Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Our targeted audience includes farmers and ranchers, educators, researchers, agency personnel, other players involved in sustainable agriculture, and the society at large. Key constituents in the Western region include farmers and ranchers, stakeholder organizations, extension, and other ag educators, agricultural and natural resource nonprofit organizations, government agencies, underserved groups, and Deans and Directors at the Land Grant Universities. Changes/Problems:We have received reimbursement claims from a few members of the Western SARE EC/AC that do not comply with MSU, State of Montana, and USDA-NIFA travel policies and procedures. We will continue providing detailed and accurate information pertaining to MSU travel policy to the WSARE EC/AC and offer help to minimize potential problem in the event of an audit. During the WSARE Staff retreat at the B Bar Ranch, the PDP, Communications, and MSU-Chapter One teams agreed to suggest the following items to the WSARE AC: Have a less compress annual AC meeting. If possible, expand the meeting to allow more time for strategic thinking and relationship building Invite a third party to conduct an in-depth external evaluation of WSARE to identify the programs' strengths, opportunities, weakness, and threats With the advice of a third party, and utilizing the outcomes of the in-depth external evaluation, design a business plan for sustainable mid- and long-term growth in the face of increased budget Encourage an environment where communications across all components of WSARE (EC, AC, and Staff), regardless of tool or method come from a spirit of respect, collaboration, and good intent Provide all staff, EC, and AC members training on diversity, equity and inclusion. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Chapter 1 participated at following key meetings and outreach training: WAAESD/WEDA Spring meeting in San Diego, CA. Presentation given to Directors. Western IPM Advisory Committee. Denver, CO SAREP Evaluation Committee. Davis, CA. Great Falls, MT. Professional Development. Pheromones Workshop. Fabian Menalled Moscow, ID. What is WSARE and How to submit a successful proposal. Fabian Menalled Fort Collins, CO. Northern Plains Climate Hub Outreach Exchange Conference. Exchange of innovative agroclimate outreach tools. Irene Grimberg Kolonia, Pohnpei. What is WSARE and How to submit a successful proposal. Fabian Menalled and Julie Maitland Kolonia, Pohnpei. Irene Grimberg. Science Teacher workshop (Fig. 4) Bozeman, MT. IPM workshop. What is WSARE and How to submit a successful proposal. Allison Milodragovich MSU-Central Ag Research Center, Moccasin, MT. Field Day Fabian Menalled The PDP team conducted an in-depth training at American affiliated Western Pacific (Guam, the Four States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and the Northern Marianas) between May 11 and May 22, 2019. A total of 27 people provided training on nine islands to over 200 people. Some of the topics covered during the training and professional development included: 1) Grant writing assistance, 2) Soil health and tropical cover crops, 3) plant propagation and seed saving, 4) integrated pest management (IPM), 5) swine production and artificial insemination, 6) beginning farmers and youth education in agriculture, and 7) small-scale irrigation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We disseminated our activities to stakeholders interested in sustainable agriculture across the Western U.S. through a series activities including educational programs, farm tours, field days, and workshops; distance learning activities such as podcasts, and video clips; social media including Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WesternRegionSARE/), Instagram (https://instagram.com/WesternSARE), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/WesternSARE); and outreach publications. Activities conducted during this reporting period include: Calls for Grant Proposal Dissemination and Proposal Submission. The secure that all eligible grant recipients are aware of the Western SARE grant programs and have access to staff to answer questions we: (1) publish the Call for Proposals at the Western SARE website, (2) distribute Call for proposals through the Western SARE's email list of ~2100 people, (3) produce press releases about open Call for Proposals that will be distributed to farm and ranching publications, producers, and non-profit and other organizations, and (4) with the help of the State Coordinators, grant information is being distributed at conferences, workshops, meetings, and in grant writing trainings. Additionally, we preparing a series of webinars for all Chapter 1 Call for Proposals to address issues related to grant writing and submission process, and answer applicants questions. We expect that this multi-faceted approach will allow us to reach a large and diverse audience across the Western U.S. with special emphasis being placed on reaching under-served audiences and producers of all acreages and agricultural practices. Annual Report: A high-quality, 4-fold third Annual Report was printed and distributed late May to 300+ people. Another 50 are available for tabling efforts or upon request. The Annual Report was posted on the website and promoted via e-newsletter and social media. https://www.westernsare.org/Learning-Center/Fact-Sheets/2018-Annual-Report-Impacts-of-Funded-Projects and can be downloaded at https://www.westernsare.org/Learning-Center/Fact-Sheets/2018-Annual-Report Monthly E-newsletter: We continue producing and distributing an e-newsletter, which was slightly re-designed in February to be more eye-catching and organized. Since the re-design, we have had an increased open rate (30%) and a slightly higher click rate (15%). This newsletter is sent to 2100+ readers. Web site: we regularly update Western SARE information at our website (https://www.westernsare.org/). Copies of Call for Pre-proposals (required for Research and Education Grants) and all other Calls for Proposals were posted at our website. