Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for Agriculture and Natural Resources programming includes all those involved in agriculture on the Fort Peck Reservation, including members of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux tribes. The target audience for the youth development associated programs are youth between the ages of 5-18. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 pandemic proved to need many changes to the program. The Fort Peck Tribes Building is still closed to the public, however, we can now do programming with precaution. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?National Association of County Agricultural Agents Professional Improvement Meetings (5), National FRTEP Conference-Flagstaff, AZ, Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Training-Fargo, ND, North Dakota High Tunnel Conference-Fargo, ND, MSU Extension Annual Conference, MSU Agriculture Agent Update, Pesticide Educator Training, USDA APHIS Training-Ft. Collins, Northern Rockies Tree School, Montana State 4-H Leaders Forum, JCEP Leadership Conference, Range Beef Cow Symposium. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information and results have been shared using Montana State University's Annual Reporting System, MSU Activity Insight Reporting Program, Tribal Council Reports, news releases in both Tribal and County newspapers, Community Notes on KVCK radio, newsletters, and workshops and seminars, website, and facebook. Montana State University also held a Statewide Needs assessment through each county and reservation. We heard from the constituents of the Fort Peck Tribes through formal needs assessment, surveys, QR code analysis, and informal interviews. This also provided great feedback to find out how to better serve our communities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Over the course of the granting period, to reach the goals of the grant, the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program at Fort Peck were able to be achieved through several programming efforts. The goal was to implement the best management practices to increase yield, reduce disease incidence, improve soil health, enhance range-monitoring skills, understand ration balancing, and improve animal health for overall ranch profitability. Educational seminars, one-on-one office visits, ranch visits, and workshops were held to train producers about noxious weeds, Pesticide training and certification, wheat and alfalfa research, Financial Literacy, Borrower Training, MonDak Pulse Day, Winter grazing series, range monitoring, Beef marketing, Orange Blossom Wheat Midge impacts, drought management, and Horticulture workshops and Pumpkin Patch at the Tribal Extension Garden. There were over 750 attendees that participated in these workshops. Other projects that worked with Tribal Elders and Community members focused on nutrition and healthy eating. These workshops included the Tribal Agriculture series, the Buffalo Project, sausage and jerky making, teacher training credits - Montana Indian Education for All mandate, and container gardening workshops with over 575 attendees. The Tribal Extension Garden has produced in excess of 10,000 pounds of food given to the Tribal Elder program, community members, the food banks, and those in need. We incorporated high tunnels, bees, and pollinators into the garden project as well. The FRTEP educational program was featured both in the film "Follow the buffalo" and for the first ever food sovereignty summit. The Fort Peck Tribes have also donated 3 buffalo for the meat classes. In collaboration with Washington State University and the Colville Tribe, noxious weed weather resistant signs were set out in all the range units and pow-wow grounds across the Fort Peck Reservation (over 100 signs). For the youth development goals of life skill development, the FRTEP program worked with several youth serving tribal entities and county extension offices to incorporate learning activities. Students were able to learn about cooking, preparing healthy meals, learning about gardening and pumpkins, carcass measurements, arts and crafts, family activities, agriculture safety, 4-H project judging, financial literacy, jerky and sausage making, resume building, leadership, leathercraft, clipping techniques, and shooting sports. Many of the workshops are completely hands-on to be able to empower youth to recognize their own abilities to be able to do things for themselves. During the COVID-19 shut-down, take home kits were give to school classes, we formulated drive-through seed starting kits, and held virtual contests. Non-traditional 4-H work has worked well, but we are also in the beginning stages of traditional 4-H club work. Over 7800 students have taken part in the learning activities. For the youth portion of the FRTEP program, some of the impacts to the project that have been realized are students learning about credit, to write job applications, resumes, and working with personality conflicts through the REAL Colors Program. Others have worked with families to relearn about cooking techniques, food preservation, family time, food buying choices, and healthy eating since this area is considered a food desert. With the new wellness center recently built in Poplar, more wellness