Progress 04/01/06 to 03/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Marketing outputs: 1) The MSU Flathead Reservation Extension Office (FREO) website http://extn.msu.montana.edu/counties/FlatheadRes/ 2) Monthly newsletter - Cultivating Knowledge on the Flathead Reservation. Each month we email our newsletter to the Tribal listserv received by all Tribal employees. The newsletter is also mailed to over 200 recipients. The newsletter is available on-line. 3) Weekly articles in the Charkoosta newspaper (distributed to all tribal members). We have a weekly column in the newspaper to distribute extension information that apply to all facets of daily life from gardening to home weatherization and spider identification. 4) Press releases in Lake County Leader, our local newspaper, is another resource for promoting programs and extension information. These marketing publications have increased the visibility of the Extension office and programs. Goal outputs: 2006 Goal #1: Continuing to enhance Tribal member involvement in agriculture with awareness of environmental stewardship and natural resources: 1) Annual producers meeting held in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. 2) Agrosecurity and biosecurity update for local emergency responders 3) Monthly newsletter with updated information on animal production and range management. 4) Site visits. 5) Producer socials to discuss needs. 2006 Goal #2: Enhance and increase economic opportunities for agricultural producers, youth, and community to improve their quality of life and sustain the farm: 1) 2007 Annual producers meeting focused on niche markets, risk management, business plan development. 2) 2006 Building native communities workshop. 3) Held a producer's dinner with Coleman Natural Beef. 4) Afterschool 4H programs focus on food and fiber and connecting food and fiber to our daily lives. 5) Over a 12 month period we distributed information on Sustainable Agriculture principles and practices. 6) Site visits and one-on-one weed identification and management to make pastures more profitable. 7) Noxious Weed Trust Fund grants applied for and received by Extension for the Tribe 2006 Goal #3: Improve nutrition and health of consumers while protecting local food supplies by connecting consumers with local and traditional foods: 1) Our Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Coordinator has completed three years of nutrition education (6 week series) in the school system to 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades throughout the reservation. 2) The master gardener series was offered as well as a Gardening 101 class. 3) ServSafe and Montana Food Safety works food safety classes have been held for CSKT head start facilities, elders, Kicking Horse Job Corps, school cooks, parents, and Passages program. 4) Food preservation classes were held to teach jams/jellies, pickling, freezing, drying, and canning. For adults, our most successful programs have been 1) Gardening education and food preservation-fresh from the garden, and 2) Pesticide education for private pesticide applicators and government applicators working for the Tribe. These workshops are anticipated and well-attended. For youth, all of our programs have been well-received and enjoyed. PARTICIPANTS: MSU Flathead Reservation Extension Gardening Partners: CSKT Kootenai Culture Committee, SKC Extension, SKC Farm to College, CSKT Department of Human Resource Development (DHRD) Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservation program, and Passages fatherhood program. Cattle Producer Education Partners: USDA APHIS (NAIS Grant for Premise ID), Montana Department of Livestock, CSKT Tribal Lands Department, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency. Youth Education Partners: Pablo School District, St. Ignatius School District, Dayton School District, Polson School District, and CSKT Tribal Education, MSU Lake County Extension. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target Audience: The target audience are the residents of the Flathead Indian Reservation (FIR). There are approximately 7000 American Indians living on the 1.3 million acre FIR, overlapping four Montana counties. These 7000 individuals are Tribal members, descendents, and members of other tribes. While the Tribes are the target audience, Extension programs are available to all who wish to attend. Approximately 1,000 tribal members attend public school, in addition to youth descendents and members of other tribes. To reach the reservation's youth audience with Extension programs we work within the school system. We have held Afterschool 4H programs in four schools, as well as several school immersion educational programs focused on food and fiber systems. Our office also offers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP) to 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade classes throughout the reservation. 603 children received this education in 2008. We gauge knowledge and behavior change on comments and surveys. One child told her mother she would no longer leave the milk on the counter because it isn't safe for their family. A teacher in Ronan said "We have many programs come through our school, but this is one that makes a difference and I hope it continues." We also have approximately 160 families in cattle production. We send these families monthly newsletters with the most up-to-date research based information coming out of extension research from Montana and other state extension. We bring extension specialists and state programs to the Flathead Reservation to keep producers up-to-date on issues related to production, niche markets, risk management, range management, the National Animal Identification System, pesticide safety and education, and Agrosecurity. Through Extension many residents throughout the reservation are also learning and practicing gardening, food safety, and food preservation to provide healthy, nutritious foods to their families and friends at all times during the year. Participants in food preservation classes include elders, Passages young fatherhood program, diabetes educators and participants, and cooks for senior citizens. Participants from the Passages program were so excited about the salsa and meat canning classes they decided to put in raised beds this year. Efforts: Given the size of the reservation, cost of travel, and/or lack of transportation for participants, Extension programs are offered throughout the reservation. Extension programs are designed for maximum impact and utilize experiential education, as well as tools for different learning styles. Classes are built on the research-based information and delivered to participants through workshop style discussion and practice, when applicable. This fulfills the knowledge transfer as well as begins to build early on behavior change. Classes allow participants hands-on training while under the guidance of Extension. We also use survey tools to determine knowledge gained and intended behavior change. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
