Fundamentals of Livestock Management in Southern New England

Commodities

• Animals: bovine, goats, poultry, sheep, swine

Practices

• Production Systems: other

Project Focus: The Tri-State SARE Project is a long-standing collaboration between the Universities of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Through this partnership, the project has consistently worked to strengthen the knowledge and technical skills of agricultural service providers across the region who support livestock farmers. Recent conversations with regional stakeholders have reinforced the continued need for focused livestock education and training. Several agencies have reported significant turnover among field and planning staff. Many of these newer employees bring strong academic backgrounds but have limited direct experience working with farmers or within livestock production systems. As a result, there is a clear need for foundational training that builds practical knowledge, confidence, and understanding when engaging with farmers. This project will address that need by providing targeted education and skill development opportunities designed to strengthen the fundamental livestock knowledge of agricultural service providers throughout southern New England. By building this capacity, participants will be better equipped to advise and collaborate with livestock farmers, improving the overall quality of technical assistance available to farmers in the region. The primary audience for this project will include service providers from agencies and organizations that regularly interact with livestock farmers, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, Extension specialists, and representatives from related town and state agencies and nonprofit organizations. While the project is designed primarily for service providers, livestock farmers will also be welcomed to participate in the programming.

Solution and Approach: The project will utilize an educational approach that combines virtual and in-person learning opportunities to maximize accessibility and impact. Training will include asynchronous learning through prerecorded educational modules, hands-on on-farm training experiences, and virtual debrief review sessions designed to reinforce key concepts and encourage discussion among participants.

25 agricultural service providers within the Tri-State project region will identify a focus area in livestock production and management based on their individual professional development needs. Participants will work to build competency in their identified focus area, ultimately improving their ability to effectively and confidently support 100 livestock farmers across Southern New England.