activities are focused as well. Many of the teachers that come to the Tribal Extension Garden or Teacher Training then use the produce or curriculum back in their classroom to further enhance the lessons learned. The Fort Peck Tribal Council expanded the use of the Tribal Extension Garden to provide more space and water. This in turn also inspired some community members and organizations to start a community garden there too. In cooperation with the Fort Peckk Community College, we also hosted an intern to focus on Buffalo meat projects. Farmer and Rancher impacts helped to mitigate wheat midge insect problems, recognize pulse crop diseases, make drought management decisions, and marketing decisions. Another impact realized was farm programs through the Farm Service Agency and NRCS offices. These would deal with drought impacts and COVID relief. Montana State University Extension was progressive to help all land owners, but especially Indian and Farmers and Ranchers with a special initiative, to learn the process and guide them through the steps to make their own determinations. Finally, food sovereignty was a focus for the latter part of the grant period. with the Tribal Extension Garden, we raised thousands of pounds of food that are given away and this year we even focused on a "Freshly Fort Peck" food kit. It started as a Growing Together Master Gardener Project that trained 6 local master gardeners, and then had a project garden manager that even because certified in bee production. The NRCS and the Natural Resources department helped provide a high tunnel for season garden extension, and the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP) and Fort Peck Tribes Community Services Department provided more funding to help the project expenses. For the food kit, the produce was all raised on the Fort Peck Reservation. This included buffalo meat, honey, potatoes, and squash/pumpkins. A recipe was provided and a flyer about the project and all of the departments that came together to make the entire project come to fruition. We gave the kits to the Tribal Elderly Program, and the local food bank. The Growing Together Master Gardener Project was also the National Winner in Horticulture from the National Association of County Agriculture Agents. The impacts shown just with this project was 520 Master gardener hours, 1137 non-master gardener hours, $55,000 in addtional funding, 4,694 pounds of produce grown, and 6 partner agencies. It was such a large project because, during the pandemic it was outside work that was able to accomplish the goals, while respecting Tribal Health and Tribal Office COVID restrictions. We educated the garden workers to focus on the large production garden at hand, but also had smaller classes for the public to help raise their own produce in community garden settings, private gardens, and container gardens. Despite the worst drought on record in Montana, an infestation of grasshoppers, fire, and excessive heat, and COVID-19 set backs, we managed to bring success and hope to our educational efforts.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Becker,W., & Routh, B. (published). Sausage Making 101. In MSU Food Preservation Series. Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGxVFOzTO9E&feature=youtu.be
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Becker, W., Meat Preservation: Jerky, Sausage, and Meat Sticks, Fall 2021, Lives and Landscapes LL15, https://apps.msuextension.org/magazine/articles/5518
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
'Financial Literacy Fun on the Fort Peck Reservation", poster displayed at the National Association of County Agricultural Agents-2017.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Growing Together Master Gardener Project
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program has been engaged with members of the Fort Peck Reservation since 2000. The priority areas of focus are educating Tribal youth, Indian farmers and ranchers, horticulturists, community members, and to provide an Extension presence to all those on the Fort Peck Reservation. Extension outreach on Fort Peck strives to provide nonbiased research-based information and education to be utilized in a healthy daily life and build sustainable production practices for the betterment of youth, producers, and communities. The goals and objectives are to develop youth through traditional and non-traditional 4-H program principles. Youth will cultivate their leadership and life skills so that they become competent and caring citizens that will be a positive reflection on their communities. They will learn to build trusting relationships, use decision making skills for conflict resolution, and learn healthy lifestyles. The intended outcomes for youth will be to build positive connections so that they can be successful adults by learning how to run a meeting such as a Tribal Council meeting, be able to speak in front of a group, advocate for the Tribes, work individually or as a team in their future endeavors, and to improve technical skills. Goals and objectives for Indian farmers and ranchers and community members is to develop best management practices on their operations. The intended outcomes are to improve food security and food soveriegnty, use sound conservation practices, and become more financially secure. Changes/Problems:The Fort Peck Reservation was under the continual strain of the global pandemic Covid-19. Much of the reservation remained shut down for a good portion of the year and the offices continue to remain closed to the public. We don't have very good access to the internet, either because its too expensive, or we just don't have the connectivity capability. The other major issue was the worst drought compounded with very cold winter temperature, very high summer temperatures, early fires, and grasshopper infestations. We also continue to have funding issues with programs looking to the future for stability for FRTEP with the government and the tribes. