Wildlife Damage Control for Traditional and Organic Farmers

View the project final report

• 2012 annual report
• 2013 annual report

Commodities

• Agronomic: corn, sunflower, grass (misc. perennial), hay
• Fruits: melons, apples, berries (other), berries (blueberries), cherries, berries (strawberries)
• Vegetables: asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, greens (leafy), peas (culinary), cucurbits, sweet corn
• Additional Plants: ornamentals, trees
• Animals: poultry, rabbits, sheep

Practices

• Animal Production: feed/forage
• Crop Production: application rate management
• Education and Training: demonstration, display, extension, farmer to farmer, networking, workshop
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns, risk management
• Natural Resources/Environment: wildlife
• Pest Management: biological control, chemical control, cultural control, economic threshold, eradication, field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management, physical control, traps
• Production Systems: holistic management, transitioning to organic
• Sustainable Communities: urban agriculture, urban/rural integration, employment opportunities

Wildlife Damage Control for Organic Farmers-Developing tools and trainers. Most farmers have challenges related to crop damage due to wildlife pests. Organic farmers have additional challenges because they cannot use chemical controls which are sometimes the most effective and efficient options. The same methods and techniques that could be used by organic farmers will provide relief for traditional farmers as well. As examples, new research on pocket gopher control has found specific traps, methods and timing of control can be more efficient and cost effective than traditional methods using toxicants. Modifying existing fences with new designs can provide 100% protection from deer for only $1500 per mile. Monofilament fishing line, when suspended above crops, has been shown to provide protection from birds. County and Reservation Extension educators and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel have increasing requests from organic farmers for information unique to organic farming. Coping with pests, including wildlife pests, are among the most common. Like the organic farmers themselves, Extension and NRCS personnel lack information on controlling wildlife pests on organic farms. The purpose of this project is to provide the training and materials needed to allow educators to address the vertebrate pest control needs of organic and traditional farmers. A survey of 200 organic farmers in Montana and Idaho identified specific wildlife species with which they have problems and the amount of economic damage they received from these species. Both traditional and organic farmers and leadership in the Montana and Idaho organic farmer associations have been and will continue to be involved in the planning and conducting of the training in this project. They will also be involved in the farm demonstrations developed. For this project we will: 1) Determine vertebrate pest control methods that currently exist or which could be modified and developed for organic farmers. We will gather information through, wildlife damage control experts, surveys of organic farmers, literature review, expert system techniques and surveys of extension and agency vertebrate pest specialists. 2) Identify suitability, economic costs, effectiveness and strategies to enhance usefulness of methods identified. Demonstrations and evaluation will be conducted on the farms of cooperating producers. 3) Increase the vertebrate pest control knowledge and skills of Extension Educators so they have the capacity to address the educational needs of both traditional and organic farmers. We will conduct trainer workshops, develop printed and web materials and conduct evaluations. 4) Extension educators will educate farmers so they can implement legal, effective, efficient and environmentally safe vertebrate pest control practices which will increase profits of organic farmers through reduced crop losses due to vertebrate pests. We will conduct surveys of producers and workshop participants early in the project and at the end of the project to assess actual use of new wildlife control techniques and acres and dollars affected.

Objective 1. (Short –term outcome) Determine vertebrate pest control methods that currently exist or which could be modified and developed for organic farmers.
Activity: Gather information through, wildlife damage control experts, surveys of organic farmers, literature review, expert system techniques and surveys of extension and agency vertebrate pest specialists. PI is responsible for initiation and completion. Accomplished within 6 months of the project initiation.
Objective 2. (Short-term outcome) Identify suitability, economic costs, effectiveness and strategies to enhance usefulness of methods determined in Objective 1.
Activity: The demonstration and evaluation will be conducted on the farms of five cooperating producers. They will be selected by the major participants in this project based on location, species involved and logistical considerations. The PI will be responsible for coordinating activities of producers. Co-PI will coordinate economic evaluation and related data collection. Paul McCauley will coordinate Idaho farmers.
Objective 3. (Medium-term outcome) Increase the vertebrate pest control knowledge and skills of Extension Educators so they have the capacity to address the educational needs of both traditional and organic farmers.
Activity: Conduct trainer workshops, develop printed, video and web materials and conduct evaluations. The PI will be responsible for measuring knowledge gained and producers assisted by educators participating in trainings.
Objective 4 (Long term outcome) Extension educators will educate farmers so they can implement legal, effective, efficient and environmentally safe vertebrate pest control practices which will increase profits of organic farmers through reduced crop losses due to vertebrate pests.
Activity: The PI will be responsible for conducting surveys of producers and workshop participants early in the project and at the end of the project to assess use of new wildlife control techniques and acres and dollars affected.