Training Agriculture Educators in Utah using the Wyoming Ranch Tools site and Western SARE research projects.

View the project final report

Commodities

Practices

• Animal Production: grazing management, pasture renovation, range improvement, rangeland/pasture management, stocking rate
• Education and Training: decision support system, extension, on-farm/ranch research, technical assistance, workshop, youth education
• Farm Business Management: agricultural finance, budgets/cost and returns, business planning, feasibility study

With this project Master Stockman Consulting (MSC) will utilize a three phased approach to train Agriculture Educators in Utah and ultimately teach new and beginning producers tools for making economically sustainable decisions.  In phase 1 MSC will develop a curriculum to enhance the Animal Science I and II courses taught by Utah Agriculture Educators.  In phase 2 MSC will train Agriculture Educators on the curriculum though workshops in association with their annual meetings.  In phase 3 MSC will enhance the curriculum with 10 YouTube how to videos.

Phase 1 - Curriculum

Basics of Farm and Ranch Economics - from small urban settings to large rural ranches.

Making Decisions Using the Wyoming Ranch Tools site.

Record Keeping - using production and financial records to improve decision making.

Evaluating Research - Using a tools approach to evaluating research for an individual farm or ranch.

Getting Started - Investment decisions, leasing, market analysis and more.

Phase 2 - Training

MSC will conduct two training workshops with Agriculture Educators in Utah to outline the curriculum and practice using the Wyoming Ranch Tools site.  These workshops will be in conjunction with annual training meetings for Utah Ag Educators.

Phase 3 - How to videos

To enhance the curriculum MSC will utilize a WSARE Research to Grass Roots approach in developing 10 how to videos that will be available for Ag Educators to use with their students.  The videos will highlight 5 WSARE research projects from Utah.  This focus on Utah will help students to see the applicability of the research to them as new and beginning producers in Utah.

Master Stockman Consulting has ambitious objectives for this project.  However, given past experience MSC feels the objectives are attainable.

• Increase ag educators knowledge of basic farm and ranch economics.
• Increase ag educators knowledge of the user friendly Wyoming Ranch Tools that enable informed ranch management decisions.
• Increase ag educators knowledge of Western SARE projects and the importance of sustainability research.
• Increase ag educators understanding of 5 specific Western SARE projects.
  • FW19-343     Can barley fodder be fed in place of grass hay to dairy goats and dairy sheep and what effect will it have on milk production and composition.
  • GW18-156     Utilizing Tannin-Containing Forages and Holos Software for Sustainable Beef Production in the Intermountain West.
  • EW13-005     Economic Evaluation of Agricultural Diversification through Agritourism for the Intermountain West.
  • SW10-088     Grass-Legume pastures to increase economic and environmental sustainability of livestock production.
  • FW04-014     Goats as a Weed Control Alternative in Small Acreage Ranchettes.
• Trained ag educators will then increase the knowledge of new and beginning producers in basic farm and ranch economics, use of the Wyoming Ranch Tools site for decision support tools, Western SARE projects and the importance of sustainability research and 5 specific Western SARE projects.