Progress 07/01/13 to 06/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:According to the US Census Bureau statistics 23,250 American Indian tribal members reside on or around the WRIR. The reservation population itself hosts approximately 9,000 people. The Northern Arapaho tribe has nearly 5,000 members and shares the reservation with around 2,500 Eastern Shoshone, the first tribe confined to the reservation in 1863. An additional two dozen tribes are represented among the 700 other American Indians living on the reservation. Most tribal members reside in low-income housing subdivisions, scattered homesteads, or in very small towns. The median age is 35 years of age with the majority of members being female. Over 56.6% of all Indian households and 58.3% of all Indians on the reservation live in poverty according to the 1998 poverty threshold for rural areas. Total household income for Indian households on the reservation is very low, with a median annual income of $11,920. A quarter of households have an annual income of less than $4,700, while only the top quarter has an annual income above $21,940. Where the head of the household was not employed, 68% were living below the poverty threshold, and 81% of persons where no one was employed live in poverty. Nearly a third (31.8 %) of all persons in households where the head of household is employed full-time is living below the poverty threshold. Unemployment is further exacerbated by inability to work due to health related illness. There are approximately 200 agricultural producers on the reservation, with farm ownership less than 500 acres. There are 129 family owned operations. The majority of family owned operations report one to two principle operators. Forty-seven of the producers report less than $1,000 in annual income making the small farm a very important part of the overall agricultural ownership mix. The production of range beef cattle is the predominant enterprise, with sheep and goat production a distant second. Approximately sixty producers report crop enterprise sales as a significant part of their income. Based on the report nearly one third of the producers have primary sales in both livestock and crops. It is important to realize that a majority of the livestock producers have crop products that are consumed within the operation as winter feed. The family owned farm/ranch appears to have a high potential for enterprise diversification. Ruminant animal production could be a key element in the enterprise diversification mix. Recreation and tourism may also play a major role in small farms benefiting from the integration of livestock enterprise diversification. There are 6,823 youth living on or near the reservation. Twenty-eight percent of these youth live below the poverty level. In the last census it was reported that there were 214 youth between the ages of 16 to 19 that were high school dropouts and were not working. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided a variety of oppotunities for training and professional development including training on: Genetically modified (GMO's) crops Rangeland monitoring Targeted grazing Collective monitoring Drought resiliency strategies for agricultural producers Mediation training How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the project have been disseminated to Extension clientele on an on-going basis through a quarterly newsletter. Updates on project successes have also been published in the local newspapers, Extension news briefs, and on occasion in the University of Wyoming Extension Outcomes magazine which publishes relevant impact statements. The WREP also hosted a community focus group to solicit public input on the Project. During this event past program results were also shared with the participants. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the project an intensive, seven-week educational program designed to build capacity for beginning and second generation farmers and ranchers entitled, "Building Farmers & Ranchers in the West" was developed and executed. All participants stated in written evaluations that they increased their knowledge and understanding in the five main topic areas...business planning, risk management, marketing, enterprise budgeting, and recordkeeping. By the conclusion of the course participant had developed and presented in-depth business plans. The program graduated 11 individuals primarily from the WRIR with a few from Fremont County. This program was one of the first offered jointly for both Fremont County and WRIR residents with collaboration from area extension educators. The interactions between reservation and county residents, as well as the presenters, was one of the greatest assets of the program. Participants were able to share personal experiences and learn from others about successes and failures in farming and ranching business development. The project also developed the Wind River Backyard Beginnings gardening course, which consisted of three, three-hour long classes for beginning gardeners involved in the "Growing Resiliency" research project. The project targets WRIR residents who have never gardened before to assess positive health changes overtime that can potentially be attributed to gardening. The project