I have been an extension agent since July 2005 and the extension office outcomes and impacts are short term. Outcomes and Impacts are evaluated through surveys and discussion. Surveys and feedback have helped our extension programs evolve and build over the past three years. For example, our producer education surveys ask participants what other topics they would like to see in the future. On the first survey no one answered this question. On our next survey we asked participants to circle their choices for future programs. Participants were happy to circle a choice rather than come up with a program topic. For pesticide education classes our surveys ask participants how long they have had an applicator license, the type of license, the target pest, type of landscape they are spraying, and the chemical they are spraying. These questions help us tailor future programs to the audience needs. We have held an annual pesticide applicator training from 2005 to 2009 with both private and government/commercial credits. These trainings pull an average of 45 applicators per training. Prior to our trainings in 2005 local applicators travelled between 75 miles and 300 miles to attend a training. Since 2005 we have trained many new and seasoned applicators. Each year we send more pesticide applicators into the field with increased knowledge in calibration, personal safety, environmental safety and how to read the pesticide label. Our formal surveys ask participants about knowledge gained and anticipated behavior changed based upon knowledge gained. Hands-on classes also increase a change in behavior. A simple one-time exposure to a new task can help make a learned process less daunting. For example canning in a hot water bath or a pressure canner. When we can tomatoes we process in a hot water bath, a weighted gauge pressure canner and a dial gauge pressure canner so participants can compare all three processes. When participants leave the class they have not only learned to can, but generally have decided which type of canner they prefer and have had hands-on experience with a variety of canners. Resources for our programs come from a variety of grants. Our annual producer meetings have been supported through Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE) grants. Pesticide applicator meetings are supported through registration fees for lunch or contributions from the Tribe. Youth education programs have been supported through our FRTEP grant and SARE grants. Gardening and Food Safety classes are funded through FRTEP and the Tribe. Canning classes have been supported by various grants, including the USDA Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations grant.
Publications
- MSU Flathead Reservation Extension 2008 Report MSU Flathead Reservation Extension website and newsletters http://extn.msu.montana.edu/counties/FlatheadRes/ Extension canning class photos with education tags http://www.flickr.com/photos/kittlecat/ Hawkweed Montguide (in review) Aquatic Weed Guide (in development)
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Progress 04/01/07 to 03/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Annual beef producer workshop topics on business plan development, marketing strategies, grasshopper control, grazing management for dryland pastures, bovine herd health, and Montana's natural beef certification program. Ten week master gardener class in 2007 with ongoing gardening education throughout the summer. Working with MSU on a Texas grant for County Animal Health Security Network (CASHN) to determine feasibility of reaching noncommercial livestock operators through feed stores. Held an Agrosecurity workshop with Reservation emergency responders and a second with noncommercial livestock owners to educate people on emergency preparedness for farm and ranch, including natural disaster, animal diseases, theft, and vandalism. Education on National Animal Identification System (NAIS) to Tribal commercial livestock owners and tribal employees. Coordinated the newly formed Flathead Reservation Tribal Conservation District (FRTCD) to look at irrigation and fencing
opportunities and range and weed management needs on the reservation. Held a commercial and private pesticide applicator workshop in the spring of 2007 providing continuing education credits to current license holders, and worked with three neighboring county agents to hold trainings in the spring of 2008 to relicense applicators for the coming 5 year license. Worked with the CSKT Department of Lands (DOL) and wrote a funded grant for control of noxious weeds in tribal wildlands. Collaborated with CSKT DOL and APHIS to establish a spring 2008 grasshopper control workshop. Provided education on various weeds in our monthly newsletter. Held ServSafe and Food Safety trainings for cooks at Kicking Horse Job Corps (KHJC), CSKT head start, Salish Assisted Living Center, Two Eagle River School, and KwaTaqNuk Resort. The agent is a member of the Flathead Community Food and Fitness Coalition (FCFFC) Steering Community to help assess community needs with healthy choices. Currently in beginning
stages of a National 4H program titled Health Rocks, training adults and teens to help educate preteen youth in making healthy choices on peer pressure topics, such as learning to say no to smoking. Currently engages afterschool youth in two communities utilizing the national 4H Afterschool Agriculture curriculum. Children in grades 2 to 5 are learning to make ice cream, cheese, and other dairy products, recycle and make paper, and growing vegetables. Continue to offer school enrichment activities and participate in the annual river honoring coordinated by CSKT where we provide riparian education; Lake County Conservation's 4th grade days where FREO provides education on the history of weeds, how weeds grow, and how we can control the spread of weeds; and Schock Dairy's 7th grade agriculture days where we talk about land use planning globally, regionally, and personally. The 7th graders calculate and compare animal units months (AUMs) for weedy and weed free pastures to learn the
value of healthy pastures and long range planning for livestock operators.
