University of Tennessee Training Grant- MSP22

View the project report

Commodities

• Agronomic: clovers, hay
• Animals: bovine, goats, sheep
• Animal Products: meat

Practices

• Animal Production: grazing - rotational, rangeland/pasture management, stocking rate
• Education and Training: demonstration, extension
• Soil Management: soil analysis
• Sustainable Communities: sustainability measures

The University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University look to continue the sustainable agriculture training the SARE program offers to Extension agents, specialists and other agriculture professionals. In meeting training needs we gather input from regional agriculture program leaders, Extension agents, program partners, producers and continued input from the state SARE Advisory Committee, along with state co-coordinators. The program assistant will promote awareness of the SARE program, along with a secondary focus on the SARE grant programs, encouraging utilization and promotion of this program. The state co-coordinators working with the program assistant will seek to provide opportunities for more in-depth training related to sustainable agriculture. This will help to develop training with a more direct program focus. All training opportunities provided will be in-line with the mission of SARE:
• Profitability for the farm
• Care of the water/land resources
• Improving the quality of life
• Focus on production

We will also work with agriculture professionals that find other training opportunities to participate in as long as these trainings relate to the mission of the SARE program.
These will be treated on a case-by-case basis and the determination of these trainings in meeting the mission of SARE will be determined by the state co-coordinators and the program assistant. All trainees will be required to report on their training opportunities so program impact can be determined and reported. Impacts will be provided in the annual SARE report and the proper Extension reporting areas. Department information sheets will be developed on major program impacts/research.

For the year 2022 - 2023, project objectives will focus on teaching/instruction to Extension Agents, Subject Matter Specialists and other Agriculture Professionals to increase knowledge in sustainable agriculture and the role it plays in the agriculture industry by implementing the following:

• Conducting In-service training sessions
• Promoting participation in appropriate meetings and conferences related to sustainable agriculture
• Promoting awareness of the SARE program with an exhibit at meetings, tradeshows and agents/specialists’ meetings
• Promoting the SARE program through the New Farmer Academies conducted in Tennessee – three of these are held annually in the state
• Providing educational materials on sustainable agriculture to Extension Agents
• Evaluating programs to show knowledge level change in agents, specialists and other agriculture professionals
• Trainers reporting practice changes noted/reported by producers
• These evaluations/practice changes will be shown in SARE annual reports and departmental information sheets developed
• Outreach to a diverse audience