Progress 05/01/09 to 04/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: The audiences include Fort Belknap producers, landowners, youth and families on the reservation. The geographic area includes the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in north central Montana. Changes/Problems: There was a change in personnel from the beginning to end of this project. The agent at the beginning was replacedin December of 2012. This explains why reference is made to the "agent at that time" and the "current agent". In 2011 the Extension Agent at that time began to host monthly Extension Coffee events allowing residents to visit and air concerns. This gave the agent access to producers who do not often leave their local community, and to discuss one on one with those who do not feel comfortable discussing their business in a public forum or office environment. In the winter and spring of 2013, the agentdeveloped and implemented STEM projects on Fridays in the communities that are running on a 4 day work week, M - Th. The lessons address the Montana Office of Public Instruction Science Standards and Benchmarks for grade levels 4 & 8. In 2012 and 2013, the current Extension Agent worked on a national level with local producers and representatives of producers from across the continent in cattle country to form a marketing alliance known as Indian Country Beef. This is in response to a need expressed by producers to have a marketing support system that they can identify with and causes excitement for producers in looking ahead at the livestock industry. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Conferences, workshops, and seminars. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The Fort Belknap Extension Service has developed a networking process of partners that has been used for many years. MSU Extension specialists, administrative supervision, and staff assist with program development efforts for Native Americans. This is done through yearly program planning activities during professional development week, agent updates, and various trainings. Fort Belknap Tribal Health, Fort Belknap Fish and Game, Fort Belknap housing, Fort Belknap Livestock Marketing Cooperative, local reservation schools, and the Fort Belknap College Extension Demonstration Farm are all partners on the local level. These programs assist with agricultural finance management, farm and ranch diversification, long range strategic management planning, non-traditional 4-H Junior livestock projects, summer youth camps, school conservation days, mid-winter fairs, horticultural training and youth activities. Other partners include the Montana Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resource Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency programs. There programs assist with farm and ranch sustainability, ranch management and the Junior Agriculture Program. The agent works especially close with the Montana Department of Agriculture in the Junior Agriculture Program and Rural Assistance loan program. Junior agriculture and Adult Rural Assistance training for youth, parents and producers is done by the Extension service and all loans are serviced by the Department of Agriculture. In order to avoid duplication of services, the Extension Agent is networking with other agencies conducting similar trainings. One important partnership is that with Aaniii Nakoda College (formerly known as Fort Belknap College). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Establishment and enhancement of sustainable individual agricultural enterprises: Thirty four agricultural producers were provided beef and ranch management training. Ten of these producers have used better quality bulls, increased culling, shortened calving intervals, and improved marketing, grazing and feeding techniques. More than $450,000 for purchase of livestock and machinery have been made by these ten operators. Ten producers were given hands-on training in financial management training, establishing a record keeping system to better track their income and expenses. Nine rural assistance loans were approved worth a total of $350,000 infused into the community enhancing agricultural production. Four operators seeded more than 105 acres of alfalfa and renovated close to 100 acres of alfalfa this past year. This provided an additional 300 tons of hay. Twenty IRM Red Books were handed out to producers. Eight cattle producing families attended the winter cattle care workshop. Instructional topics included body condition scoring, calculating feed amounts appropriate for weather conditions, and feed, water and mineral requirements for wintered, gestating cattle. Past Extension program efforts on the Fort Belknap Reservation have resulted in the formation of the Fort Belknap Livestock Marketing Cooperative. Over the past four years, more than 20 livestock producers have enhanced their livestock marketing efforts by enhancing their knowledge of marketing strategies and utilizing the community scale to gain herd production data, which has resulted in increased awareness of actual costs of production. Producers have saved over $100,000 in trucking, yardage, and shrinkage fees that they would have paid if they sold in an auction ring. Wise utilization and protection of all natural resources: In the past four years over 100 homeowners and producers received training and increased their awareness and knowledge of how to identify and control noxious weeds. More than 20 small infestations of leafy spurge and spotted knapweed were controlled. 