledge of organic sheep and goat production and will have tools in their possession to help farmers interested in this option.
• Tools—organic information within the Checksheet and organic chapter of the manual
• Evaluation method—questionnaire after the training to determine the use of the organic information
4. Educators will understand the value of whole-farm planning and will be equipped to present the Small Ruminant Sustainability Checksheet (a tool for whole-farm planning created during the previous project, ES02-060) to sheep and goat farmers in their area. At least 40 of the educators will use the materials within three months of receiving training.
• Tools—Checksheet and workshops
• Evaluation method—questionnaire after three months; records of the number of educators trained, the number of producers who use the Checksheet with an educator, and the number of workshops hosted by educators to present the Checksheet to producers
5. Educators will be prepared to plan and deliver workshops for sheep and goat producers, and at least 15 will host a workshop in their region within three months of receiving training.
• Tools—PowerPoint library and workshops
• Evaluation method—questionnaire three months after training; records of the number of educators trained and the number of workshops hosted by trainees; feedback collected about the usefulness of all materials (PowerPoint library, Small Ruminant Resource List, Small Ruminant Resource Manual, Small Ruminant Sustainability Checksheet, training workshops)
The project leader will be responsible for compiling the data and information from each state and incorporating the feedback to improve materials.