Building educational capacity to enhance the implementation of sustainable livestock production strategies in the Southeast region

Commodities

Practices

The livestock industry is one of the most important agricultural activities in the Southeast, with forages as the basis of operations. In recent decades, livestock systems have struggled with high off-farm input prices, low-profit margins, and challenges associated with consumer’s perception of the beef industry’s environmental impacts. Concerns about this industry's carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions have led to enhanced research emphasis on developing improved management practices to mitigate effects and properly quantify environmental impacts. Beef production is a complex system across climates, soil types, cattle genetics, and production systems. Therefore, developing educational resources and training opportunities for Extension agents and agricultural educators to improve their knowledge and skills on basic concepts and the practical implementation of management practices to support sustainable beef production is crucial to supporting their changing clientele. The goals are: 1) develop multi-format educational content (i.e., guides, videos), 2) develop online and in-person training with classroom and hands-on demonstrations for dissemination of main concepts in forage and animal production and soil health and novel techniques (e.g., Greenfed units) and practices in sustainable livestock production implementation, and 3) assess the effectiveness of curriculum developed, technology adoption and change of perception of educators and producers. Short-term knowledge gained will be accessed through pre- and post-knowledge surveys applied during training to attendees (NRCS and Extension agents and farmers). Potential barriers will be noted and used to structure future curriculum development and training. This project includes web-based delivery of training if required to follow COVID-19 pandemic guidelines.

The objectives are to develop curriculum coursework, written resources, and training related to sustainable livestock production management strategies for Extension agents, NRCS agents, agricultural professionals and mentor farmers in the Southeast.  The goal is to increase the sustainable intensification of livestock production while supporting the feasibility and resilience of forage-livestock ecosystems. The specific objectives are:

1. Development of educational multidisciplinary multi-format resources (i.e, guides, videos). Development of written educational resources, including a guide (textbook) for the in-person training in Year 1. This guide will be entitled “Demystifying Sustainable Management Practices to Support the Resilience of Livestock Systems in Changing Climate Conditions.” The guide will address basic concepts related to the sustainability of forage-based ecosystems, such as the definition and sources of greenhouse gas emissions, how gas fluxes are measured, etc. Then, the guide will address management practices that can support mitigation of environmental impacts, contemporary environmental issues (i.e., water quality) and potential future opportunities for producers (i.e., carbon markets). The multidisciplinary guide will be written through a collaborative effort by several specialists from different institutions and will be externally peer-reviewed. Technical press-release articles will be developed collaboratively among institutions and stored on the SARE website. In addition, video recordings will be developed for the 2026 National Forages Week and stored on the SARE website and the Forage Drops YouTube page. In addition to previously discussed topics, co-authors in this project address the impact of the consumer’s perceptions about the carbon footprint and emissions from the livestock industry through their educational resources, trying to address current gaps of knowledge and misconceptions from mass media.

Outcome: Provide written and recorded educational resources that contain concepts, principles and management practices guidelines for the implementation and management of environmentally sustainable forage-livestock production systems.

Evaluation plan: We will monitor the distribution of printed copies, downloads and views of guide and technical publications. Web metrics for recordings (i.e., views) will be monitored.

2. Multidisciplinary and multi-institution in-service training to educators.

In Year 1, a multidisciplinary 2-day in-person training joint event will be delivered with classroom and hands-on activities and a farm tour at two selected mentor farmers in South Carolina. Several Specialists and faculty from Clemson and Auburn Universities and invited speakers (n=10) will support the delivery of formal and practical knowledge. Demonstration sites and greenhouse demonstrations (e.g., impacts of waterlogging on forage stands) will support the practical understanding of concepts addressed in the classroom. Aligned with COVID-19 pandemic guidelines, if needed, training will be held online, and hands-on demonstrations will be held live through media resources using an internet connection through portable routers (Hot Spots). In Year 2, a training session will be hosted as a series of webinars with recognized speakers in their subject matters that relate to sustainable livestock production. This series of webinars will promote wider reach and engagement from extension agents from other Extension systems in the Southeast and from general audiences with limited mobility or other challenges who cannot attend in-person events. This will be a crucial step to promote equity of access to educational information for diverse audiences and communities. PowerPoint presentations and handouts will be compiled and given to each attendee of training for further use, including in their local Extension programs.

Outcome: Increase educational resources available to improve understanding and implementation of environmentally, sustainable, and feasible management practices in forage-based livestock operations. Knowledge gained and application of concepts following training events and dissemination among producer’s clientele in the southeast.

Evaluation plan: Attendance at events and views of recorded sessions will be monitored. Pre- and post-knowledge surveys will be given to all attendees. In Year 2, a follow-up survey will be sent to educators and mentor farmers to assess the rate of implemented practices and concepts.

3. Assessment of the effectiveness of curriculum and coursework adoption by educators and incorporation of practices by farmers.

Measuring effectiveness and gathering feedback from resources developed and educational sessions delivered is crucial to assess strengths and limitations to be addressed. The team will implement assessments of: a) practical needs, effectiveness of coursework adoption and change of knowledge of educators, b) technology adoption and change of perceptions by educators and producers.

Outcome: Improved understanding of knowledge gaps, the effectiveness of educational methods and methodologies used by several specialists, and guidance on approaches and limitations to be addressed in future educational efforts in this subject area.

Evaluation plan: Properly developed assessments will provide data and evaluation of activities conducted under this project. Information will be compiled and reported in the final report.