25 landowners received training in the past four years on the AIPRA law as it affects their undivided interest lands on the reservation without a will. 12 of these began preparing wills to pass their land to their heirs. More than 1000 land fractionation fact sheets were distributed to reservation landowners. Positive youth development through livestock production, summer camps and school projects: Over 330 youth attended summer youth camps, garden tours, and horticultural trainings, winter fair and school conservation days. These youngsters learned how to positively interact with one another. They gained positive life and leadership skills by participating in wholesome activities. This included arts and crafts, rifle and archery safety, hiking and swimming, sports activities, forestry, native plant identification and interpersonal skills with other youth. Activities during the school conservation days included training students to value and enhance school property through planting flowers, trees and shrubs on school grounds. MSU Fort Belknap Extension began participating in Earth Day in 2012, which is a youth event sponsored by the Tribe. Approximately 175 local 4th through 7th graders learned about the soil profile and then created their own soil profile/yogurt parfait using healthy ingredients from the MyPlate graphic. 20 tribal summer youth program participants were provided native plant and noxious weed management training. This group was able to identify leafy spurge and spotted knapweed and provide this information to local landowners and tribal personnel allowing control measures to take place. 20 youth received finance and beef management training while completing livestock loan applications. These youth received loans of over $27,000 to purchase bred cattle. Other youth loan clients made payments on notes totaling over $50,000. The 4-H groups are non-traditional in style with after school programming to present information and leadership skills to teens and other youth within the Fort Belknap Indian Community. Development of healthy environments and family lifestyles: More than 200 people attended landscape and garden sessions. Over 1,500 trees and shrubs were distributed to these families. Over 200 individuals have attended garden tours. Individuals learned basic garden cultural practices including seeding, planting, harvesting, storing, weed and insect control. As a result, more than 25 gardens were planted by families and three homes were landscaped in the mountain area. Families saved more than $2,500 in food expenses and improved their family diets by planting gardens and increased home values by $2,000 per home by seeding grass, planting trees and shrubs and installing fencing. More than 10 adults were trained to serve as leaders for youth non-traditional 4-H projects, including understanding financial statements, budgets, lease agreements, and carrel management plans and inventories. Over 50 individuals attended the various trainings providing community development, leadership, poverty reduction and community awareness with the Horizons project in the Hays and Harlem communities.
Publications
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Progress 05/01/12 to 04/30/13
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The following training opportunities have been provided for the residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Community by the FRTEP Agent: monthly Extension Coffee events and private office sessions, allowing producers to visit and air concerns; rural assistance and junior agriculture application assistance, cattle record keeping workshop, annual Mid Winter Fair, 4-H meetings, winter cattle care workshop, home garden planning workshops, Tribal environmental day and tree care management workshops. More recent activities added have been the implementation of STEM activities for elementary students in communities whose school week is Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, the Extension staff delivers lessons that address the Montana Office of Public Instruction Science Standards and Benchmarks. A small grant funding an arthritis exercise program has been added for the sufferers of arthritis and other debilitating physical stresses. Nutrition and whole wellness activities continue to be a part of youth activities and community activities and workshops. PARTICIPANTS: The Fort Belknap Extension Program has developed a networking process of partnering with programs that have been used for many years. MSU Extension Specialists, administration supervision, and staff assist with program development efforts for Native Americans. This is done through yearly program planning activities during professional development week, agent updates and various trainings. Fort Belknap Tribal Health, Fort Belknap Fish and Game, Fort Belknap Housing, Fort Belknap Livestock Marketing Cooperative, local Reservation schools and the Fort Belknap College Extension Demonstration Farm are all partners on the local level. These programs assist with agricultural finance management, farm and ranch diversification, long range strategic management planning, non-traditional 4-H junior livestock projects, school conservation days, Mid Winter Fairs, horticultural training and youth activities. Other partners include the Montana Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resource Conservation Services and Farm Agency programs. These programs assist with farm and ranch sustainability, ranch management, the Junior Agriculture Loan Program and Rural Assistance Loan Program. Junior agriculture and adult rural assistance training for youth, parents and producers is done by the Extension Service and all loans are serviced by the Montana Department of Agriculture. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience includes the residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Community; land owners, youth and families on the Reservation. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: A needs assessment was conducted to analyze the type of Extension programming preferred by those within the Fort Belknap Indian Community. This needs assessment also targeted days of the week and times of workshops as specific pieces of information to collect. The information gathered showed that the Fort Belknap Agency is the central focus of employment on the reservation, and meetings in this location are best attended when held at noon (with lunch provided) and also at 5:00 pm, (right after work). Outlying communities prefer a dinner meeting after they have gotten home from work and tended to their evening chores, about 7:00 pm.
