Montana Report

SARE Professional Development Program Annual Report for Montana 
January 1 - December 31, 2010

State SARE Coordinator:

Summary of 2010 PDP Activities and Results

During 2010, Montana’s PDP Coordinator was on sabbatical leave for four months. The PDP emphasis was to support training opportunities for educators. These included travel assistance for participation in the MSU Crop Pest Management School, the MSU Extension Agriculture Update, a county faculty-led farm tour of alternate crops and the Western Region County Agricultural Agents Professional Improvement Conference.

The highlighted program of the year was the alternative crop tour arranged by two agents in north central Montana. The group of 10 toured seven farms to study agronomic and pest control practices in pea, lentil, chickpea, canola, mustard, flax and camelina. The consensus among the seven agents who participated was that their in-field knowledge and confidence was improved greatly by informal learning from progressive producers, crop advisors and MSU researchers. Based on the success of this program, we will launch a new mini-grant program in 2012 to support similar projects.

Context and Overview

 Agriculture dominates Montana’s economy, but our population and demographics are changing rapidly. Many Extension educators have excellent backgrounds in livestock or crop production. However, there are increasing PD needs in many areas such as alternative crops, horticultural crops, cropping systems, identity-preserved food products, biocontrol measures, biofuels, novice and small acreage land management, and labeling and management practices for “natural” and organic foods or feeds. Numerous Western SARE Research and Education grant projects have been completed in Montana, but there continues to be a disconnect between “research” and its application in the field. In contrast, many Western SARE Producer or professional PDP grants have been awarded, but rarely do these materialize into full-blown research projects. The audience for the PD Program includes Extension educators, other agencies, NGOs and producer groups. The objectives of the annual Western SARE PD Program in Montana include improved communication among the SA community, in-depth training opportunities and farm tours led by county faculty. Some activities are listed at http://www.ipm.montana.edu/SARE/index.html

Activities and Methods

 The MSU Crop Pest Management School was presented in January 2010 to 42 participants, including 7 Extension agents who were awarded travel funding. 

Spring Extension Agriculture Agent update was held in April 2010 in conjunction with the Livestock Forum and Nutrition Conference. The two-day program had 38 participants, 8 of whom received some travel assistance from PDP funds.

Big Sky Small Acres (a magazine targeted to small acreage landowners) – the project team received PDP funding to purchase a professional display for trade shows and workshops. During 2010, the display was carried to the Montana Nursery Owners Association, Montana Weed Control Association, MAGIE trade show, the MSU Equine Conference and other smaller venues. This activity has engaged teamwork by Extension, NRCS, DNRC DEQ and other groups.

Alternate Crop Tour – in June 2010, two Extension agents designed a hands-on tour for agents at seven farms with alternative crops. The participants included seven county faculty, two MSU researchers, a private crop advisor and the producers. All agents appreciated the in-depth field training with their peers. Based on this project’s success, the mini-grant program is re-instated in the 2012 PDP proposal – up to $6,000 for “grassroots” PD projects by county faculty.

The Western Region County Agricultural Agents Professional Improvement Conference was hosted in Helena, MT in September 2010. PDP funding assisted travel for three new Extension agents to participate, as well as van rental for the field tours.

PDP-funded Publications/Educational Materials and Products

The display for small acreage landowners (Big Sky Small Acres project) was the major “publication."

Changes in Ag Professionals’ Knowledge, Skills and Action

For the four training programs listed above, 112 county faculty and 35 other professionals participated. High marks and positive feedback were received from the agent-designed alternate crop tour, therefore we have re-instated a mini-grant program for 2012 - $6,000 for two to six PD projects (each $1,000 to $3,000). No formal evaluations were completed during 2010.

Unintended Outcomes

The display for small acreage landowners (Big Sky Small Acres project) was a joint project among MSU Extension, NRCS and Park County Extension. This project was not planned in the 2010 proposal, however it has great potential to reach new clientele (novice farmers or ranchers), so we are eager to participate.

Involvement of others in state PDP planning and implementation:

The Advisory Committee consists of the PDP Coordinator and three Regional Department Heads who supervise, hire and evaluate all Extension county faculty.