20
A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices: Living n the Land Susan Donaldson Susan Donaldson Stephanie Etter Stephanie Etter

A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    4

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners

Sustainable Farming Practices:

Living þn the LandSusan DonaldsonSusan Donaldson Stephanie EtterStephanie Etter

Page 2: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

Who’s the audience?

¡ People who live on a few acres

Page 3: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

What’s in Living þn the Land?

¡ Eight modules¡ 23 lessons¡ Instructor’s Guide¡ Lesson plans¡ PowerPoint

presentations with extensive notes

¡ Activities¡ Evaluation tools

Page 4: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

Module subject matter

¡ Module 1: Inventorying resources and setting goals

¡ Module 2: Soils (including irrigation)¡ Module 3: Water (including ponds)¡ Module 4: Wildfire threat reduction¡ Module 5: Plants (including grazing

management)¡ Module 6: Animals (including wildlife)¡ Module 7: Small enterprises¡ Module 8: Stewardship and sustainability

Page 5: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

What’s in the Instructor’s Guide?

¡ Pre-program planning: needs, evaluation, funding, budgeting and marketing

¡ Program implementation: delivery methods, engaging adult learners, sustaining programs

¡ Appendices: sample surveys, questionnaires, data, etc.

Page 6: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

An example:An example:Module 1, Lesson 1: What Do You Have…Module 1, Lesson 1: What Do You Have…

And What Do You Want?And What Do You Want?Turning Dreams Into RealityTurning Dreams Into Reality

Stewardship and the whole-property approachThe good, the bad, and the ugly of small-acreage propertiesYour goals for your propertyYour existing resourcesMaking a map of your property

Page 7: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

What you want…What you want…

Page 8: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

What What you’ve you’ve got…got…

Page 9: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

Well

Marshy

Stream

Weedy

Septic

Gate

Fence

Trees

Legend Acres = 25Animals = 6 cows, 1 horse, 3 goats

Pastures = 1Months animals grazed = 9

Soils = sandy clay loam, siltGrasses present = Tall fescue, orchardgrass, clover, bentgrassWeeds present = Canada thistle, pigweed

House

Barn Barn

Property Map

Manure pile

Water trough

Bare ground

Barn

Page 10: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

Another property map

NRCS, Bozeman, Mont.

Page 11: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

Goals of the curriculum

1•• Participants create map and draft Participants create map and draft

resource planresource plan

2•• Participants attend classes and refine Participants attend classes and refine

mapsmaps

3•• By end of class, participants have a By end of class, participants have a

realistic plan and will implement realistic plan and will implement BMPs on their propertiesBMPs on their properties

Page 12: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

Most important…

¡The curriculum MUST be adapted by including local information, photos and local sources of technical assistance!!!

Page 13: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

DOES IT WORK???DOES IT WORK???

Page 14: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

Idaho Evaluation Results: 2007-2008

1=None, 2= Little, 3=Some, 4=Good Deal, 5=Great Deal* p<.001, N = 44 (2007) and 18 (2008)

2007 2008Short-term Impact – Knowledge, Preparedness and Understanding

Before LOTL

After LOTL

Before LOTL

After LOTL

My knowledge about land stewardship & resource management

2.48 3.93* 2.22 3.89*

My preparedness to adopt best management practices

2.32 4.05* 1.94 4.06*

My understanding about how my choices have affected land use, lifestyle and the environment inmy community and county

2.47 4.05* 2.67 4.22*

Page 15: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

Idaho Evaluation Results: 2007-2008

1=None, 2= Little, 3=Some, 4=Good Deal, 5=Great Deal* p<.001, N = 44 (2007) and 18 (2008)

2007 2008Short-term Impact – Knowledge, Preparedness and Understanding

Before LOTL

After LOTL

Before LOTL

After LOTL

Collect, submit and analyze soil, water and forage samples

1.68 4.02* 1.78 4.33*

Plan, enterprise budget, and implement animal or crop system(s)

2.00 3.8* 1.94 4.06*

Network with small-acreagecommunity

1.88 3.63* 1.78 4.00*

My ability to effectively find and access resources to support my small-acreage systems

2.15 4.13* 2.06 4.44*

Page 16: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

Idaho Evaluation Results - 2007

¡ Significant increases in level of knowledge in all subjects using paired T-test

¡ BMPs planned for implementationl Wellhead protection and septic

maintenancel Pasture managementl Water management

Page 17: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

2007 Most Useful Lessons

¡ Basic soils and irrigation¡ Protecting drinking water¡ Property inventory and goal setting¡ Pasture establishment¡ Grazing management

Page 18: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

2008 BMP Implementation

¡ 128 BMPs either completed or in process on 15 properties

¡ 25 BMPs under consideration¡ Top four:

l Site-appropriate fertilizationl Weed and pest controll Wellhead protectionl Septic care

Page 19: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

Participant comments

¡ Starting with “zero” knowledge, I have formed a good base for making good decisions from the beginning.

¡ After seeing how everything is interconnected, I see my property as part of a whole – not an entity by itself, and within my property I see how everything fits together.

¡ I was uneducated in so many areas. This class has made me aware of all my responsibilities as a land owner. I recommend the class to everyone!

Page 20: A Successful Tool for Teaching Small-acreage Owners ...conferences.illinois.edu/resources/20033/Presentations/2B/Donaldso… · Small-acreage Owners Sustainable Farming Practices:

Remember:

¡ Understand your audience and their needs

¡ Adapt the curriculum to meet the needs¡ Use the portions that work for your

audience¡ There is no single “right” way to run the

program¡ It works if you work it!