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional development opportunities have been soil health workshops, Applied Reproductive Strategies of Beef Cattle, MSU Annual Conference, Opioid Misuse Seminars, NACAA AM/PIC, ESP Conference, Pesticide Training, 4-H update, NAE4-HYDP Professional Improvement Conference, Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Training, Food Sovereignty workshop, Western Meat School, NDSU Communications Workshop, and IAC Conference. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results of meetings, workshops, and professional development opportunities have been used to educate youth and adults through social media, newsletters, online presense, locally held workshops and seminars, drive-through education and training, in-service education, Tribal Council updates, COVID-friendly kits and schools. We also collaborate with the Tribal College and Tribal College Extesnsion Program to enhance our similar communities of interest and educate the public. Newspaper articles, radio advertising, Community Services Programs, Tribal Elderly Program, Tribal Elves, Natural Resources Department and the Tribal Liaison for the Natural Resources Conservation Service all help to collaborate as well. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Monitoring the COVID situation, we will continue our best program efforts working with farmers and ranchers, communications, working in schools that are open, and continue education using email, Webex, zoom, newspaper articles, and phone calls as best we can. We will be able to erect the 2 high tunnels from different programs to work towards food sovereignty. The Fort Peck Tribes gave the FRTEP and community services program and additional 3 acres and a building they acquired to use for this effort. We will also continue to work with youth in and out of schools.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This year with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fort Peck Tribes shut down all programming to the public. To continue to aid Indian farmers and ranchers, we shared articles via social media, newspaper articles, and newsletters as well as fielding phone calls. We also held trainings or meetings using the Webex system mostly and some zoom trainings. We also provided USB disk drives to local producers with information from campus specialists about production, economics, and farm programs. Many of our efforts were also targeted to helping understand how to apply for government assistance for agriculture operations that were provided this year. We were able to hold a few outdoor classroom setting in garden setting and teach classes on food sovereignty. Major drought issues were also a large barrier to production agriculture this year and regularly monitoring our situation and collecting data to input into the national system were imperative. We also helped to provide assistance in testing forages for nitrates and making recommendations, grasshopper infestations, as well as pesticide licensing. We started a large scale community garden to feed our Tribal Elders and the local food bank. This is part of a master gardener effort and will also result in the erection of two high tunnels. In each of the range units, we completed putting signage for knoxious and troublesome weeds. Working with youth, we were more creative with not being able to get into schools and work with the public. We developed "drive-through" programming with several departments that gave away family craft kits, seed starter kits, and mystery kits. We also donated all of the pumpkins to local programs that normally would have gone to schools to use when they were shut down. We still promoted life skill 4-H work just in a virtual setting. We held an agriculture safety day and still provided students with t-shirts and take-home bags, all while still learning about the importance of ag safety. We held clipping demonstrations, regional 4-H camp, livestock feeding workshops, craft work, and gardening workshops as well. The Fort Peck Tribes gave the FRTEP program a buffalo to use for educational purposes. They realized that program money was always short and they gifted the use of one of the buffalo from the cultural herd. We used the buffalo as part of the Buffalo Treaty education platform and taught how to use make their own sausage and jerky using hands-on workshops, variety, measuring, and packaging. Because the schools were shut down, we made the rest of the sausage and gave it all away to the Tribal Elder Program and gave recipes from commodities using the meat. We are working on research and reports to show programming efforts throught the FRTEP program and that is done with ripple mapping, evaluations, food sovereignty, ag camps, opioid misuse, and orange blossom wheat midge collection.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Becker, W., & Routh, B. (published). Sausage Making 101. In MSU Food Preservation Series. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGxVFOzTO9E&feature=youtu.be
