New Mexico Report

SARE Professional Development Program Annual Report for New Mexico
January 1-December 31, 2010
 
State Extension Leader for SARE:

Context and Overview

The Western SARE PDP program in New Mexico is coordinated through the Department of Extension Plant Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University. The main campus is located in Las Cruces at the southern central part of the state, although agricultural research stations are strategically located throughout. Agricultural endeavors are integral to New Mexico’s economy, as well as representing an important part of the history and heritage of the state. It is essential for both small farms and large commercial agricultural producers to implement practices that are environmentally-friendly and conducive to long-term productivity of farm land. The Western SARE professional development program for the state strives to train county Extension Agents, Specialists and other agriculture professionals in topics related to sustainable production. We engage other key organizations in the state in these efforts including, but not limited to, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and the New Mexico Organic Commodities Commission through their participation in the NM-WSARE Advisory Committee, by inviting representative speakers from these groups and encouraging their attendance at our programs.

Activities and Methods

• An advisory committee was formed to assist in planning Western SARE sponsored training. The advisory committee consisted of representatives from NMSU, NRCS, NMDA and agricultural operations. Based on input from the NM Western SARE advisory committee, this year’s sustainable agriculture workshop was broad based. The workshop location was in the eastern part of the state. The training was also broadcast on CENTRA to allow participation by anyone with an internet connection.
• A web page for New Mexico Western SARE has been developed and is upgraded as needed. The site provides updates on future programs, as well as contact information, links to educational material, funding sources, and the Western SARE website.
• An NMSU Western SARE program member participated in the NM Organic Conference, February 18-19, 2011. A newly revamped New Mexico Western SARE program exhibit was displayed and educational material was made available to participants of the conference.

PDP-funded Publications/Educational Materials and Products

The seventh annual Western SARE workshop was conducted in Clovis, New Mexico on December 7, 2010. The event was designed to bring together Extension Agents, Specialists and other agricultural professionals involved in training efforts and present information in subjects of special importance for sustainable agriculture in eastern New Mexico. This year’s workshop focused on a range of issues targeted as priorities by the NM-WSARE Advisory Committee. We were pleased to have Jim Freeburn, Western SARE’s PDP Regional Training Coordinator. Mr. Freeburn presented ‘An Update on New Opportunities in the SARE Grant Programs.’ Invited moderators included Stan Jones, Extension Agent in Curry County, and W. Dee Wear, Extension Agent in Sierra County. Topics and presenters included: ‘Water Status and Outlook for Eastern NM’ (Mike Barajas, Water Rights Unit Supervisor, Curry County & Causey Lingo Water Basin); ‘Nitrogen Fixation in Legumes’(Dr. Bill Lindemann, Professor, NMSU, Dept. of Plant and Environmental Science); ‘Noxious Weeds, What’s the Big Deal?’ (Jim Wanstall, NMDA, Los Lunas, NM); ‘Cropping Options for Low Input Systems’(Dr. Mark Marsalis, Extension Agronomist, NMSU); ‘Sustainable Dairy Issues: A Reality Check’ (Robert Hagevoort, Extension Dairy Specialist, NMSU); ‘On-Farm Alternative Energy’(NMDA, S&W Conservation Specialist); ‘Alternative Oilseed Crops for High Plains Cropping Systems’ (Dr. Sangu Angadi, NMSU); and ‘Portable On-Farm Biofuel Extractor’ (Manny Encinias, Extension Specialist, NMSU).

This year’s workshop also introduced the County Agent panel discussion. The 2010 Extension Agent panel consisted of Patrick Torres (Santa Fe), Tom Dominquez (Tucumcari), Mike Larsen (Farmington) and Jeff Anderson (Las Cruces). The moderator for the session was Jeanine Castillo (Small Farms Institute Coordinator), and the topic of discussion was ‘Addressing Challenges, County by County.’ Each Agent discussed the primary challenges and concerns related to sustainable agriculture in their counties.

PowerPoint materials developed for this workshop were made available for review and continued reference via the New Mexico Western SARE web page.

Impacts and contributions

The seventh annual workshop in sustainable agriculture, ‘Innovations in Sustainability: Techniques for New Mexico Agriculture’ built on the success of the previous workshops. Although there were fewer attendees (37) compared to past workshops, there was excellent participation by the target audience. Attendees included Extension Agents and Specialists from throughout New Mexico, NMSU researchers, NRCS & NMDA personnel, as well as other agricultural professionals.

Participant Breakdown:

Producer 7%; Researcher 7%; Extension 64%; other government agency 14%; other occupation 7% .

Changes in Ag Professional’ Knowledge, Skills and Action

With input from the workshop speakers, a pre- and post- test was composed to assess knowledge gained through participation in the workshop. Results were positive. An average of 61% correct responses was obtained during the pre-test. The post- test results showed a knowledge gain, with the average percentage of correct responses increasing to 86 %.

Feedback from Farmers and Ranchers

Evaluations were obtained immediately following the workshop. A total of 77 % of participants indicated that expectations for the workshop had been met with a ‘4’and 23% ranked ‘5’. The rankings were on a ‘1 to 5’ scale. The diversity in participants was apparent, with some indicating that more information on water related topics and new fruit and nut crops would be desirable; others advocated more information on economics of on-farm energy, production-wind, biodiesel,\ and wind. Favorable comments were well balanced among the topics.

Recommendations:

• The annual workshop in sustainable agriculture continues to grow in popularity.
• Scheduling the workshop at the same time each year has increased anticipation of the event. Clientele ‘mark it on their calendars.’
• The CENTRA simulcast worked well. Individuals who could not physically attend the workshop were still able to follow the proceedings. We will continue to utilize this tool.
• The pre- and post- test was much improved over the 2007 attempt. Questions must be carefully crafted to truly gauge the increase in knowledge gained from participating in these programs.