Impacts
The monthly Extension Coffee events attract 2-5 people in the three neighborhoods each month. Personal sessions in the office have also been successful in discussing needs. This open door policy attracts 5-6 people per week discussing livestock production, gardening, windbreaks, and farming. The Mid Winter fair was a success with over 200 people participating in the many youth and cultural activities. A new addition to this year's event was the First Annual Mid Winter Fair Horse Sale. A small turn out of participants was 12 people and 4 horses. The 4-H groups are non-traditional in style with after school programming to present information and leadership skills to teens and other youth within the Fort Belknap Indian Community. Junior Agriculture loan applications totaled 5 and Rural Assistance Loan applications totaled 3 for this year. The home garden planning workshop drew participants who learned how to calculate growing season, USDA zones, varietal selection and companion planting methods. The tree care workshops taught participants to properly plant and care for trees appropriate for the North Central Montana region and local soil types. Eight cattle producing families attended the winter cattle care workshop. Instructional topics included body condition scoring, calculating feed amounts appropriate for weather conditions, and feed, water and mineral requirements for wintered, gestating cattle. Small meetings have been held in the latter part of this program year, as a new needs assessment has been conducted with a new extension agent. The struggling Livestock Cooperative has begun to meet monthly, with the attendance growing from 3 in February to 10 in March. The number of students attending the STEM Friday activities averages between 10 and 15 in the Hays/Lodgepole community. Verbal assessments are conducted as a post-test to measure the connection of knowledge gained to the relevant science standard & benchmark(s).
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 05/01/11 to 04/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The following training opportunities have been provided for the residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Community by the FRTEP Agent: monthly Extension Coffee events allowing residents to visit and air concerns; rural assistance and junior agriculture application assistance, cattle record keeping workshop, annual Mid Winter Fair, 4-H meetings, winter cattle care workshop, home garden planning workshops, Tribal environmental day and tree care management workshops. Extension events were publicized through multi-media channels including: Facebook, flyers, word-of-mouth, emails and radio. Results of Extension events are reported on a monthly basis given to Tribal Council, MSU Central Region Dept. Head and Interim FRTEP Director. PARTICIPANTS: The Fort Belknap Extension Program has developed a networking process of partnering with programs that have been used for many years. MSU Extension Specialists, administration supervision, and staff assist with program development efforts for Native Americans. This is done through yearly program planning activities during professional development week, agent updates and various trainings. Fort Belknap Tribal Health, Fort Belknap Fish and Game, Fort Belknap Housing, Fort Belknap Livestock Marketing Cooperative, local Reservation schools and the Fort Belknap College Extension Demonstration Farm are all partners on the local level. These programs assist with agricultural finance management, farm and ranch diversification, long range strategic management planning, non-traditional 4-H junior livestock projects, school conservation days, Mid Winter Fairs, horticultural training and youth activities. Other partners include the Montana Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resource Conservation Services and Farm Agency programs. These programs assist with farm and ranch sustainability, ranch management, the Junior Agriculture Loan Program and Rural Assistance Loan Program. Junior agriculture and adult rural assistance training for youth, parents and producers is done by the Extension Service and all loans are serviced by the Montanan Department of Agriculture TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience includes the residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Community; land owners, youth and families on the Reservation. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: A needs assessment was conducted to analyze the type of Extension programming preferred by those within the Fort Belknap Indian Community. This needs assessment also targeted days of the week and times of workshops as specific pieces of information to collect. The data will be utilized during the annual planning period.
