Progress 12/15/23 to 12/14/24

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Please see the accomplishment section. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Please see accomplishment section.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Major Accomplishments: Several events to recruit students and provide information about the GOALS program and agricultural employment opportunities were held throughout the community and local schools. All events, locations, dates, and attendance records. Included also are events involving recruitments efforts in the semester prior to the start of AY3 (Spring, 2023). Outreach efforts included booths, presentations, and tours for middle and high school students, along with job fairs and diverse activities throughout Yuma and the surrounding area. During AY3, 43 events were held with a total of 7,175 participants. In comparison, during AY2, 30 events were held with 4,897 participants. AY3 overall attendance demonstrate that outreach efforts exceeded those from the previous year (47% increase in number of individuals in attendance). Appendix B includes outreach flyers made available for the Yuma community and surrounding areas. During AY3, (at least) four courses were made available online, and facilitated by the University of Arizona (UAZ) Cooperative Extension staff. The four specific areas of focus were based on specific targeted areas and topics best suited for continuing education. Fifteen students completed the four courses, and three CEU certificates were earned. In the past, agricultural professionals experienced difficulty in completing CEUsand earning certifications. Goal 1 aimed to overcome that barrier by providing more affordable ways to obtain a degree, and maintain certifications. Beginning in the Spring of 2022, target industry personnel were identified for use in a mentorship program and career preparation. These professionals were selected to encourage and expose students to various opportunities in agriculture. This type of experience improves networking, helps students gain insights into agronomy, and improves occupational qualifications. During AY3, industry personnel and other agronomy experts from the local community, UAZ, and AWC continued to provide students, and the community in general, with various outreach events. 3)A mentee-mentor collaborative program designed to recruit and match students with local agronomy industry professionals continues to grow. Creating mentorships provides students with hands-on experiences, while increasing the ability to gain employment or continue on with their education, attaining certifications. Conversely, industry professionals also identify future potential employees, and gain insight and knowledge regarding advanced technology in the evolving field of agronomy.

Publications

Progress 12/15/22 to 12/14/23

Outputs
Target Audience:During the second year of the GOALS grant, the target audience for the continuing education videos was local Certified Crop Advisors in need of continuing education units in order to keep their CCA license. For the other pillar of the program, the target audience of the mentorship program is undergraduate agriculture majors. Changes/Problems:Co-PI Tim Smith is no longer with Arizona Western College. Seeking replacement upon department restructure and rehiring of positions. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Mentorship Program which began in September was created to allow for undergraduate students interested in agriculture careers to be mentored by local agriculture industry professsionals. In addition 4 one-hour on demand CEU courses were created for completion by agriculture industry professionals. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Maintain monthly mentorship meetings for 2023-2024Mentorship Academy Begin recruiting for2024-2025Mentorship Academy Host 2024Student Industry Forum on 5/3/2024. Theme of "Homegrown".