participants were in need of training related to starting and maintaining a successful gardens. As a result, the WREP offered this beginning gardening series that covered the most basic components of gardening and more! Participants went away confident in planting and growing a bounty of produce for their families. The WRIR Extension office also received more visibility because of the course, as many of the participants who were unfamiliar with Extension are now utilizing our services. The WREP has continued to work closely with the Wind River Agriculture Resources Committee (WRARC - a grassroots group formed to address land management issues on the reservation) by attending their monthly meetings, bringing in guest speakers, making important contacts, and offered expertise as the group continues to reach out to fellow agriculturists, as well as the tribal business councils. The WRARC is also currently pursuing the initiation of an agricultural land management plan specific to the reservation, funded by a large federal grant, being facilitated by a University of Wyoming planning team. The WREP has been assisting both groups wherever possible throughout the process. The UW planning team in collaboration with the WRARC has three years to gather community input, collect needed land use documents, and compile the final management plan. In the future, the WREP plans to continue to support them in whatever way possible as they move forward in structuring a plan that will hopefully address many land management issues dealt with by the Tribes. Another program requested by clients was the first ever Wind River Leadership School. Over the years the WRIR office has received multiple requests for programming related to building capacity and leadership skills in Indian Country. Routinely a lack of adequate leadership has been brought up as a hindrance to the success of tribal programs. Extension has historically been involved in the development of intensive, yearlong leadership schools for Wyoming counties. However, nothing had ever been developed to meet the specific needs of the reservation. While there was an active leadership school in neighboring Fremont County the cost and structure of the program was often seen as prohibitive to participants from the reservation. Extensive work with WRIR community members and Extension Educators from the Community Development Initiative Team over a two year period, eventually lead to the successful development of the Wind River Leadership School, which kicked off in the fall of 2014. The school consisted of three all-day educational sessions, over a three month timespan that incorporated a variety of leadership development lectures, skills exercises, and field trips. Local as well as outside presenters were brought in to share their knowledge. A total of 20 individuals attended the various course sessions with 12 completing all three sessions and graduating from the program. Program evaluations revealed that all of the participants increased their knowledge of leadership skills and learned important things about their communities which they did not know before attending the program. The majority also mentioned networking with other people and programs as a benefit of the school. A second school was conducted in the winter of 2016 and was designed with input from previous attendees. Additional funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention allowed our 4-H program to support a part time 4-H Educator for two years of the project. Currently our 4-H program primarily consists of three after school programs at two reservation schools and the Shoshone Boys & Girls Club. On a weekly basis we have been able to provide a fun learning environment where positive youth development is emphasized through citizenship, leadership, and life skills advancement. A successful archery program was developed and students from three reservation communities participated in a state-wide archery competition. Applied research was undertaken on the Wyoming Pollinator Educational Project which involved the evaluation of commercially available pollinator seed mixes for viability and attractiveness to pollinators. A number of study plots were established and pollinator data was collected to be included in state-wide report findings. This project's intent was to educate producers and the general public about Wyoming's pollinators, encourage the practice of planting food plots for pollinators, be able to make specific recommendations for doing so, and document pollinators in Wyoming.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Russell, J.M. 2015. Collective rangeland monitoring project, UW Extension factsheet.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Russell, J.M. 2015. Lander area ENOW filming. Exploring the Nature of Wyoming, 60-90 second T.V. scripts, KWRR.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Saenz, D., Willis, K., and J.M. Russell. 2014. Indian corn bread and Indian corn farm, Eat Wyoming, Utub video.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Connect: UW Extensions Connection with Wyoming magazine. Be a honey hero: enjoying honey, making beeswax and candles, promoting pollination for plants begins by building better beehives, Miller, S. Spring 2015.