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The Target Audience includes members of the Fort Peck Reservation, both enrolled members and lease holders of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. Others that are also interested in general agriculture, horticulture, natural resources, and life skills development are also targeted from the resolve of the Tribal Council. Youth involved in 4-H, FFA, and other youth development associated programs up to 18 years of age are used in the positive programming audience. Programs will be delivered by formal classroom instruction, hands-on demonstrations, practicums, newsletter and radio format, office questions, workshops, site vitis, and the website. Curriculum on various subjects are also being developed for publication use. Changes/Problems:The major changes to the FRTEP Program have been the COVID-19 global pandemic that has shut down the entire county. We continue to try different avenues that would help our constients out, and creativity and carefullness are extremely important. Baseline funding is a consistent problem for the FRTEP Program. Supplemental funding sources have been used, but are not permanent. Fluctuation is difficult to measure and plan. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional development opportunities that have been utilized are soil health workshops, Range Beef Cow Symposium, The Montana Nutrition Conference, MSU Annual Conference, Opioid Misuse Seminars, NACAA AM/PIC, Western AM/PIC, Pesticide Training, 4-H update, NDSU High Tunnel Conference, Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Training, Food Sovereignty workshop, and Bee-keeping workshops. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results of meetings, workshops, and professional development opportunities have been used to educate youth and adults through social media, newsletters, locally held workshops and seminars, field days, in-service education, Tribal Council updates, and schools. We also collaborate with the Tribal College to enhance our similar communities of interest and educate the public. Newspaper articles, radio advertising, Community Services Programs, Tribal Elderly Program, Tribal Elves, Natural Resources Department and the Tribal Liaison for the Natural Resources Conservation Service all help to collaborate as well. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The Fort Peck Reservation Extension office will work to increase social media and online availability of our programming since that has been a loophole in the COVID-19 crisis. It is more evident to have an online presence to aid in educational opportunities. The COVID-19 has changed how we are temporarily able to work with the public, but to also do it in a mindful and safe way. The goals of the program have not changed, they have merely been strengthened to help individuals be more productive, self-sufficient, and thought-provoking members of their communities. With the hope to continue to engage the public in educational opportunities, both in person and online, these inlcude agriculture economics workshops with the Fort Peck Community College, high tunnels, food sovereignty, Buffalo Treaty workshops, bee-keeping, youth activities and health, opioid misuse, alfalfa plots, and complete the Master Gardener Program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
To accomplish the goals set forth for the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program, we routinely work to provide local Indian farmers and ranchers with training on advancement in agriculture practices, bring well known speakers to the Fort Peck Reservation, and help farmers achieve their production goals. Many times this is done in a classroom type setting with the Tribal Agriculture Series that focuses on economics, soil health, livestock production, calving issues, nitrate testing, water management, weather, fire, ag safety, pesticide issues, and gardening. Other times we work one-on-one to fill out applications for FSA programs, Tribal Credit, loan applications, Pesticide licensing, or NRCS applications. This allows personal service to help indiviuals with speficic needs. During the pandemic when many operations were closed we could help with questions over the phone and emails. Several samples from fields were sent in for diagnosis on pests or pictures of problems in a field setting. This helps producers with critical decisions in a timely way for overall farm profitability. We are also able to help with possible pitfalls that may be unforseen to them that will also affect their operations like marketing, markets, grasshopper issues, weather, and disease outbreaks. We were able to collaborate with the Washington Colville Tribe FRTEP agent that helped to provide over 650 signs, newsletters, and posters that create awareness of knoxious weeds, upcoming weeds, and