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Accomplishments under each outcome are as follows: (a) develop curriculum that meet the needs of area industry to provide science-based knowledge for Certified Crop Advisors Continuing Education Units • On demand videos available for CEU attainment. As of report, participation and certification attainment is as follows: Maximizing the fundamentals of IPM, an organic approach to IPM Participants 14 Certificates 4 Nutrient Management for the Southwest Participants 10 Certificates 5 Ag Chem and Water Quality Participants 16 Certificates 5 Vegetable crop production methods for Yuma Participants 12 Certificates 5 (b) provide community college students with career exploration opportunities relevant to local industry needs • Student Industry Forum was held on April 28, 2023at Arizona Western College. We had an industry panel consisting of 5 members of the Agriculture Industry representing various areas to encourage and expose students to career opportunities in Agriculture. 51 students registered and 23industry members. The theme was "Innovation in Agriculture". Panalist were as follows: Charlie Granfelt, Desert Control Charlie Granfelt, Group Chief Commercial Officer at Desert Control, is an international sales and marketing executive with over 30 years in leading positions in various industries. He joined the Norwegian startup company, Desert Control, in July, 2022, after more than 12 years with world leading aquafeed producer Skretting of the Nutreco Group. Desert Control Americas recently established their first sales and operations base in Yuma, Arizona, to promote and produce its patented invention, Liquid Natural Clay (LNC) to farmers and growers in Arizona and Southern California. The mission of Desert Control is to stop and reverse desertification and soil degradation. With LNC, Desert Control wants to turn degraded land and sand to fertile soil, and at the same time reduce the water usage for green ecosystems up to 50 percent. Desert Control wants to scale its operations in the USA and worldwide. Charlie looks forward to joining this year's "Innovation in Ag"-panel, to discuss with students and panelists the much-needed solution to urgent water shortages in agriculture. Rob Plaice, Gowan Company Rob plaice serves as the head of global development for gowan company, yuma, arizona. Upon completion of his college degree, rob started a career in farm management before developing a strong interest in agronomy, subsequently spending 10 years involved in providing farm based agronomic advice. He became one of just over 200 uk agronomists to hold the basis diploma in agronomy, incorporating - basis certificate in crop protection, fertiliser advisors certification & training scheme (facts), biodiversity & environmental training for advisors (beta), soil and water management certificate, plant protection award (ppa) & advanced cereals module. After ten years occupying development and commercial roles within monsanto, he joined gowan company in the fall of 2014. Rob initially worked in the uk and then incorporating european vegetable crop development before relocating to yuma in 2019. Uri Segev, N-Drip Uri Segev grew up in a kibbutz in Israel and has over 25 years of farming experience. After working in the agricultural industry for many years, he transitioned into the private sector, working in real estate and financing in multiple positions. For almost 20 years, Uri ran his own firm and worked in banking. However, he eventually decided to return to his roots and became the Vice President of Business Development for N-Drip USA. With his extensive experience in both farming and business, he has become a respected leader in the industry. Uri is passionate about creating an impact in agriculture via the water sector through conservation efforts. Karl Wyant, Nutrien Dr. Karl Wyant currently serves as the Director of Agronomy at Nutrien. In this position, Dr. Wyant contributes proven agronomic leadership in growing the Nutrien commodity and premium fertilizer product lines and promotes advanced sustainability initiatives. Before working at Nutrien, Dr. Wyant served as the Vice President of Ag Science for Heliae Agriculture (2019-2022) and as an agronomist for Helena Agri-Enterprises in California and Arizona (2014-2019). Dr. Wyant earned his advanced degrees at Arizona State University (PhD - 2014) and Colorado State University (MS - 2008). Dr. Wyant is a Certified Crop Advisor and Certified Professional Agronomist (CPAg) and has his CA and AZ Pest Control Advisor licenses. Karl and his family reside in Tempe, AZ. (c) develop and establish a mentorship program for community college students who are seeking employment in agriculture fields, such as becoming a Certified Crop advisor. • 30 student applications from Yuma and Surrounding areas. • 10 mentors and mentees matched at Mentorship Match Night held on August 31, 2023at Arizona Western College • As of this report, 3informal mentorship meetings and 3formal mentorship meetings have been held by the mentorship partnerships.

