Project Overview
Commodities
Practices
- Animal Production: animal protection and health
- Education and Training: extension
- Farm Business Management: cooperatives, farm succession, whole farm planning
- Production Systems: holistic management, integrated crop and livestock systems
- Soil Management: soil quality/health
- Sustainable Communities: quality of life, urban agriculture, urban/rural integration
Proposal abstract:
Initiatives for the Kansas SARE Professional Development Program for 2023-2024 prioritize three broad categories: Adapting to Changing Climate and other Food System Disruptions, Diversification in Agriculture, and Generational Transfer in Agriculture.
Project objectives from proposal:
Kansas Initiative 1: Adapting to Changing Climate and Other Food System Disruptions
Includes, but is not limited to, outreach and educational opportunities related to crop and livestock production, carbon market potential, drought mitigation, potable water conservation, food waste, small scale meat processing, and rural community development, especially around local food processing.
Expected Outcomes:
- 15 Extension educators increase their knowledge of small scale meat and food processing options for Kansas
- 15 Extension educators increase their knowledge about water conservation and drought resilience
- 5 Extension agents increase their knowledge about carbon markets
- 10 Extension agents increase their knowledge about regenerative practices
- 1 mini grant for climate smart ag workshop
- 2 mini grants for local food/food hub/local food processing workshop
Activities:
- Support workshops and travel scholarships focused on carbon market information
- Mini grants and travel scholarships awarded for small scale meat processing initiative in Kansas
- Support educational programming about climate-smart and regenerative agriculture
- Cooperate with other NCR states on regional programming opportunities
Evaluation: Post-event evaluations will be collected to determine change in knowledge and intended actions based on new information.
Monitor social media activity (i.e. likes and retweets) for sponsored programs
Collect 6-12 month follow-up evaluations after programs to determine short and intermediate outcomes.
Kansas Initiative 2: Diversification in Agriculture
Includes activities related to agricultural systems - urban, suburban, and rural; social justice in the food system; scale and resilience; and soil health.
Expected Outcomes:
- 15 NRCS employees increase knowledge about urban agriculture
- 20 Extension professionals increase their knowledge of equity in the food system
- 10 Extension professionals will increase their knowledge of urban, suburban, and peri-urban agricultural production
- 10 Extension and allied ag professionals will increase their knowledge of social justice in the food system
- 1 mini grant for urban agriculture workshop/farm tour
- 1 mini grant for soil health workshop/farm tour
- 1 mini grant for food system social justice/food sovereignty training
Activities:
- Support Kansas NRCS Technical Sub Committee on Urban Agriculture
- Continue quest to establish relationships with Haskell Indian Nations University and Kansas Tribes
- Travel scholarships to encourage Extension agent participation in workshops, field days, farm tours, and on-farm demonstrations sponsored by KSRE, Conservation Districts, NRCS, and NGOs about non-rural ag production, soil health, resilient production practices
- Cooperate with Kansas Black Farmers Association, New Roots for Refugees, and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation on inclusive educational programming.
Evaluation: Post-event evaluations will be collected to determine change in knowledge and intended actions based on new information.
Monitor social media activity (i.e. likes and retweets) for sponsored programs
Collect 6-12 month follow-up evaluations after programs to determine short and intermediate outcomes.
Kansas Initiative 3: Generational Transfer in Agriculture
Includes professional development activities that will expand capacity in the areas of beginning farming, generational transition and transfer; succession planning, and succession especially as the activities relate to transitioning to more sustainable land use practices.
Expected Outcomes:
- 25 Extension and allied ag professionals increase their knowledge about different types of transition and transfer of agricultural land in Kansas
- 10 Extension and allied ag professionals increase their knowledge about working with beginning farmers who are veterans
- 10 Extension and allied ag professionals increase their knowledge of barriers to generational farming experienced by people of color
- 1 mini grant focusing on land transfer/transition and/or succession planning
Activities:
- Travel scholarships to support K-State Extension Kansitions Program with educational opportunities about farm land access, generational transfer, generational transition, succession planning, and land link programming
- Work with Farmer Veteran Coalition of Kansas and Servicemember Agricultural Vocational Education (S.A.V.E.) farm on programming focusing on the unique needs of veterans and transitioning soldiers who want to farm
- Support programming by and cooperate with Kansas Black Farmers Association, New Roots for Refugees, and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation on educational programming about barriers encountered by people of color when beginning or transitioning to farming.
Evaluation: Post-event evaluations will be collected to determine change in knowledge and intended actions based on new information.
Monitor social media activity (i.e. likes and retweets) for sponsored programs
Collect 6-12 month follow-up evaluations after programs to determine short and intermediate outcomes.