contact information to help identify and remedy weed pressure. These were Tribal Council approved and made specific to the Fort Peck Reservation area. Home gardeners are also increasing on the Fort Peck Reservation. We were able to hold a series of workshops on garden preservation that lead to starting the Master Gardener Program. Several participants were able to begin understanding and producing food for themselves, and their families. High tunnel production has also started to become popular, so there is interest in learning that form of horticulture. We utilize the Tribal Extension garden and pumpkin patch for early education classes to teach garden production in a live setting as well. According to the National Agriculture Statistics Service, Agriculture remains to be the leading industry in the State of Montana and on the Fort Peck Reservation. With youth development, The Fort Peck Reservation Extension Office is able to both non-traditional 4-H work and traditional 4-H work allowing better access to larger number of students to promote like skill. This year there was a shortened season to work with youth due to COVID-19, however we were still able to run one of our biggest programs with sausage and jerky making. The Fort Peck Tribes gave the FRTEP program a buffalo to use for educational purposes. They realized that program money was always short and they gifted the use of one of the buffalo from the cultural herd. We used the buffalo as part of the Buffalo Treaty education platform and taught how to use make their own sausage and jerky using hands-on workshops, variety, measuring, and packaging. The students also got to take the final product home and share it with their family, sell it, or give it to someone in need. Agriculture Safety is also a continued program and is ran through the Progressive Agriculture Safety Foundation. This program serves to increase awareness of rural agriculture safety with complete hands-on learning activities for enhanced learning. Each community chooses it safety topic that are more relevent to their school and community. Each student received a bike helmet, t-shirt, and take home bag full of donated items from local businesses and departments. We continually provide arts and crafts to classroom work since many school cannot provide them a class or opportunity. These classes have included, robotics, leatherwork, simple crafts, sewing, and communications.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Becker, W. (2019). The Tribal Agriculture Series. Western Region proceedings. http://macaa.msuextension.org/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Lewis, K. L., Becker, W. L. Bull Selection Using Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs). Bozeman, MT:. https://store.msuextension.org/Products/Bull-Selection-Using-Expected-Progeny-Differences-(EPDs)-MT202001AG__MT202001AG.aspx
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The Target Audience includes members of the Fort Peck Reservation, both enrolled members and lease holders of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. Others that are also interested in general agriculture, horticulture, natural resources, and life skills development are also targeted from the resolve of the Tribal Council. Youth involved in 4-H, FFA, and other youth development associated programs up to 18 years of age are used in the positive programming audience. Programs will be delivered by formal classroom instruction, hands-on demonstrations, practicums, newsletter and radio format, office questions, workshops, site vitis, and the website. Curriculum on various subjects are also being developed for publication use. Changes/Problems:Weather events have affected ranchers in the winter with Montana having one of the coldest on record. Flooding downstream also affects irrigators in the upper-Missouri river region as well. Baseline funding is also a problem for the FRTEP Program. Supplemental funding sources have been used, but they are not permanent pieces to the program so fluctuation in funding is difficult to measure. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Horticulture In-Service, Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Training, NACAA Professional Development and Improvement Conference, MSU Annual Conference, Ag Agent In-Service, Montana Nutrition Conference, Pesticide Safety Training, Powerful Training for Caregivers Training and certification, NDSU High Tunnel Conference, and Montana Stockgrowers Convention. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information, workshops, data has been shared using MSU's Annual Reporting sytsem, Extension Program Highlights, MSU Activity Insight Reporting System, Tribal Council Committee Reports, news releases, newsletters, Community Notes on KVCK radio, workshops, seminars, producers meetings, school classrooms, after-school programs, 4-H clubs, and the Tribal Elders Program in the Community Services Program. Alfalfa Weevil and Orange Blossom Wheat Midge pests are monitored and put on the National pestweb registry for all producers to view the progression of insect damage in and around the Fort Peck Reservation and Montana. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The Tribal Agriculture Series will continue to expand and grow in topics. Monitoring for pests, forage testing, pesticide training, pulse crops, farm management, and agriculture safety workshop will continue educational efforts. Plans for high tunnel education, gardening workshops, and a Master Gardener Course will take place. Land has been secured for alfalfa plots and is actively being prepared for variety trials. Livestock workshops will include vaccination programming, calving, solar equipment options, and using drones in agriculture operations. Youth programming will continue with the Advanced Market Project and expand topics. Non-traditional programming will increase to include other animals, geocaching, and gardening. Buffalo meat is now being sold through the Fort Peck Tribes and can be utilized for this. Curriculum is being reviewed and updated through the publication office. Montguides are being created for publication.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Working with Indian Farmers and Ranchers to implement best management practices for their operations was a major factor in the development of the Tribal Agriculture Series. This series provided fall, winter, and spring information sessions on impending issues that arise around the Fort Peck Reservation. Issues such as post-fire grazing management, drought management, soil health, beef check-off dollars, forage analysis, nitrate testing in feeds, farm business management, local NRCS funding, FSA programs, weed management, and weather outlook. Some of the impacts realized from the series was the new nitrate testing that can be readily available within an hour of testing rather than sending the sample for a 3 day turnaround. Producers were also introduced to new and existing FSA programs and how to apply for them, this was an essential step following a drought year and then one of the coldest winters on record. The Natural Resources Department for the Fort Peck Tribes, the Fort Peck Tribes Council, and the NRCS have been on the forefront for agriculture development through the passage of the Agriculture Resource Management Plan (ARMP). It was the first of its kind to recognize what can be improved on the land, and how to work with funding opportunities to improve rangelands. Over $1 million in funding has improved miles of fence, communities, and now part of that plan also plans to improve and to support education programs related to improving the land. These programs include high tunnel production, alfalfa plots, the Tribal Ag Series, and soil health. Additional programming also includes cropping seminars, pulse crops, alfalfa weevil research and monitoring to match our growing degree days, orange blossom wheat midge monitoring, FSA borrower training, initial pesticide applicator training for certification, emerging weed seminars, soil acidity/salinity speakers, horticulture workshops, container gardening, the Tribal Extension Garden and Pumpkin Patch. For Youth Programming, the highly effective advancing your market project that was introduced the prior year was recognized as one of the top programs in extension at the NACAA conference. It provides hands-on learning about meat cuts and how to add value to them. This can be in the form of fresh sausage, summer sausage, snack sticks, and jerky. Meats that are used can be from hunting, 4-H projects, home raised, or store bought. The program has been sponsored heavily from supporters that believe in the impacts of the learning process. It has been offered free of charge with a savings of nearly $200 per person. Other popular topics with the non-traditional 4-H programming include making crafts, working with leather, foods and nutrition, balancing a budget, managing credit, 4-H market animal projects, ultrasounding animals for carcass information, livestock market quality assurance training, and using life skill development curriculum for the Montana Indian Education For All mandate. This provides teachers with helpful curriculum that they can use in their classrooms that is closely related to Indian Education. Agri-tourism in the form of the Pumpkin Patch at the Tribal Extension Garden, also serves to inform our area students on raising pumpkins, gardening, expanding the garden to a community garden for the Women's Club, and donating produce to those in need. Agriculture Safety is also a continued program. This last year marked the final community to be reached through the Progressive Agriculture Safety Days. This program serves to increase awareness of rural agriculture safety with complete hands-on learning activities for enhanced learning. Over 400 youth and volunteers were in one of the largest scale safety days on the Fort Peck Reservation. Each student received a bike helmet, t-shirt, and take home bag full of donated items from local businesses.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Becker, W., Evenson, J., Hennessy, J. (2018). Advancing Your Market Livestock Project. In NACAA 2018 AM/PIC Award Winners (vol. 103, pp.106). Chattanooga Tennesee: NACAA 2018 AM/PIC Proceedings.
https://www.nacaa.com/ampic/2018/2018AMPIC.php
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Becker, W., Mills, (2018). Search For Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture. In NACAA2018 AM/PIC Award Winners (vol. 103, pp.123). Chattanooga Tennessee: NACAA 2018 AM/PIC Proceedings.
