Project Overview
MODEL STATE PLAN NEVER CONTRACTED.
Commodities
- Agronomic: annual ryegrass, clovers, corn, cotton, grass (misc. annual), grass (misc. perennial), grass (turfgrass, sod), hay, medics/alfalfa, millet, oats, radish (oilseed, daikon, forage), rice, rye, sorghum (milo), sorghum (sweet), sorghum sudangrass, triticale, vetches, wheat
- Fruits: grapes, peaches
- Nuts: pecans
- Additional Plants: native plants, ornamentals
- Animals: bees, bovine, equine, goats, sheep
- Animal Products: dairy, eggs, fiber, fur, leather, honey, meat
Practices
- Animal Production: animal protection and health, feed/forage, free-range, grazing management, grazing - continuous, grazing - multispecies, grazing - rotational, implants, inoculants, livestock breeding, manure management, meat processing facilities, parasite control, pasture renovation, pasture fertility, preventive practices, range improvement, rangeland/pasture management, stocking rate, stockpiled forages, winter forage
- Crop Production: agroforestry, application rate management, beekeeping, biological inoculants, conservation tillage, cover crops, crop improvement and selection, cropping systems, crop rotation, drought tolerance, fertilizers, forestry, forest/woodlot management, nutrient cycling, nutrient management, organic fertilizers, plant breeding and genetics, pollination, pollinator habitat, pollinator health, silvopasture, water management, water storage
- Education and Training: decision support system, demonstration, display, extension, farmer to farmer, networking, on-farm/ranch research, technical assistance, workshop
- Farm Business Management: risk management
- Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, grass waterways, riparian buffers, riverbank protection, soil stabilization
- Pest Management: biological control, competition, cultural control, economic threshold, field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management, physical control, prevention, weed ecology
- Production Systems: agroecosystems, integrated crop and livestock systems, organic agriculture
- Soil Management: green manures, nutrient mineralization, organic matter, soil analysis, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil quality/health
- Sustainable Communities: analysis of personal/family life, community development, community planning, leadership development, sustainability measures
Proposal abstract:
Texas’ Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Committee meets annually to oversee the state program for training agricultural professionals in concepts of sustainable agriculture. The program involves a multifaceted effort that provides training opportunities for County Extension Agents, FSA personnel, NRCS personnel, producers, and other agricultural professionals and also incorporates concepts of sustainable agriculture in existing, state-wide training efforts. These training opportunities include conferences, field meetings and workshops held at various locations in Texas.
Another approach of the Texas Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Committee is to support travel of selected professionals to regional and national conferences on sustainable agriculture, with the intent of participants gaining knowledge and skills that they will share with other agricultural professionals in Texas.
Program evaluation will be accomplished with pre- and post-tests designed to measure knowledge gained by participating in educational programs. A subset of attendees will be mailed an additional survey instrument four to eight months after the training to determine if participants have adopted any of the sustainable concepts presented. The aim of the evaluation is assessing knowledge gained and to determine whether new knowledge will be applied in future programs for their clientele.
Project objectives from proposal:
- At least fifteen Agriculture Extension Agents and five NRCS Field Technicians will become knowledgeable about sustainable grazing systems.
- At least fifteen Agriculture Extension Agents and five NRCS Field Technicians will become knowledgeable about direct on-farm marketing of livestock and poultry.
- At least ten Extension Agents and five NRCS Field Technicians will become knowledgeable about organic production of field crops and inform producers of such information related to organic crop production systems.
June Ranch Raised, Beef Cattle Short course College Station
John Smith will deliver rainwater harvesting for sustainable livestock operations educational programming to attending Extension personnel and mentor farmers whose leadership is key to increased adoption of science-based management practices in sustainable and organic enterprises. The training will include SARE Producer Grant and on the Farm Research opportunities.
July Texas County Agricultural Agents Association (TCAAA) Meeting, Dallas
John Smith and Vanessa Corriher-Olson will deliver SARE educational programming and will develop, establish, and staff a booth highlighting SARE educational materials and approaches. Work closely with TCAAA to host NACAA national meeting.
July Texas Extension Specialist Association Meeting, Port Aransas
John Smith and Joel Pigg will deliver SARE educational programming and will develop, establish, and staff a booth highlighting SARE educational materials and approaches encouraging specialist to submit PDP grants.
July Sustainable Water Quality and Quantity Training.
John Smith will serve on the organizing committee and will deliver sustainable agriculture educational programming based on AC recommendation for Extension agent and mentor farmer education on irrigation water quality and quantity. John also will deliver programming highlighting sustainable methods and SARE educational approaches.
Aug. Sheep and Goat Expo, San Angelo
John Smith will deliver rainwater harvesting for sustainable livestock operations educational programming to attending Extension personnel and mentor farmers whose leadership is key to increased adoption of science-based management practices in sustainable and organic enterprises. The training will include SARE Producer Grant and on the Farm Research opportunities.
Aug. Sustainable Gardening, Edinburg
John Smith will deliver irrigation water quality and private water well management, rainwater harvesting and SARE educational programming to attending Extension, NRCS and Texas Dept. of Agriculture personnel and mentor farmers whose leadership is key to increased adoption of science-based management practices in sustainable and organic operations.
Aug Texas County Agriculture Agents Association-cover crop agent training, Overton
Vanesa Corriher- Olson will provide cover crop and SARE educational training to 5 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agents who will travel to the Overton Center from across the state. Vanessa Corriher-Olson and John Smith will deliver cover crop training and SARE educational programming to attending Extension whose leadership is key to increased adoption of science-based management practices in sustainable and organic operations.
Aug. Texas Beef Cattle Short Course. A booth will be used to accommodate a display highlighting SARE educational materials and approaches.
Nov. Annual Agriculture Day at Prairie View A&M educational booth space. A booth will be used to accommodate a display highlighting SARE educational materials and approaches.
Dec. Cooperative Extension Program ANR agent training, College Station
Prairie View A&M University or Texas A&M University SARE will provide SARE educational training to 10 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agents who will travel to College Station from across the state
Jan. Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA) Conference, San Antonio
Joel Pigg and John Smith will deliver irrigation water quality and private water well management, rainwater harvesting and SARE educational programming to attending Extension, NRCS and Texas Dept. of Agriculture personnel and mentor farmers whose leadership is key to increased adoption of science-based management practices in sustainable and organic operations.
Feb. Fort Bend Regional Vegetable Conference, Rosenberg
John Smith will deliver irrigation water quality and private water well management, rainwater harvesting and SARE educational programming to attending Extension, NRCS and Texas Dept. of Agriculture personnel and mentor farmers whose leadership is key to increased adoption of science-based management practices in sustainable and organic operations. The program will be delivered in person Feb 2024.
April Cooperative Extension Program Small Farm Field Day
June Grass-Fed Beef Training. A booth will be used to accommodate a display highlighting SARE educational materials and approaches.
June Production, Marketing and Sales of Local Foods Training – Training will focus on food safety for cottage foods, farmers markets, on-site animal processing, and Whole Foods purchasing of locally grown produce.