PARTICIPANTS: Flathead Reservation Extension Office individuals: Rene Kittle, Extension Agent Ginger Pitts, Food Stamp Nutrition Education Anna Dupuis, Program assistant Partner organizations and collaborators: Montana State University specialists National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT-Al Kurki) Western Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education (WSARE - Al Kurki) Salish Kootenai College Extension (Virgil Dupuis, Extension Director) Salish Kootenai College Farm to Table program Lake County Extension / 4H (Jack Stivers, Extension Agent) Sanders County Extension (John Halpop, Extension Agent) Lincoln County Extension (Raelynn Benson, Extension Agent) Mineral County Extension (Dave Brink, Extension Agent) Missoula County Extension (Campbell Barrett, Extension Agent) CSKT Department of Lands (Doug Dupuis, Anita Matt) Lake County Conservation District (Chris Malgren) Tribal Education Department (Joyce Silverthorne) Tribal Emergency Response Commission (TERC-Jolene Jacobsen
and Fred Matt) Flathead Community Food and Fitness Coalition (FCFFC) Flathead Indian Reservation Tribal Conservation District (FIRTC) Local school districts Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Kicking Horse Job Corps (Bob Camel) Professional Development provided by Flathead Reservation Extension Office Commercial pesticide applicator license credits (spring 2005 and 2006) Private pesticide applicator license credits (spring 2005 and 2006) Agrosecurity professional development for emergency responders (spring 2008)
TARGET AUDIENCES: Our target audience are members and descendents of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and members and descendents of other tribes living on the Flathead Indian Reservation (our programs are open to all people). There are approximately 4,550 enrolled members living on the Flathead Indian Reservation as well as 4,000 first and second generation descendents and approximately 3,000 members and descendents of other tribes living on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Agriculture. The Flathead Indian Reservation encompasses 1,244,000 acres with land ownership in fee, trust, and Tribe ownership. Our programs target tribal livestock producers and farm families. There are 489,867 acres of farmland operated by American Indians on the reservation in 155 farms with an average of 3,160 acres. Farm and ranch operations include cattle, horses, bison, sheep, hogs, and chickens. Producers also raise hay, barley, oats, wheat, and a few apple and cherry orchards. Currently 93
producers claim farming as their primary occupation. Food and Nutrition. For our FSNE Program we target low income, single adults with children, as well as schools that currently deliver greater than 50% free and reduced meals. Food Safety classes are targeted to individuals cooking for head start, cultural centers, senior audiences, powwows, and other tribally operated food facilities. Youth. For our Afterschool 4H program, we target 2nd through 5th graders in afterschool programs. And all grades in school immersion programs. Both of the school districts where FREO currently offers afterschool 4H have 70% tribal member/descendent enrollment in the afterschool program.
PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: At the onset of this five year grant, I (Rene Kittle) was new to extension and the EIRP/FRTEP program. I initially followed the programming delivered by Joel Clairmont, former Flathead Reservation Extension Agent. Major changes in approach are due to a change of leadership within the Flathead Reservation Extension office and the background and knowledge difference between the two agents. Programming changes capture a wider audience on the Flathead Indian Reservation. In addition to agricultural programs we offer food safety, healthy choices in food and nutrition, and 4H.
