Sustainable Agriculture Mobile Learning Lab

Project Overview

YENC24-222
Project Type: Youth Educator
Funds awarded in 2024: $6,000.00
Projected End Date: 02/15/2026
Grant Recipient: Manitowoc County Soil & Water Conservation Department
Region: North Central
State: Wisconsin
Project Manager:
Tara Wachowski
Manitowoc County Soil & Water Conservation Department
Project Co-Managers:
David Wetenkamp
Manitowoc County Soil & Water Conservation Department

Commodities

Not commodity specific

Practices

  • Crop Production: cover crops, no-till, nutrient management
  • Education and Training: youth education
  • Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, drift/runoff buffers, grass waterways, habitat enhancement, riparian buffers, riverbank protection, soil stabilization, wetlands
  • Soil Management: organic matter, soil quality/health
  • Sustainable Communities: quality of life

    Proposal abstract:

    A mobile learning lab, equipped with hands-on activities, games,
    soil analysis supplies, rain simulators, and watershed models,
    will engage rural youth in understanding the importance of
    sustainable farming methods and their relation to improved
    environmental and economic outcomes. Manitowoc County Soil and
    Water Conservation Department (SWCD) will visit rural middle and
    high schools with the interactive lab. By targeting rural
    schools, we can reach youth who are likely to live or work on
    farms in the future, empowering the next generation with
    sustainable farming knowledge, and creating a ripple effect that
    positively impacts the community's approach to farm management.

    Project objectives from proposal:

    Goals:

    • Establish a mobile learning lab to introduce youth to
      sustainable ag practices.
    • Provide hands-on, engaging learning experiences to promote
      land stewardship and encourage conservation practice
      implementation on the farm and at home.

    Objectives:

    1. Purchase and equip the lab.
    2. Develop at least 4 lesson plans with feedback from local
      teachers.
    3. Provide a minimum of 100 middle & high school participants
      with learning experiences that demonstrate the connection between
      conservation BMP’s and improved soil health, water quality, and
      farm productivity during 4 classroom & 1 on-farm workshops.
    4. Collect data and feedback to evaluate the learning lab.
    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.