Multiple Livestock Species Integrated Parasite Management Train-the-Trainer Programs with On-Farm, Computer-based and Traditional Training Sessions

View the project final report

• 2010 annual report
• 2011 annual report
• 2012 annual report

Commodities

• Agronomic: grass (misc. perennial), hay
• Animals: bovine, poultry, goats, sheep, swine

Practices

• Animal Production: parasite control, grazing management, livestock breeding, grazing - multispecies, preventive practices, grazing - rotational, stocking rate, feed/forage
• Crop Production: food product quality/safety
• Farm Business Management: whole farm planning
• Production Systems: holistic management
• Sustainable Communities: sustainability measures

Collaborators with experience in a variety of livestock species have assisted with designing training materials, designing on-farm experiential training ideas and providing expertise as speakers at training workshops. Meetings have been held with the American (formerly Southern) Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control and some updates of existing training materials for small ruminants developed through previous SARE funded grants have been made. Two trainer facilitator’s guides for cattle and horse integrated parasite management have been developed. Train-the-trainer sessions have been held – Seventy-six trainers, most in NC but some in SC, and VA attended training in different formats with some trainers attending more than one type of training. At least 24 Extension field staff or other agricultural professionals trained or hosted trainings for producers with over 506 producers or livestock owners in mostly NC, but some from SC and a few in VA, GA and FL.

1) Focusing on a variety of livestock species, train agents in how to assess parasite management and control issues and provide them with tools to help the farmers with those issues, resulting in farmers understanding and controlling parasites in their animals with more efficient/less chemical dewormer use (to reduce chemicals in our environment and increase farmer profitability).

2) Teach agents about how to assess the impact of trainings they provide to farmers and give them the tools to begin the process, resulting in agents assisting with tracking the impact of the proposed project and participating in reporting of those impacts well into the future.

Ultimately, the goal is to help agents and other agricultural professionals to provide information to farmers with pasture raised pigs, poultry, cattle, horses, sheep and/or goats that will help them make more money and have greater lifestyle satisfaction while reducing chemicals released into the environment.