Moving nursery producers toward sustainable production practices

Moving nursery producers toward sustainable production practices

Summary

Our team compiled and categorized existing resources pertaining to nursery sustainability (publications, websites, presentations, etc.) for eventual placement on our website. We also identified gaps in resources and we began developing presentations and publications to fulfill these needs. We assembled printed references and other resources (books, laminated pest identification cards, hand lenses, irrigation emitters, fertilizer samples, etc.) into a Sustainable Nursery Toolbox and distributed these to county agents participating in our multistate in-service training. The first of our completed videos was also presented at our multistate in-service training. County agents and growers provided feedback about these and other planned resources, and we will use this information to guide continued and final development of video modules and other resources.

Objectives/Performance Targets

• 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

• Objective: Planning and development, including meetings with collaborators, nursery producer (“farmer”) advisers and interested clientele: o Accomplishment: Our team met with nursery producers and other collaborators numerous times throughout 2010 and 2011 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 are developing 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:
o Accomplishment: Resources have been compiled and categorized to support each component of our “master outline” of the curriculum. Resources include websites, publications, presentations and video. We are identifying gaps in knowledge and developing those resources needed to complete components of our curriculum. New or planned publications include:
? Nursery crop selection and market niches (completed)
? Alternative containers (completed)
? Nursery shelving and racking systems (in review)
? Ag transportation (in review)
? Nursery sanitation practices (in review)
? Business survival during tough times (in review)
? How to start a nursery (in development)
? Soil moisture sensors and other methods for efficient irrigation (planned)
? Nutrient deficiencies of nursery crops (planned)
? Nutrient management: “Rain gardens” for nurseries (planned)
? Alternative methods of weed control in the nursery (planned)
? Workforce sustainability (planned)
? Recycling/re-purposing in the nursery (planned)
? Nursery sales and shipping (planned)
? Top 10 sustainable money-saving techniques for the nursery (planned) • Objective: Review of materials by “farmer” (nursery producer) advisory committee. o 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 early 2012. • Objective: Filming of modules for the “Virtual Field Day” website: o Accomplishment: Filming for video modules was completed in Summer 2011. We identified seven nursery producers in Georgia and five Florida nurseries who were visited to view sustainable aspects of their production. Superior examples of sustainable practices were filmed during our visits, as well as filming interviews with the nursery producers so they can tell their own stories about sustainability. In addition, we contacted leaders of state nursery associations and filmed representatives to gain industry association perspectives on nursery sustainability.
• Objective: Distribution of presentations, handouts, resources and activities for a comprehensive training on sustainable nursery production. o Accomplishment: A Sustainable Nursery “Toolbox” of sustainable resources was distributed to county agents and nursery producer advisors in 2011. The toolbox contained four textbooks, items used for sustainable pest management (hand lens, sticky cards), three sustainable container types, two types of alternative weed control, two examples of efficient drip irrigation emitters, samples of four organic or sustainable fertilizers and a folder containing various printed handouts related to these.
• Objective: Two-day training for up to 45 Extension agents and specialists, including visits to regional nurseries using sustainable production methods. o Accomplishment: A joint in-service training for Georgia and Florida county agents occurred July 25-27, 2011, at the University of Florida North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy, Florida. Attendance included 15 Georgia county agents, nine Florida county agents, eight extension specialists and three nursery producers. The SARE grant covered all travel expenses. Agents were presented drafts of new publications and presentations as well as a “toolbox” of sustainable resources (mentioned previously) that agents can use to teach nursery producers in their home counties. • Objective: Submission of annual progress report. o Accomplishment: The 2009 and 2010 Annual Progress Reports were submitted on time. The following Objectives are not scheduled to be addressed until later in the project:
• 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 early 2012.
• 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 early 2012.
• Objective: Editing and rough production of video modules (illustrating sustainable practices in actual use at nurseries) are expected to be complete in early 2012, with final editing occurring after review by county agent and nursery producer advisers.
• Objective: Final release of the Sustainable Nursery Website for distribution of the final curriculum of presentations, handouts and video modules for a comprehensive training on sustainable nursery production.
• Objective: Submission of final report. The Final Report for ES09-097, Moving Nursery Producers Toward Sustainability, will be submitted in June 2012.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Eighteen county agents completed an evaluation instrument following the two-day in-service training. More than 83% of respondents gave “good” or better evaluations for the training organization, length and relevance to county programming. More than 99% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed they have opportunities to use in-service information in their counties, and 77.8% of respondents rated in-service research summaries as “very useful.” Similarly, 94.4% strongly agreed they were committed to using information from this training in their programs. Finally, 50% of respondents replied “A lot” when asked how much the workshop increased their ability to lead a workshop as a result of this training, and 66.7% agreed this training will help them address this emerging issue. Overall, 94.5% of participants rated the in-service training as “good” or “very good.” 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.

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