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Program management: We are currently coordinating the logistic of the 2020 Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 Technical Review Panels, to be held between January 21-23, 2020in Salt Lake City, UT. We plan to organize the 2020 Winter and Summer Administrative Council Meetings will held in Bozeman, MT, and Las Cruces, NM. Professional Development Program: We expect to a conduct an open search to replace the Jim Freeburn and Al Kurki, current coordinators of the Professional Development Program. The Search Committee is being Chaired by Julie Maitland, incoming AC Chair. Fiscal Management: We will execute the remaining 2019 WSARE sub-awards, including those from the Graduate Students program. To expedite travel reimbursements, we will continue informing the Western SARE Administrative Council on MSU and Federal policies. The MSU Office of Sponsored Programs will overview the fiscal management of Western SARE. Workshops and Professional Training: As of August 23, 2019, Fabian Menalled and Irene Grimberg will provide professional training on WSARE and grant writing at the Montana Organic Association (MOA), Alternative Energy Resource Organization (AERO), Latino Farmers conference, First Americans Land-grant Consortium (Falcon), and The Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) Annual Conference American Indian Council. We expect to participate at additional meetings and workshops based on our availability. Webinars: Between September 13 and September 27, 2019, we will conduct webinars for the Research and Education, Farmer/Rancher, and Professional + Producers programs to address issues related to grant writing, submission process, and answer applicants. Ad-Hoc Committees: based on recommendations made during the Summer 2019 AC meeting, we will work on the following ad hoc committees: (1) Handbook, (2) Underserved Communities,(3) Rubric, and (4) Call for Proposals. Communications: we will continue working with WSARE Outreach to finalize the revision of our web site.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Western SARE promotes groundbreaking research and education aimed at enhancing environmental stewardship, quality of life, and profitability of sustainable agricultural systems by investing resources provided by USDA-NIFA in research, education, and professional development across the Western US. To do this, in 2018-19 Western SARE coordinated six competitive and two restricted grant programs, funded at approximately 3:1 ration for the Research and Education (Chapter 1) and Professional Development Program (PDP, Chapter 3), respectively. Major Activities Completed Regional Host Institution - Chapter 1 Program Management: We coordinated the logistic of all face-to-face and virtual Technical Review Panels (TRPs), two Administrative Council meetings, and one staff retreat. Also, we managed all Chapter 1 Call for Proposals and Technical Review panels. Awarded Chapter 1 grants included (1) Research and Education: 8 awards, $2,744.489, (2) Professional + Producer: 13 awards, $630,048, (3) Framer/Rancher: 19 awards, $363,566, and (4) Graduate Students: 15 awards, $370,011. Fiscal Management: We execute all WSARE sub-awards and meeting expenses. As of August 21, 2019, and excluding the recently awarded Graduate Students grants, we have fully executed 76% of these awards. WSARE AC Handbook: With inputs provided by the AC during the February 2019 meeting, we led a comprehensive revision of the WSARE AC. R2GR and Sabbaticals: Together with Jim Freeburn and Bryce Wrigley, Fabian Menalled reviewed the R2GR Call for Proposals and the potential development of a Sabbatical program. Bryce led the discussion of the R2GR Call for Proposals during the July 2019 AC meeting. PDP Transition: Fabian Menalled participated in a sub-committee composed by Jim Freeburn, Anna Merriman, Brian Higginbotham, and Al Kurki to evaluate a strategy to transition the leadership of the PDP program. The suggestions were presented at the July 2019 AC meeting and discussed with the EC and National Program. Newsletters: To keep the WSARE AC updated on our activities, Grimberg coordinated a monthly newsletter that highlights MSU-Chapter 1, PDP, and Communications Teams updates. Retreat: Between June 24-26, 2019 the PDP, Communication, and MSU-Chapter 1 teams had a Staff retreat at the B Bar Ranch, Emigrant. A summary of Staff suggestions to the AC were presented at the July 2019 AC Meeting. TRPs and AC Meetings. We coordinated the following meetings: (1)Technical Review Panels meeting, January 22-24 in Phoenix, AZ; (2) Winter AC meeting, February 19-21 in Bozeman, MT, and (3) Summer AC meeting , July 22-24 in Fairbanks, AK. We are currently organizing the 2020 TRPs and Summer AC meetings. PDP Pacific Island Training. Menalled and Grimberg coordinated the organization of the PDP training at Pohnpei and Kosrae, respectively. The also participated at the training in Pohnpei. Evaluation of the Pacific Island Training. Grimberg conducted an analysis and report of the PDP Farm Tour and Pacific Island Training which was presented at the July 2019 AC Meeting. Professional Training. Menalled participates at the 2019 LEAD21 training program (http://lead-21.org/) Leadership