Impacts
The monthly Extension Coffee events attract 2-3 people each month and are an important part of community outreach. The low attendance allows for quality, one-on-one conversational exchanges for the constituent and agent. The Mid Winter fair was a success with over 75 people in attendance at the Round Dance. The 4-H groups are non-traditional in style with after school programming to present information and leadership skills to teens and other youth within the Fort Belknap Indian Community. Junior Agriculture loan applications totaled 7 and Rural Assistance Loan applications totaled 9 for this year. The home garden planning workshop drew participants who learned how to calculate growing season, USDA zones, varietal selection and companion planting methods. The tree care workshops taught participants to properly plant and care for trees appropriate for the North Central Montana region and local soil types. MSU Fort Belknap Extension participated in the Tribal environmental day where approximately 175 local 4th through 7th graders learned about the soil profile and then created their own soil profile/yogurt parfait using healthy ingredients from the MyPlate graphic. The cattle record keeping workshop utilized the IRM Red Book to show basic and advanced record keeping workshop. Twenty IRM Red Books were handed out to producers. Eight cattle producing families attended the winter cattle care workshop. Instructional topics included body condition scoring, calculating feed amounts appropriate for weather conditions, and feed, water and mineral requirements for wintered, gestating cattle.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 05/01/10 to 04/30/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The following training opportunities have been provided to the residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Community by the FRTEP Agent: monthly Extension Coffee events allowing residents to visit and air concerns, garden clean-up clinic, annual garden tour with Fort Belknap College, soil sampling clinic, weatherization clinic, wool improvement workshop, rural assistance and junior agriculture loan applications aid, deer carcass cutting workshop, annual Mid Winter Fair, 4-H meetings, Keepseagle and Cobell claim filing assistance, home garden planning workshop, environmental day, and tree care management workshops. PARTICIPANTS: The Fort Belknap Extension Program has developed a networking process of partnering with programs that have been used for many years. MSU Extension Specialists, administration supervision, and staff assist with program development efforts for Native Americans. This is done through yearly program planning activities during professional development week, agent updates and various trainings. Fort Belknap Tribal Health, Fort Belknap Fish and Game, Fort Belknap Housing, Fort Belknap Livestock Marketing Cooperative, local Reservation schools and the Fort Belknap College Extension Demonstration Farm are all partners on the local level. These programs assist with agricultural finance management, farm and ranch diversification, long range strategic management planning, non-traditional 4-H junior livestock projects, school conservation days, Mid Winter Fairs, horticultural training and youth activities. Other partners include the Montana Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resource Conservation Services and Farm Agency programs. These programs assist with farm and ranch sustainability, ranch management and the Junior Agriculture Loan Program and Rural Assistance Loan Program. Junior agriculture and adult rural assistance training for youth, parents and producers is done by the Extension Service and all loans are serviced by the Montanan Department of Agriculture. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience includes the residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Community; land owners, youth and families on the Reservation. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: A new FRTEP agent has been hired for the FRTEP on Fort Belknap, with a She has an emphasis in home gardening, self-sufficiency and youth development.
Impacts
The monthly Extension Coffee events attract 2-3 people each month and are an important part of community outreach. The low attendance allows for a quality, one-on-one conversational experience for the constituent and agent. The fall garden clean-up drew 23 participants to learn about soil preparation, getting trees ready for the winter and fall garden varietal selections. The annual garden tour attracted attendees from all over the Reservation totaling 68 visitors. Tour participants learned about companion gardening and season extenders. The soil sampling clinic had 2 participants who learned proper sampling techniques and where to send samples. The weatherization clinics had a large participation level for the Reservation - 20 people. Clinic participants learned about proper feeding and watering levels for cattle and horses during cold weather, and how to winterize equipment. The wool improvement workshop drew 2 people who learned updated genetic and wool breed selection information. There were 5 rural assistance loan participants and 5 junior agriculture loan participants. The deer carcass cutting workshop was also teamed with a canning workshop and drew 7 constituents. Attendees learned how to cut up a deer carcass into roasts, chops, and stew meat, and how to properly wrap, label and freeze the meat The Mid Winter Fair was a success and had a powwow with over 30 participants. The 4-H groups are non-traditional in style and team up with the Boys & Girls Club to present information and crafts for teens and other youngsters. A request was made for help in filling out claim forms for both the Keepseagle and Cobell class action suits. Fort Belknap Extension responded by holding workshops to aid people in navigation the internet based registration sites. The home garden planning workshops drew 9 participants, and they learned how to calculate growing season, USDA zones, garden planning and varietal selection. Fort Belknap Extension participated in the tribal Environamental Day by teaching area 4th through 7th graders about the parts of a seed, what plants need to grow and then planting sunflower seeds to take home. The tree care management workshops had 8 participants and they l earned how to properly plant and care for trees appropriate for the North Central Montanan region.