2026-2028 Wyoming PDP State Implementation Grant

Commodities

Practices

The Wyoming WSARE Professional Development Program (PDP) aims to strengthen the capacity of agricultural professionals to support sustainable, resilient agricultural systems across the state. Through workshops, mini-grants, and targeted training opportunities, this program enhances the ability of Extension educators, Conservation District personnel, NRCS staff, and other agricultural professionals to address the unique challenges facing Wyoming's farming and ranching communities.

An established Advisory Committee will guide program priorities, review applications, and advise the state coordinator on funding selections to ensure alignment with WSARE goals and Wyoming's agricultural needs.

Key priority areas include soil health and water resource management; rangeland and grazing systems; livestock production efficiency; drought and climate resilience; invasive and noxious weed control; local and regional food system development; and youth or beginning farmer/rancher education.

Grant funds will also support professional development travel grants, enabling agricultural professionals to attend workshops, conferences, and trainings that build knowledge and foster collaboration across the region. By investing in the professional capacity of those who serve Wyoming producers, the WSARE PDP program ensures that sustainable practices and science-based solutions continue to strengthen the long-term viability of Wyoming's agricultural landscapes and communities.

The primary objective of the Wyoming WSARE Professional Development Program (PDP) is to strengthen the capacity of agricultural professionals to support and advance sustainable, profitable, and resource-conscious agricultural systems across Wyoming. Through professional development, collaboration, and applied learning, the program ensures that educators and technical service providers have the tools, skills, and confidence to assist producers in implementing practices that sustain Wyoming's agricultural productivity and natural resources.

Specific objectives include:

1. Enhance Professional Capacity: Provide agricultural professionals with training opportunities that increase their understanding of sustainable practices related to soil health, water management, grazing systems, and livestock production efficiency.
2. Support Locally Relevant Education and Outreach: Offer mini-grants and travel grants that enable professionals to attend, host, or develop workshops, field days, and demonstrations that address Wyoming's critical agricultural issues, including drought resilience, invasive species management, and resource conservation.
3. Foster Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: Strengthen partnerships among agencies, universities, producer groups, and local organizations to promote peer-to-peer learning and the exchange of regionally adapted practices that improve both environmental and economic outcomes.
4. Encourage Innovation and Adaptive Management: Support projects that test, demonstrate, and evaluate new approaches to sustainable agriculture, helping professionals and producers apply data-driven decision-making to address Wyoming's variable climate and production conditions.
5. Evaluate Program Impact: Assess outcomes of training and mini-grant projects to measure improvements in knowledge, confidence, and adoption of sustainable practices among agricultural professionals and producers statewide.

Together, these objectives ensure that Wyoming WSARE PDP activities advance the adoption of practical, science-based solutions that sustain Wyoming's agricultural heritage and strengthen the resilience of its rural communities.