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Progress 07/01/15 to 06/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience is Native American agricultural producers, as well as individuals interested in the sustainability of tribal natural resources. Tribal youth, ages 8-18 are also a target audience for the 4-H youth development program. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Agriculture Extension Educator was able to attend several trianings on meeting facilitation, public participation, and focus group management.The 4-H Educator was also able to attend an archery and STEM training. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The result of this project have been disseminated to communities of interest through written format in Extension news briefs, monthly community Extension newsletters, the program's website and facebook pages, and through one-on-one contact with Extension clients. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period the program plans to offer a second Wind River Leadership School to continue on the success of the first. The second program was postponed due to an number of circumstances, therefore it will be offered in the fall of 2016 instead of the spring as orginially planned. Another Wind River Agirculture Summit is also planned for the fall of 2016. Several gardening programs are planned for the summer of 2016. Since the construction of a high tunnel in the fall of 2015atour office location there are plans to offer a number of gardening educational programs incorporation with the high tunnel demonstration purposes, as well as science experiements with our 4-H youth. A demonstration range grass garden andflow beehiveare also planned to be incorporated with the high tunnel programs.The 4-H program has plans to increase participation in our community club setting by drawing in new 4-H club leaders. New collaborations with Arapahoe School are also developing and will hopefully lead to an increased number of 4-H youth participants in that area of the Reservation. The 4-H Educator has started a successful reservation wide archery league which will continue into the summer when the youth will compete at the state-wide level.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The development of an intensive, seven-week educational program designed to build capacity for beginning and second generation farmers and ranchers entitled, "Building Farmers & Ranchers in the West." All participants stated in written evaluations that they increased their knowledge and understanding in the five main topic areas...business planning, risk management, marketing, enterprise budgeting, and recordkeeping. By the conclusion of the course participant had developed and presented in-depth business plans. The program graduated 11 individuals from the WRIR. Participants were able to share personal experiences and learn from others about successes and failures in farming and ranching business development. Over the years the WRIR FRTEP office has received multiple requests for programming related to building capacity and leadership skills in Indian Country. The successful development of the Wind River Leadership School kicked off in the fall of 2014. The school consisted of three all-day educational sessions, over a three month timespan that incorporated a variety of leadership development lectures, skills exercises, and field trips. A total of 20 individuals attended the various course sessions with 12 completing all three sessions and graduating from the program. Program evaluations revealed that all of the participants increased their knowledge of leadership skills and learned important things about their communities which they did not know before. The majority also mentioned networking with other people and programs as a major benefit of the school. Collaborative work continues with the Wind River Agriculture Resources Committee (WRARC - a grassroots group formed to address land management issues on the reservation) which involves Extension staff attending their monthly meetings, bringing in guest speakers, making important contacts, and offering expertise as the group continues to reach out to fellow agriculturists, as well as the tribal business councils. The WRARC is also currently pursuing the initiation of an agricultural land management plan specific to the reservation. The WRIR Extension Office has been assisting the group wherever possible throughout the process. Currently our 4-H program primarily consists of three after school programs at two schools and a Boys & Girls Club. On a weekly basis we have been able to provide a fun learning environment where positive youth development is emphasized. The majority of our youth contacts still come from the 4-H After School programs, however in the years to come we hope to see 4-H clubs being developed. This year a youth archery league was instituted through Extension, as well as the construction of a high tunnel which will be used to teach gardening education to 4-H youth.
Publications
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Progress 07/01/14 to 06/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience is Native American agricultural producers, as well as individuals interested in the sustainability of tribal natural resources. Tribal youth, ages 8-18 are also a target audience for the 4-H youth development program. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Agriculture Extension Educator was able to attend a program evaluation training, an energy efficiency training, and attend the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program professional developmen training on project funds. The 4-H Educator was also able to attend a public participation training on project funds. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The result of this project have been disseminated to communities of interest through written format in Extension news briefs, monthly community Extension newsletters, the program's website and facebook pages, and through one-on-one contact with Extension clients. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period the program plans to offer a second Wind River Leadership School to continue on the success of the first. A third WInd River Agirculture Summit is already in the works and will take place in the fall of 2015. Several gardening programs are planned for the summer of 2015, including one on composting and another on seed saving. The Wind River Extension Office has plans to construct a high tunnel at their office location which will be used for demonstration purposes, as well as for science experiement with 4-H youth. Construction of the tunnel should be completed by August of 2015 with most planting in the tunnel to begin in the spring of 2016. The 4-H program has plans to increase participation in our community club setting by drawing in new 4-H club leaders. New collaborations with Arapahoe School are also developing and will hopefully lead to an increased number of 4-H youth participants in that area of the Reservation.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Wind River Reservation Extension clientele have expressed interest in a variety of programs over the years. In the spring of 2015 the program collaborated with the Popo Agie Conservation District in the offering of a Garden & Outdoor Living Expo. The event brought in nearly 2000 people who were exposed to 50 different gardening related vendors and 10 gardening related educational programs such as how to keep wildlife out of the garden, how to successfully grow berries in Wyoming, and how to raise chickens on small acerages. A second offering of a Reservation specific Annie's Project, which is a nationally renowned financial risk and management training program designed to empower farm and ranch women, was offered to farm and ranch women on the Wind River Reservation in 2014. A total of twelve local women participated in this four week program that primarily consisted of women guest presenters from other regions of Wyoming who have developed successful agricultural operations. Evaluations taken after each session showed that participants learned several new skills and took away much from networking with other participants. Following the 2012 Wind River Agriculture Summit the program has continued to work closely with the Wind River Agriculture Resources Committee, a grassroots group formed to address land management issues on the reservation. From the Summit, Wind River producers went away with a better understanding of Indian land tenure issues, land appraisal, and a variety of production agriculture topics. In the fall of 2014 a second Wind River Agriculture Summit was offered. Agricultural producers were given the opportunity to learn about a potential carbon credit program, became better informed about the Cobell Settlement and learned about a variety of other topics such as cow/calf body condition scoring, renewable energy on the farm and ranch, and how to calculate carrying capacity, among other topics. The group Ag Producer group was awarded a large federal grant for the initiation of an agricultural land management plan on the reservation which also began in the fall of 2014. The group will have three years to gather community input, collect needed land use documents, and compile the final management plan. The Wind RiIver Extension Program will continue to work closely with the group to help see them through the successful completion of an agricultural plan. Another outcome of the 2014 Agriculture Summit was the initiation of a carbon credit program with the Northern Arapahoe Tribe in collaboration with the National Indian Carbon Coalition and the Indain Land Tenure Foundation. Grant funds have been secured and the beginning phase of the project will begin in the summer of 2015. The Wind River Extension Program was instrummental in forming the partnerships necessary to form these partnerships. A Reservation based Leadership School was developed and executed in the fall of 2014. Twenty-five tribal community members participated in three all day sessions to help build capacity and leadership skills on the Wind River Reservation. Evalutions from the program and personal contact with program participants revealed that the program was very beneifical. Participants expressed a strong desire to improve upon their leadership skills and pass them on to others in the community. Several in this year's group of agreed to be on the steering committee for the next leadership school. In the spring of 2015 a Building Farmers & Ranchers in the West program was offered for reservation residents. Eighteen indiviudals participated in the seven week training where they increased their risk and financial management skills and learned how to get their farm and ranch businesses underway. At the conclusion of the course participants presented their business plans to the rest of the group. If there is interest, participants will also have an opportunity this summer to pair with a more expeienced producer who will act as a mentor for them for the next three months. A variety of 4-H programming opportunities were during the reporting period for tribal youth. Through a 4-H Council-OJJDP Mentoring Grant the program has been able to rehire a part-time 4-H Educator who began in October of 2014. With the addition of this staff member a reservation wide archery league was starting in January. Youth in three different locations meet weekly to learn archery, practice their skills, and prepare for the statewide archery shoot. Currently our 4-H program also consists of three after school programs at two reservation schools and the Shoshone Boys & Girls Club. During the after school sessions 4-H youth partook in both STEM projects and more traditional 4-H projects like woodworking, leather crafts, visual arts and sewing. 4-H youth and families have also particiated in several Family Night Out events which allowed for youth to interact with their families and other youth in a setting designed to enhance family cohesiveness. Several youth also particiapted in a leadership retreat designed to build leadership and career development skills in older youth.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Adapting Annie's Project to Wyoming. 2014. Russell, Justina and Hannah Swanbom. National Women in Agriculure Conference. Poster presentation.