Impacts
In 2005-2006, 55 beef producers learned a variety of sustainable agricultural practices, including economic sustainability (simple ranch recordkeeping, 2007 Farm Bill highlights, and livestock outlooks), ethical sustainability (animal health and NAIS), and ecological sustainability (conservation). In 2006-2007, 60 beef producers and attendees learned marketing strategies, grazing management, grasshopper control, bovine herd health, NAIS, and the Montana natural beef certification. Ten community members received master gardener education in the spring of 2007 and went on to plant gardens during the summer of 2007. FREO educated landowners and Tribal employees on integrated pest management strategies and safe pesticide use. In 2007 we held our second pesticide applicator workshop to provide continuing education and license credits to licensed applicators. From FREO presentations, approximately 90 participants learned how to read a pesticide label, learned about pesticide
safety, and how to protect themselves from pesticide exposure. Between 2005 and 2007, we assisted the Tribal Lands Department in writing three Noxious Weed Trust Fund Grants to the State of Montana. These grants were funded on 3 separate noxious weed control projects covering 347 acres of treatment in 2006, 1090 acres in 2007, and 688 acres for 2008. These projects reduce noxious weeds on wild lands and increase the carrying capacity for wildlife and livestock. In addition to these activities, the agent provided one-on-one help in sprayer calibration, label interpretation, and pest identification to six new applicators. During the grant term the agent delivered food safety education to 22 individuals in the culinary arts delivering meals to elders, head start children, and the reservation community. During the 2006-2007 school year Ginger Pitts taught nutrition and exercise to 337 3rd and 5th graders and during the 2007-2008 school year Ginger taught these lessons to 580 1st, 3rd, and
5th graders. These lessons are in a series of 6 to create greater impact over a 6 week period to change eating habits in addition to learning to make healthy choices. Teachers, parents, and children have indicated a healthy change in eating habits as a result of these lessons. Aprox. 300 4th and 5th graders learned riparian health education, including weed and large animal management; approx. 200 4th graders learned the history of weeds, weed spread, growth habits, and control; approx 60 7th graders learned land use planning and calculating AUMs on weedy and weed-free pastures. 25 4th and 5th graders learned about agriculture through Afterschool 4H, including recycling projects, making ice cream, papermaking, and using plant and animal fibers for warmth. Working with 5 local counties on the multi county 4H camp. In one school, a teacher reported a waiting list to get into our afterschool 4H program, indicating a need to increase program capacity to reach a wider audience.
Publications
- Flathead Reservation Extension Office Newsletter, 2007 Available Online: http://extn.msu.montana.edu/counties/FlatheadRes/Newsletter.html.
- Kittle, T. R. 2007 Influence of mycorrhizal inoculation treatments on native tree and shrub survival in a floodplain, Flathead Indian Reservation. Thesis, University of Montana.
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Progress 04/01/06 to 03/31/07
Outputs
Fifty five cattle producers and community members attended the annual producers meeting and learned about the 2007 Farm Bill, recordkeeping, livestock outlook, animal health, NAIS, and conservation districts. Forty-eight tribal employees attended the two day pesticide education workshop. From this workshop, 37 new pesticide applicator licenses were issued and 1,339 acres of weeds were treated by participants with a variety of integrated pest management strategies. During 2006, the agent offered a variety of educational youth classes: (1) 325 4th and 5th graders learned hands-on riparian education and stream bank stabilization at a two day river honoring station; (2) 50 7th graders learned land-use planning on a global, local, and farm scale, with hands-on vegetation clipping and weighing, and calculating AUMs (animal unit months); and (3) 18 4th and 5th graders learned about operating a business and holding town council meetings over a ten-week period (after school).
A series of nutrition lessons were taught to 3rd and 5th garders. The agent also taught six Kicking Horse Job Corps students, ages 16-21, ServSafe classes. A
Impacts
All programs are ongoing into 2007, with an anticipated increase in number of participants. We have a newsletter, currently reaching 225+ individuals monthly, containing timely information on agriculture, weeds, gardening, youth and nutrition information. As circulation grows, participation in our programs is expected to increase. The annual producers' meeting has experienced growth and will continue to grow. Topics will include dryland pasture, sustainable practices, technology and on farm biofuel. More pesticide applicators licenses will be issued after the education workshop as well as classes for re-certification. These will all further the goals of sustainability and profitability. The 2 day River Honoring ceremony will also be held in summer of 2007 for youth to increase cultural awareness and riparian management.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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