https://www.nacaa.com/ampic/2018/2018AMPIC.php
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Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this reporting period include members of the Fort Peck Reservation including enrolled members of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, lease holders of the Fort Peck Tribes, and those interested in agriculture and natural resources, and life skills development. The target audience for the 4-H and youth development associated programs is youth up to 18 years of age. Programs are delivered by formal classroom instruction, hands-on demonstrations, practicums, newsletter and radio format, and answering questions about time-sensitive issues, workshops, and site visits. Changes/Problems:The biggest problem here on the Fort Peck Reservation was the major drought, which remained in D4-5 drought status for much of the summer. This just set back starting the alfalfa test plots, however the drought has provided other educational avenues to strategically make decisions for farmers and ranchers. Funding will continue to be a major problem for the FRTEP program. This continues to be an issue when we discuss the topic at our annual FRTEP meetings. Other funding sources have been able to supplement program activities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?National FRTEP Conference, National IAC Conference, MSU Annual Conference, NACAA Professional Development and Improvement Conference, Range Beef Cow Symposium, Ag Agent In-Service, Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Training, Montan Nutrition Conference, Montana State 4-H Leaders Forum, DEEP training and certification, and Pesticide Safety Training. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information and results have been shared using MSU's Annual Reporting systems, MSU Activity Insight Reporting System, Tribal Council Committee Reports, news releases, newsletters, Community Notes on KVCK radio, workshops, producers meetings, school classrooms, and seminars. Orange Blossom Wheat Midge and alfalfa weevil were monitored and put on the National pestweb registry for all producers to see the progress of the insect damage. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?I will continue to work with the Natural Resources Department and Fort Peck Housing Authority on projects we have been working on to educate producers and youth. The pest monitoring systems will continue for orange blossom wheat midge and alfalfa weevil, as well as possible drought monitoring. The Tribal Extension Garden will continue to produce food and educational programming. This will also expand to high tunnels. Project initiation will start on creating an alfalfa test plot. The advancing your market livestock project will also continue and expand to the other types of food we can create. I would also like to get a website created for the MSU Extension-Fort Peck Office.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The summer of 2017 was one of the most devastating in Northeast Montana. Farmers and ranchers reached D4 drought status rapidly and still continue to stay dry throughout the following fall, winter, and spring seasons. The Fort Peck Tribes took immediate action to reduce stocking rates on range units by 30%. The FRTEP Office brought specialists from Montana State University to discuss strategic culling, early weaning, supplementation, fire, and water quality issues. Speakers also came to discuss farm loan programs, emergency loans, and the livestock forage program (LFP). Throughout the fall the FRTEP office continued to aid ranchers about the LFP program and to be proactive about locating hay resources. The Natural Resources Department also sponsored another Range Management workshop for the FRTEP office to bring out additional specialists to discuss grazing management after drought, drought persistence, and range weed pressures. Initial pesticide training was offered in our District as well and certifying 15 farmers and ranchers. Because of the drought, cropping and haying were also hit hard. Research projects studying alfalfa weevils found that hay needed to be cut nearly two weeks earlier than usual, orange blossom wheat midge showed persistence in areas that wheat did emerge, and hay needed to be sourced quickly since not much hay was able to be cut. Fortunately the FRTEP office was able to test forages with a new forage testing kit that tests for nitrates for farmers and ranchers. The Tribal Extension Garden also continues to be a positive part of the FRTEP program and has expanded to a community garden. The drought did have an effect on gardens which was a good educational opportunity. The Fort Peck Reservation is in the heart of the pulse growing region, and the area extension agents collaborate to host a meeting on the Fort Peck Reservation to bring in nationally recognized speakers about pulse topics, industry, pulse breeding, and diseases. Over 125 farmers attended the bi-annual pulse meeting. Nearly 21% of the acres represented were on tribal leased lands. The meeting also brings in a large trade show that allow networking opportunities for those businesses not around the area but involved in the pulse industry. A new program developed with youth was a sausage and jerky making class called Advancing Your Market Project. Over 434 youth and adults in 19 different classroom settings and 4-H clubs participated in learning how to cut meat, how to create recipes, safety related to knives/equipment/foods, and learned life skills. This has been a very positive and powerful program that has enabled youth to think about food and possible job opportunities. Through grants, sponsorships, and volunteer assistance, this type of program would normally cost $200 per person, but we are able to offer it free on the Fort Peck Reservation. Other youth programming that has continued to be a positive influence has been teaching financial skills about jobs, credit history, and financial security through games and interaction. Other youth programming has included, arts and crafts, 4-H project learning, market quality assurance, job skill development, science fair projects, agriculture safety demonstrations, and youth gardening. Over 56 school educators were taught life skill development curriculum including how to use the Montana mandate for Indian Education For All.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
"Advancing Your Market Project" NACTA journal and poster Vol. 62 Supp. 1
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