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 05/01/09 to 04/30/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The following training opportunities have been provided to the residents of Fort Belknap reservation by the FRTEP agent: Beef and ranch management training, Financial management, Private pesticide applicator licenses, and Training on AIPRA law. Adults were trained to serve as leaders for youth non-traditional 4-H projects. Past Extension efforts formed the Fort Belknap Livestock marketing Cooperative enhancing knowledge of marketing strategies and to gain herd production data, increasing awareness of actual costs of production. 40 land fractionation fact sheets were distributed. Summer camps, winter fair and school conservation days were held for youth to gain positive life and leadership skills by participating in activities, including arts and crafts, native games, hiking and swimming, sports, forestry, native plant identification and interpersonal skills. Risk management education for farmers and ranchers as well as pesticide education was presented. PARTICIPANTS: The Fort Belknap Extension Service has developed a networking process of partners that has been used for many years. MSU Extension specialists, administrative supervision, and staff assist with program development efforts for Native Americans. This is done through yearly program planning activities during professional development week, agent updates, and various trainings. Fort Belknap Tribal health, Fort Belknap Fish and Game, Fort Belknap Housing, Fort Belknap Livestock Marketing Cooperative, local reservation schools, and the Fort Belknap College Extension Demonstration Farm are all partners on the local level. These programs assist with agricultural finance management, farm and ranch diversification, long range strategic management planning, non-traditional 4-H Junior livestock projects, summer youth camps, school conservation days, mid-winter fairs, horticultural training and youth activities. Other partners include the Montana Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resource Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency programs. There programs assist with farm and ranch sustainability, ranch management and the Junior Agriculture Program. The agent works especially close with the Montana Department of Agriculture in the Junior Agriculture Program and Rural Assistance loan program. Junior agriculture and Adult Rural Assistance training for youth, parents and producers is done by the Extension service and all loans are serviced by the Department of Agriculture. TARGET AUDIENCES: The audiences will include Fort Belknap producers, landowners, youth and families on the reservation. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
5 ag producers received beef and ranch management training; 5 used better quality bulls, increased culling, shortened calving intervals, and improved marketing, grazing and feeding techniques, purchasing over $150,000 of livestock and machinery. 1 operator received information to reseed this spring over 25 acres of alfalfa and wants to eventually renovate 100 acres, providing an additional 200 tons of hay. Past Extension efforts formed the Fort Belknap Livestock Marketing Cooperative. More than 10 livestock producers enhanced marketing efforts by increasing knowledge of strategies and utilizing the community scale to gain herd production data, resulting in increased awareness of actual costs. Producers using the scales saved over $25,000 in trucking, yardage, and shrinkage fees than if they sold in an auction ring. 4 individuals obtained private pesticide license credits and to continue controlling weeds as well as grasshopper training. Several homeowners and producers received training, increased awareness and knowledge of noxious weed ID and control. 25 landowners received training on AIPRA law, affecting undivided interest lands on reservations without a will. 40 land fractionation sheets were distributed. 13 youth received finance and beef management training while completing livestock loan applications. More than 10 adults were trained to serve as leaders for youth non-traditional 4-H projects, including understanding financial statements, budgets, lease agreements, and carrel management plans and inventories. These youth received loans of over $17,000 to purchase bred cattle. Other youth loan clients made payments on notes totaling over $50,000. Over 130 youth attended summer camps, garden tours and horticulture trainings. They learned to positively interact with one another gaining positive life and leadership skills, participating in activities, including arts and crafts, native games, hiking and swimming, sports, forestry, native plant identification, interpersonal skills, and horticulture skills. Over 200 individuals attended garden tours and horticultural trainings, learning basic garden cultural practices including seeding, planting, harvesting, storing, weed and insect control, resulting in more than 25 gardens planted by families and 3 homes landscaped in the mountain area. Families saved over $2,500 in food expenses and improved their diets by planting gardens and increased home values by $2,000 per home by seeding grass, planting trees and shrubs and installing fencing. Assisted in providing community development, leadership, poverty reduction and community awareness training with the Horizons project in the Hays and Harlem communities. Over 50 individuals attended the various trainings throughout the summer and fall.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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