USU-WSARE 2024 State Implementation Program (Western SARE PDP)

Commodities

Practices

The Utah Professional Development Program (PDP) provides
resources, leadership development and training to agricultural
professionals and producers that promote the goals of Western
SARE.  The program is guided by an Advisory Committee. The
Utah PDP to seek answers to the state’s food and sustainability
challenges, which include dense urbanization (9^th in
the nation) and climate change (2^nd most arid state in
the nation), in a way that protects natural resources and human
safety and enhances the quality of life for  producers.
General topics include supporting existing and new urban and
small farms, soil health training, improving sustainable grazing,
and support of the next generation of farmers.

The Utah PDP reaches the livestock, forage, specialty crop
industries and sustainable agriculture producers broadly. For
2024-26, the program will direct resources to the following
activities each year:  mini-grant awards, four
conferences/workshops, needs assessment, developing future
Extension leaders in Sustainable Agriculture and distribution and
promotion of WSARE and USU resources. Several conferences are
long-standing events that have been supported by the Utah PDP in
the past and include a new field day portion of the Urban and
Small Farms Conference (reaching over 150 producers and
professionals), the Utah-Arizona Annual Range and Livestock
Conference (reaching over 400), Sustainable Grazing Institute
(reaching 50 producers), and range campus for high schoolers and
teachers.

There are four objectives for this proposal that will target the
overall goals for 2024-26 to promote  sustainable farming,
build soil health practices, increase local food production,
improve sustainable grazing, and develop future Sustainable
Agriculture leadership in Utah Extension.

1. Increase knowledge and skills of up to 9 Utah Extension
   agricultural professionals and up to 300 producers through the
   award of approximately 12 mini-grants for travel or event-hosting
   (offered spring and fall of each year), measured by reporting and
   follow-up surveys of award recipients. (“Travel/Event Hosting
   Awards”)
2. Facilitate adoption of sustainable agricultural practices of
   up to 900 professionals, producers, and second-generation farmers
   through the support of three conferences and workshops and two
   camps, offered in spring, summer, and fall of each year, as
   measured by retrospective surveys after each event. (“Support
   of Annual Conferences/Workshops”)
3. Conduct a sustainable agriculture needs assessment of
   agricultural professionals in Utah in and use this information to
   guide future PDP work. (“Needs Assessment”)
4. Develop a three-year SARE Leadership Associate opportunity
   for engaged, interested, skilled Extension personnel.