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Progress 07/01/13 to 06/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience is Native American agricultural producers, as well as individuals interested in the sustainability of tribal natural resources. Tribal youth, ages 8-18 are also a target audience for the 4-H youth development program. Changes/Problems: There has been no major changes/problems in approach. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The Extension Educator was able to attend a targeted grazing and rangeland management training, a wildland fire effects on rangelands training,a Farmers Marketing conference, and the Indian Agriculture Conference as a result of this funding opportunity. The Extension Educator was also able to participate in an on-line tree grafting course. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Through written format in Extension news briefs, monthly community Extension newsletters, the program's website and facebook pages, and through one-on-one contact with Extension clients. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The development of a reservation based Leadershool is already underway and will take place during the fall of 2014. This program will hopefully build the capacity of indiviudals living and working on the Wind River Reservation. A second Agricultrual Summit will also take place during the fall of 2014 which will allow agricultural producers to network and build their skills. Several gardening and food processing programs will be held thorughout the summer to encourage the promotion of healthy eating and entrepreneurial sales at the local farmers market.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Wind River Reservation Extension clientele requested an additional gardening workshop series for the winter of 2012-2013 to build upon the two previous beginner gardening series. This year's program entitled "Grow Your Own-Home Gardening Workshop," included presentations on, vegetable production, a hands-on drip irrigation demonstration, herbs, common garden diseases, fruits and berries, tree maintenance, composting, high tunnel construction and featured fellow colleagues, a master gardener, and myself as program presenters. The topics covered were deemed appropriate for gardeners who now have some basics under their belts, but who may need additional knowledge on expanding their home gardens. These gardening programs have been very popular and will remain a strong emphasis for the reservation Extension office over the coming years. New collaborations with the Small Business Administration and the Wind River Development Fund enabled the offering of three separate classes on financial literacy for tribal members. Through these partnerships participants were offered training on money values, basic budgeting, and personal finances. A total of 48 people attended these courses. We have plans to offer similar programming in the fall of 2013 which will provide a more in-depth look at personal money management, as well as money management for people considering starting a small business. A large undertaking this past winter was the offering of a reservation specific Annie's Project, which is a nationally renowned financial risk and management training program designed to empower farm and ranch women. Ten local women participated in this six week program that covered everything from knowing and working with different personality types to learning about potential niche markets. Evaluations taken after each session showed that participants learned several new skills and took away much from networking with other participants. The project plans to offer an Annie's Project II this coming year since a new funding source has recently been secured. Participants from this year's program have requested the program focus on instruction to improve their home accounting techniques, in particular the use of QuickBooks. Following the 2012 Wind River Agriculture Summit the program has continued to work closely with the Wind River Agriculture Resources Committee, a grassroots group formed to address land management issues on the reservation. From the Summit, Wind River producers went away with a better understanding of Indian land tenure issues, land appraisal, and a variety of production agriculture topics. However, the biggest output from the conference was that in January of 2013 the Wind River Agriculture Resource Committee became officially recognized by the Joint Tribal Council (JTC). From here on out the JTC will look to this group for guidance on the management of agricultural lands, thereby influencing positive change on WRIR land use policies. Another major accomplishment for the group in 2013 was the awarding of a large federal grant for the initiation of an agricultural land management plan on the reservation. The group will have three years to gather community input, collect needed land use documents, and compile the final management plan. A variety of 4-H programming opportunities were offered during the summer month for tribal youth. Six summer 4-H activity days were held where youth were given the opportunity to explore the tribal college garden, pick wild berries, and learn about the water cycle. 4-H youth also partook in more traditional 4-H projects like woodworking, leather crafts, visual arts and sewing. Our archery program was a success again this year with participation increasing substantially through the program's offering at the Shoshone Boys & Girls Club. Currently our 4-H program also consists of three after school programs at two reservation schools and the Shoshone Boys & Girls Club. We have been able to maintain this number of after school programs with the hiring of a new part-time 4-H program educator in August. Our 4-H enrollment numbers for this reporting year were 85 youth and 14 volunteer leaders, with a total of 534 individual youth contacts made throughout the reporting year.
Publications
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