Publications

Progress 12/15/21 to 12/14/22

Outputs
Target Audience:During the first year of the Growing Opportunities for Agriculture Learning in the Desert Southwest (GOALS) project, we targeted a variety of audiences with the multifaceted project. The first facet is the continuing education unit video recordings, for the first phase of this facet we targeted local agriculture industry professionals to create and record the CEU videos. Below are the biographies of the content creators: Dr. Karl Wyant currently serves as the Director of Agronomy at Nutrien. In this position, Dr. Wyant contributes proven agronomic leadership in growing the Nutrien commodity and premium fertilizer product lines and promotes advanced sustainability initiatives. Before working at Nutrien, Dr. Wyant served as the Vice President of Ag Science for Heliae Agriculture (2019-2022) and as an agronomist for Helena Agri-Enterprises in California and Arizona (2014-2019). Dr. Wyant earned his advanced degrees at Arizona State University (PhD - 2014) and Colorado State University (MS - 2008). Dr. Wyant is a Certified Crop Advisor and Certified Professional Agronomist (CPAg) and has his CA and AZ Pest Control Advisor licenses. Robert Masson - MS - Assistant Ag Agent, University of Arizona, Yuma County Cooperative Extension B.S., North Carolina State University, 2007 M.S., North Carolina State University, 2014 Robert began his agricultural career working as a USDA soybean breeding technician in North Carolina, conducting nursery, yield, and abiotic stress trials for a public soybean breeding program. The goals of the program were primarily focused on introducing genetic diversity from wild-type and plant introductions into elite breeding lines. He transitioned to private industry where he worked for Weaver Popcorn Company in Indiana as a research scientist developing and implementing quality and efficiency advancements for the Hybrid Research, R&D, Quality Assurance, and Grain Conditioning departments. He moved to Yuma Arizona and continued his work in private industry working for RD4AG, an agricultural contract research company, where he performed agricultural field trial services for demonstration, product development and GLP Registration. He currently works as an Assistant Agricultural Agent for Yuma county where he works on addressing grower needs with research and connecting them with research specialists. Macey Keith Attended the University of Arizona where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural technology management and education. Her first job out of college was working as a research aide to Dr. Peter Ellsworth at the University of Arizona Maricopa Ag Center where she learned the fundamentals of IPM. Macey started her PCA career at Crop Production Services now Nutrient as a PCA field scout in conventional and organic vegetables. Soon after Macey worked for Nature Source as the Technical sales representative covering Arizona and Southern California. Currently, Macey is the regional sales representative for San-Agrow selling organic chemical and fertilizers. Melissa Reisland currently serves as the Proprietary Product Manager for Loveland Products, INC since January 2021. Prior to joining LPI, Melissa was a regulatory specialist at the Gowan Company and Safety Manager at JBS Five Rivers Cattle Feeding LLC. Melissa holds a BS from Arizona State University and a MS from the University of Arizona. For the second facet of the GOALS program, we developed a 9 month mentorship program targeting students interested in Agriculture careers at Arizona Western College , some of whom are dual enrolled with the Univeristy of Arizona - Yuma Agriculture Program. For their mentors, we located interested agriculture industry members in Yuma with careers that aligned with or would provide further insight into the career interests of the targeted mentor students. Changes/Problems:Co-PI Tim Smith is no longer with Arizona Western College. Seeking replacement upon department restructure and rehiring of positions. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Mentorship Program which began in September was created to allow for undergraduate students interested in agriculture careers to be mentored by local agriculture industry professsionals. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period the following is planned: CEU videos posted and accessable for use by Certifed Crop Advisers seeking continuing education hours. Maintain monthly mentorship meetings for 2022-2023 Mentorship Academy Begin recruiting for 2023-2024 Mentorship Academy Host 2023 Student Industry Forum on April 29, 2023. Tentative theme is Technology in Agriculture and focusing on career exporation in high-tech agriculture fields.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Accomplishments under each outcome are as follows: (a) develop curriculum that meet the needs of area industry to provide science-based knowledge for Certified Crop Advisors Continuing Education Units Subject Matter Experts were indentified, educational curricula and videos created, application for approval of CEUS by Certified Crop Adviser accreding body issued. (b) provide community college students with career exploration opportunities relevant to local industry needs Student Industry Forum was held on May 6, 2022 at Arizona Western College. We had an industry panel consisting of 5 members of the Agriculture Industry representing various areas to encourage and expose students to career opportunities in Agriculture. 29 students registered and 12 industry members. This was the first Forum held post pandemic. Zachary Kelly, Keithly Williams Fabrication -Zach is the fabrication shop manager at Keithly-Williams seeds , where He manages the custom agriculture fabrication shop along with engineering, coordinating, training and developing all Keithly-Williams Fabrication technicians. Zachary is a Yuma native. He attended Arizona Western College from 2007/2009 focusing on a degree in industrial technology. He has over 15 years of experience in the custom fabrication and welding industry. Samantha Hardin, Helena Agri-Enterprises - Samantha Hardin is the Research and Development Manager for the Desert region which includes Arizona and the Southern counties of California. There they conduct third party and internal research on mostly pesticides and fertilizers regarding their efficacy and crop safety. Samantha's background starts with a Bachelor's of Science in Animal Science Industry from the University of Arizona and her path through agriculture has included work in animal production, plant breeding, and most recently, vegetable seed production. Stevi Zozaya, Lee Farms - Stevi Zozaya was born and raised in Yuma, Arizona, attended Gila Ridge High School and then went onto Tucson to The University of Arizona where she graduated with a Bachelor's in Animal Science with an emphasis in Food Safety. She is currently the Food Safety Director for Lee Farms Produce. Lee Farms is a 4200 acre establishment that grows primarily in the Yuma Valley as well as Bard and Tacna. They specialize in growing produce crops which include broccoli, cauliflower, iceberg, romaine, swiss chard, and kale. During the summer months they grow cotton, wheat, sunflower seeds, sudan, and other various seed crops. Macey Keith, San-Agrow - Macey Keith graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Agriculture Technology Management. Upon graduation she moved to Yuma where she began her PCA career with Nutrien ag solutions. As a PCA she was responsible for checking organic and conventional produce in Imperial Valley and across Yuma. She transitioned into working for an organic fertility company for 5 years and is currently the regional sales representative for San-Agrow selling organic chemicals and fertilizers to PCAs and growers. Meghan Scott, Noble Law Firm - Meghan C. Scott, Esq. is the daughter of a 3rd generation Arizona farmer and an attorney at the Noble Law Office. With Noble Law Office, she represents a number of irrigation districts in the Yuma area and handles legislative affairs for the Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association. She focuses her practice on water and agricultural law and also has experience in business and corporate law, contracts and contract negotiation, estate planning and administration, real estate law, human resources and employment matters, and civil litigation. She is licensed to practice in Arizona and California. (c) develop and establish a mentorship program for community college students who are seeking employment in agriculture fields, such as becoming a Certified Crop advisor. 30 mentor applications from Yuma and Surrounding areas, 14 student mentorship applications 13* mentors and mentees matched at Mentorship Match Night held on September 30, 2022 at Arizona Western College (*One partnership dropped in October 2022) As of this report, 2 informal mentorship meetings and 2 formal mentorship meetings have been held by the mentorship partnerships.

Publications