Moving nursery producers toward sustainable production practices

2010 Annual Report for ES09-097

Project Type: Professional Development Program
Funds awarded in 2009: $76,237.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2011
Region: Southern
State: Florida
Principal Investigator:
Gary Knox
University of Florida

Moving nursery producers toward sustainable production practices

Summary

Meetings with our producer advisory committee, nursery producers, county faculty and other interested clientele helped refine and focus our curriculum to teach sustainable practices to nursery producers. We began compiling resources and developing presentations and publications to execute grant goals of moving nursery producers toward sustainability. Filming began at nurseries to develop short videos illustrating sustainable practices. Delays in disbursing funds to collaborating institutions resulted in a one-year delay in our curriculum development. A no-cost extension was submitted and approved, allowing us to fully develop and implement our program to train county agents about sustainable practices for nursery producers.

Objectives/Performance Targets

  • Objectives for the two year grant include:

    Planning and development, including meetings with collaborators, nursery producer (farmer) advisers and interested clientele.
    Preparation of presentations, handouts and activities for a comprehensive training on sustainable nursery production.
    Review of materials by farmer (nursery producer) advisory committee.
    Revision of presentations, handouts and activities for a comprehensive training on sustainable nursery production.
    Filming of modules for the Virtual Field Day website.
    Submission of annual progress report.
    Distribution of presentations, handouts and activities for a comprehensive training on sustainable nursery production.
    Two-day training for up to 45 Extension agents and specialists, including visits to regional nurseries using sustainable production methods.
    Final revision of presentations, handouts and activities for a comprehensive training on sustainable nursery production.
    Distribution of evaluation instrument 6 months after training, and assessment of results.
    Videoconference follow-up with training participants 6 months after initial training to assess trainer use of materials and to evaluate materials and resources.
    Editing and final production of modules for the Virtual Field Day website.
    Final distribution of presentations, handouts and activities for a comprehensive training on sustainable nursery production; release of Virtual Field Day website modules.
    Submission of final report

Accomplishments/Milestones

  • Despite funding delays, my collaborators and I began curriculum planning and development. Below is a list of the Objectives (listed previously) followed by a statement indicating the Accomplishment or progress towards this milestone.

    Objective: Planning and development, including meetings with collaborators, nursery producer (farmer) advisers and interested clientele:
    Accomplishment: Our team met with nursery producers and other collaborators numerous times throughout 2010 using in-person, conference call, and videoconference technologies. Based on input from producers at these meetings, we finalized a Master Outline of topics and components for which we will develop a curriculum of video modules, presentations, publications and other resources.
    Objective: Preparation of presentations, handouts and activities for a comprehensive training on sustainable nursery production:
    Accomplishment: Resources are being compiled and categorized to support each component of our Master Outline of the curriculum. We are identifying gaps in knowledge and developing those resources needed to complete components of our curriculum. Resources include websites, publications, presentations and video. This task will continue into 2011.
    Objective: Review of materials by farmer (nursery producer) advisory committee.
    Accomplishment: Our list of available and needed resources was reviewed by our advisory committee, and a list of their suggestions is being addressed. This will continue into 2011.
    Objective: Filming of modules for the Virtual Field Day website:
    Accomplishment: Filming for video modules began in Fall 2010. We identified 10 to 15 nursery producers in Georgia and Florida who are being visited to view sustainable aspects of their production. Superior examples of sustainable practices will be filmed during subsequent visits, as well as filming interviews with the nursery producers so they can tell their own stories about sustainability. This process began Fall 2010 and will be a primary task in early 2011.
    Objective: Submission of annual progress report.
    Accomplishment: The 2009 Annual Progress Report was submitted in April 2010.

    The following Objectives are not scheduled to be addressed until later in the project:

    Objective: Distribution of presentations, handouts and activities for a comprehensive training on sustainable nursery production. Presentations, publications, videos, handouts, and activities will be distributed to county agents and nursery producer advisors in 2011.
    Objective: Two-day training for up to 45 Extension agents and specialists, including visits to regional nurseries using sustainable production methods. A joint in-service training for Georgia and Florida county agents is scheduled for April 2011.
    Objective: Final revision of presentations, handouts and activities for a comprehensive training on sustainable nursery production. Final revisions will take place following reviews of materials by county agents and producers in late 2011.
    Objective: Distribution of evaluation instrument 6 months after training, and assessment of results.
    Objective: Videoconference follow-up with training participants 6 months after initial training to assess trainer use of materials and to evaluate materials and resources. Trainer evaluation of materials will occur in late 2011 or early 2012.
    Objective: Editing and final production of modules for the Virtual Field Day website. Video modules (illustrating sustainable practices in actual use at nurseries) are expected to be complete in mid 2011, with final editing occurring after county agent/producer review in late 2011.
    Objective: Final distribution of presentations, handouts and activities for a comprehensive training on sustainable nursery production; release of Virtual Field Day website modules. The curriculum for ES09-097, Moving Nursery Producers Toward Sustainability, will be released and distributed in early 2012.
    Objective: Submission of final report. The Final Report for ES09-097, Moving Nursery Producers Toward Sustainability, will be submitted in April 2012.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Consumers have high quality standards for ornamentals, and nursery producers are skeptical that sustainable practices can produce high quality plants as well as sustain profits. Our resources and curriculum for county extension agents will help them train nursery producers about practical, sustainable nursery practices that are profitable as well as produce high quality ornamentals.

Collaborators:

Matthew Chappell

hortprod@uga.edu
Assistant Professor of Horticulture and Statewide Nursery Production Specialist
University of Georgia
211 Hoke Smith Building
Athens, GA 30602
Office Phone: 7065429044
Edwin Duke

edwin.duke@famu.edu
Associate Professor
Florida A&M University
306 Perry-Paige South
Tallahassee, FL 32307
Office Phone: 8505993260
Linda Landrum

llandrum@ufl.edu
Multi County Agent IV, Marketing and Rural Development
University of Florida
7580 County Road 136
North Florida Research
Live Oak, FL 32060
Office Phone: 3863621725
Alejandro Bolques

alejandro.bolques@famu.edu
County Extension Agent. FAMU, Gadsden County Extension, Quincy, Fla.
Florida A&M University
2140 West Jefferson Street
Gadsden County Extension
Quincy, FL 32351
Office Phone: 8508727255