Development for the 21st Century: Linking Research, Academics, and Extension. Jen von Sehlen and Irene Grimberg attended the National Extension and Research Administrative Officers Conference "Elevating our Communities" in Denver, CO (https://neraoc.agsci.colostate.edu). Call for Proposals (CFPs) and Review Criteria. Based on the feedback we received from applicants and reviewers, and in compliance with the requirements of the MSU Office of Sponsored Programs we modified the Chapter 1 CFPs. Chapter 3 - Professional Development (PDP). The PDP team conducted an in-depth training at American affiliated Western Pacific (Guam, the Four States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and the Northern Marianas). A total of 27 people provided training on nine islands to over 200 people. Additionally, PDP provided training at several state and regional meetings. Awarded Chapter 3 grants were (1) PDP Research to Grassroots: 4 awards, $155,655, (2) PDP Competitive Program: 11 awards, $744,074, (3) PDP Enhanced State Program: 2 awards, $148,890, and (4) PDP State/Protectorate Program: 15 awards, $437,496. Other activities conducted by Chapter 3 included Sent out the Call for Proposals, received applications and completed the review for the State Implementations grants. Award letters were sent to each state with weaknesses and strengths identified. Al Kurki attended the National meeting of SARE Outreach in Minneapolis, where new priorities and work efforts were identified. Jim Freeburn 1) attended a Wyoming statewide meeting hosted by the USDA and Farm Service Agency to bring SCORE (Senior Corps of Retired Executives) to Wyoming, a system to provide expertise to farmers and ranchers through mentorship from retired business people, 2) served on the PDP transition plan and the R2GR grants interim AC committees, 3) met face-to-face with new Wyoming State SARE Coordinator to provide her with training and orientation, 4) participated in the two teleconferences for the National SARE Operations Committee, 5) helped with a video production on the Cundall Ranch, and 5) together with Al Kurki attended the WSARE staff retreat in Emigrant, Montana. Communications: The Communication Team distributed information related to Western SARE research and education activities and programs on sustainable agriculture through a periodic newsletter, press releases, web pages, and social media. Additionally, the Communication team initiated the production of podcasts and videos as well as the re-design of the Western SARE web page. Podcasts: This is our largest new initiative for the year. These six Fresh Growth podcasts, to be hosted by Stacie Clary and Steve Elliott, will provide those outside the traditional SARE audience practical, relevant, real-world examples on how sustainable approaches positively impacts land, water, biodiversity, and communities. The podcasts will highlight how producers who conduct research implement new practices that can inspire others. Episodes will primarily feature producers or producers sitting side-by-side with professionals, talking about their approaches and methods to sustainable agriculture. Listeners will gain knowledge of SARE and the importance of producer-led research. We will produce, distribute, and promote these podcasts in groups of three, for a total of nine. We are working with Grimberg to develop a student podcast series. Monthly E-newsletter: The e-newsletter was slightly re-designed in February to be more eye-catching and organized in a way to highlight stories, videos, and resources in a straightforward manner. Since the re-design, we have had an increased open rate (30%) and a slightly higher click rate (15%). This newsletter is sent to 2100+ readers. Website re-design: This re-design of the WSARE website is occurring in partnership with the other regions in an effort led by SARE Outreach. The new website will quickly drive users with simple navigation and reduced clutter. We expect that the redesigned website will be made public in Spring 2020. Stacie Clary is currently updating the site so that materials referenced in the CFPs are more current and easy to find. Videos and Webinars: We have four videos in production from Guam, Hawaii, and Pohnpei on SARE-funded projects. Social Media: We continue to use Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WesternRegionSARE/), Instagram (https://instagram.com/WesternSARE), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/WesternSARE) to increase our social media footprint. Overall, the multipronged activities conducted by Western SARE Chapter 1, Chapter 3, and Communications contributed to the enhancement of the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable agricultural systems across the Western U.S.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
https://www.westernsare.org/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Farmer and Rancher Research in the West. https://www.westernsare.org/Learning-Center/Fact-Sheets/Farmer-and-Rancher-Research
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
2018 Annual Report. https://www.westernsare.org/Learning-Center/Fact-Sheets/2018-Annual-Report
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Funding impacts interactive infographic. https://www.westernsare.org/Learning-Center/Fact-Sheets/2018-Annual-Report-Impacts-of-Funded-Projects
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Simply Sustainable Newsletter. https://www.westernsare.org/News-from-the-West/Western-SARE-Newsletters
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Pacific Island Photo Essay. https://westernsare.exposure.co/building ag-partnerships
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