Ranchers Mentoring Network - Ranchers Sharing Ideas with Ranchers

Ranchers Mentoring Network - Ranchers Sharing Ideas with Ranchers

Summary

This project provides information and education to improve soil health, profitability; sustainability and quality of the environment and natural resource base. This project implements a transitional approach beginning with educational resources to raise awareness and motivate producers, partner agencies, and other stakeholders through educational workshops, tours, articles, and related activities.

The ultimate goal is to incorporate the various strategies to assist participating producers so they will realize a measurable improvement in soil health, more profit, and long-term sustainability.

Objectives/Performance Targets

The products of this project will include the following:

a) Eight regional management workshops, seminars, or field/pasture tours each year, held at different locations around the state. This will give producers, agency field personnel, and ag-business personnel an opportunity to receive both classroom and hands-on training from specialists and producer-mentors. 50-400 participants typically attend these events, depending on location, producer interest level, and timing. Field tours and similar hands-on events are usually held in mid to late summer, while workshops and seminars are typically held in late fall and winter.
b) Sponsorships for 3-5 individuals (per year) to receive professional improvement training at regional three to five-day workshop/seminars. These are producers who wish to receive more intensive education on specific topics they have chosen, to help them with further implementation or as a train-the-trainer component to equip them to become mentors.
c) Ranchers or lenders range camps will be designed as three to five-day camps on or near a select field/pasture location to provide more intensive hands-on education. There will be 3 ranchers’ camps and two lenders’ camps over the three-year period. Camps will be designed to allow for considerable one-on-one assistance from the trainers, so maximum attendance numbers will not be large and will be determined by availability of training capacity.
d) Mentorship training will be provided by trained mentors who are members of the NDGLC. They will provide up to 825 hours of their time to work one-on-one with individual producers who are working to implement the management strategies and technologies of this project. Mentors will provide up to 16 hours per producer, so it is anticipated that they will mentor at least 50 individuals or families per year.
e) News articles, activity promotional pages, and news release information will be provided for inclusion in select newsletters and publications that reach the target audience of producers, ag landowners, and agency and ag-business-related stakeholders. These will be developed and distributed as needed during the tenure of this project. This information will reach approximately 10,000 individuals and families of the target audience across the state, annually.
f) Brochures that explain the program and provide contact information will be developed and distributed to the target audience on an ongoing basis. Distribution will include handouts at workshops and other project events, individual mailings, email, etc., utilizing existing and updated mailing lists from NDGLC, RC&D, NRCS, and NDSU Extension, and various other stakeholder agencies. This will require at least 10,000 brochures during the term of the project.

Accomplishments/Milestones

• The following are accomplishments in 2011 by the Producer Mentors:

  • 857 one-on-one consultations.
  • 51 speaking engagements at workshops with an attendance of 1841 people.
  • 65 tours on their farm/ranches to 578 individuals for groups and college classes throughout the State.
  • 22 Articles written by Producer Mentors, Range Technician and Project Coordinator.
  • Developed one Grazing Plan
  • Hosted 6 Workshops/Tours with over 300 people in attendance.
  o The 2011 Annual Grazing Workshop
  o HRM Course
  o Summer tour at the Maddock Family Ranch in Maddock ND
  o SARE Listening Session and Tour
  o HRM class follow-up tour and mentoring session
  o Workshop for Wildlife agencies

  On the one-to one contacts the Mentors have discussed all 17 topics at some point. The most popular topics have been on livestock management, grazing, cover crops, bale grazing, winter grazing and mob grazing. In addition, each month a Mentor writes an article on various topics for the Stockman’s Magazine and the Cattlemen’s Weekly.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

NDGLC producer-mentors are assigned to individual producers who request mentor assistance. At times it requires assistance from more than one mentor per producer, depending on the individual needs of that producer and specific area of expertise of each mentor. This is accomplished in an integrated approach where several mentors examine the plan or concern and provide input to reach a consensus for the best possible outcome for the producer.

Other partners also provide technical assistance for many of the project activities. County Extension educators (NDSU) and local Soil Conservation Districts (SCDs) are involved in hosting some of the events and demonstration sites, and in providing educators and facilitators for some events that will be conducted in their local areas. Additionally, NDSU Extension, NRCS, US Fish and Wildlife Service, ND Forest Service, ND Department of Health, and the ND Department of Agriculture provide assistance and educational instruction utilizing specialists related to crops and range science, water quality, waste management, engineering, forestry and wildlife management. A few workshops include instruction from specialists who work independently of the above agencies or organizations, and receive personal compensation for that effort.

This program has more than exceeded the objectives and performance targets originally outlined in the proposal. The results of the popularity of the program indicates a continued need for this type of information and education sharing with producers.

Collaborators: