Kansas Ranch and Range Management Internship

Kansas Ranch and Range Management Internship

Summary

WORK ACTIVITIES
A. We were able to successfully recruit and place two interns with highly qualified mentors. They were:

1.Chad Vander Linden -
Coffeeville Community College
Muscatine, IA

Mentor: Keith Yearout (one of Ted Turner’s Buffalo operations)
Z-Bar Ranch
Lake City, KS

2. Austin Jensen -
Cloud County Community College
Minneapolis, KS

Mentor: Keith Long
4L Grazing
Ferrell Ranch
Beaumont, KS

All interns were paid ($8 to $8.50/hr) and provided housing. They started in late May after the end of the spring semester, and worked until a week or two before the start of the fall semester.

All interns and mentors completed a learning contract form outlining their desired goals at the beginning, middle and end of the summer (results described later).

B. Enrichment activities included:
• Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition Range School
Both interns attended the 3-day range school put on by NRCS and The Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition. Both found it highly enjoyable and informative. Their tuition was provided by the Kansas Chapter of The Society for Range Management.
• Jim Gerrish Workshop
Nationally known grazing expert and consultant
Topeka, KS – Austin attended

C. Additional Activities:
• We organized and launched a website: www.ksranchinstitute.org Visitors can learn about who we are and what we do, including descriptions of our mentors and their operations, testimonials from our interns describing experiences as interns. How to apply for an internship is also included, of course. The site is generating considerable activity.
• We continue to use the tri-fold, color pamphlet describing our program as a handout to interested students when recruiting on campuses and elsewhere.
• We recruited another new mentor in Missouri. There are now 8 ranchers who have qualified and agreed to become mentors. Finding ranchers who are good managers, practice outstanding grass management, use good conservation practices, and are financially successful is not too difficult of a job. Finding those among that group who are also willing to put in the time and effort required to train an intern is much more difficult. They are few and far between.
• Based on discussions with Joan Benjamin and subsequently participating in the Transcending Sustainability Conference in Fairfield, Iowa in May of 2012, we found that the next generation of ranch business owners may come from non-traditional agriculture backgrounds and indicates that our recruiting efforts could and should be expanded into different areas. We propose to address the intern recruiting problem in two ways: 1) by expanding our recruiting efforts through personal contacts with leaders in at least four of the under-served audiences within the state, and 2) using existing internship websites that successfully advertise and recruit in urban communities nationwide.

RESULTS SO FAR
A. Analysis of the final evaluation forms of the learning contract that the interns and mentors filled out at the end of the summer disclosed:

1) Most of the program goals the interns and mentors listed at the beginning of the summer had been achieved. Additionally both interns indicated significant improvement in skill level in the domains of pasture management, livestock handling, and on-farm decision making. Both interns indicated that they would have liked more training in financial management.

2) Exit interviews indicated a surprisingly high level of satisfaction with the program from all involved. Since only one of the mentors had previous mentor experience, and all of the program staff were neophytes, that finding is most gratifying. We had no personality conflicts, no one quit or was fired and everyone stayed the course and claimed to have enjoyed themselves. Importantly, all interns reported learning a significant amount during the summer. That applied to the mentors as well.

3) It was significant that almost all involved reported, in one way or another, that a significant factor in determining their interest in and dedication to the program was the fact that the program was specifically designed to be a stepping stone experience directed at helping the intern become a ranch owner/operator, not just another hired hand.

WORK PLAN FOR 2013
A. We are now well into year three of planning and execution. In year one (2011), because we received funding so late, our recruiting was last minute and we only recruited at 6 Junior Colleges (listed in our proposal), Fort Hays State University and Kansas State University. In year two (2012) we started recruiting during the fall semester before students made their summer plans and added 3 Junior Colleges (Allen Co., FT Scott and Coffeyville), all of which are in the Flint Hills of SE Kansas. We presented to well over 200 students and received verbal indications of interest from more than 40, however we only received 3 qualified applications. We placed two of those as interns. This year (2013) we expanded our posting to ATTRA and WOOF as well as Oklahoma State University and Colorado State University. We received 5 applications and seem to have passed a threshold, both the number and quality of the applicants has improved significantly from the previous two years.

B. We still view the internship program as a starting point. This year we formed the Kansas Ranch Institute with the intent of meeting the practical educational needs of ranchers within the state. Based on the analysis of 208 surveys distributed at five educational/training meetings last winter, we have a better understanding of what information the ranching community is requesting and how to package and deliver that material across the state. In short, we are committed to the rancher education business for the long haul.

OUTREACH
A. Planning for the Future Conference
March 31, 2012 – Concordia, KS
Cade Rensink and Calvin Adams presented on generational succession during a breakout session.
B. Transcending Sustainability Conference 2012
May 31 – June 3, 2012 – Fairfield, IA
Calvin did a “Conversation Cafe” presentation on Youth Education with Joan Benjamin and Ben Bartlett
C. Kansas Section – Society for Range Management Annual Meeting
October 25 – Great Bend, KS
Calvin Adams presented a poster on the internship program.
D. Kansas Natural Resources Conference
January 24, 25, 2013 - Wichita, KS
Ted Alexander, Keith Long, Cade Rensink and Calvin Adams presented the Internship Program and poster.
E. Student Presentations
Both interns made at least one presentation at their respective schools during the fall semester.

Next year we plan on several presentations at the same or similar meetings.