Project Overview
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Agronomic: grass (misc. perennial), hay
- Animals: bees, bovine, poultry, goats, sheep, swine, ratite
Practices
- Animal Production: feed/forage, housing, grazing - multispecies, pasture renovation, preventive practices, range improvement, grazing - rotational, watering systems, winter forage
- Crop Production: windbreaks
- Education and Training: extension, focus group, networking
- Farm Business Management: new enterprise development, whole farm planning
- Natural Resources/Environment: afforestation, hedges - grass, grass waterways, habitat enhancement, indicators, riparian buffers, riverbank protection, soil stabilization, wetlands, wildlife
- Pest Management: cultural control, field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management
- Production Systems: transitioning to organic, holistic management
- Soil Management: nutrient mineralization, organic matter, soil quality/health
- Sustainable Communities: infrastructure analysis, urban agriculture, urban/rural integration, sustainability measures
Abstract:
The Coached Planning for Landhelp project was designed to enhance the effective implementation of research-based practices for landscape stewardship by training natural resource professionals in the delivery of a comprehensive land management curriculum that allows target audience specificity while maintaining a standardized planning format. In other words, the project combined web-based curriculum with flexible database delivery and personal on-site assistance to enhance the learning and success of clients in the field. The format is easily usable by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Cooperative Extension, Soil Conservation Districts, foresters, and other private natural resource interest groups. This flexible web-based curriculum platform allows each local team of natural resource professionals to identify target audience needs using subject education modules on home site planning, soil conservation, wildlife habitat, forestry, fire protection, pest management, water quality, nutrient management, air quality, conservation cropping, prescribed fire, traditional agriculture, alternative agriculture, grazing principles, and other modules. All audience or site specific education modules were delivered following the first module (introduction to resource planning) and the completion module (writing and implementing your resource plan). Following training on curriculum use, fourteen pilot projects in Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico were initiated and supported to test the applicability of the educational approach. Follow-up support and interviews with landowners participating in the pilot programs will allowed direct evaluation of the approach and impacts at the instructor and landowner level.
Project objectives:
The overall objective was and is to enhance effective resource stewardship of private landowners by developing a collaborative approach for multi-agency professionals to work together in delivering a site and audience specific natural resource management curriculum. This would be accomplished by refining the curriculum, conducting train-the-trainer workshops, and initiating “pilot” projects in all three states. This collaborative and cooperative education approach will build strong partnerships between natural resource professionals. This will be done by dissolving redundant education efforts, standardizing course material, reducing manpower requirements, provide significant support structure for professionals and landowners and enhancing impact-to-investment ratio for professionals. The overall effort is supported by a web-based resource that has entered into its second format evolution due to technical maintenance problems.