Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition (NGLC) Succession Facilitator organized the two workshops on succession to provide educational information to farmers and ranchers, and their heirs or the next generation of land stewards for the operation, on transitioning family operations to the next generation. NGLC has identified a target audience for the succession planning workshops as the generation who 1) feels they are ready to pass the family operation onto the next generation, and 2) the generation that feels they are ready to take over their family operation. Both audiences were a target audiences considered when promoting these events. The workshop was promoted through many forms of media outlets which included social media, community calendars, NGLC website, radio interviews and radio promotional slots. It was also promoted through newspaper publications, Range & Pasture Journal and other organizations with similar responsibilities. Changes/Problems:One "major" problem that could be observed, would be the inability to deliver on the requirements that a certain number of participants attend each of the grant objective trainings/schools. Despite utilizing intensive marketing and advertisting, both paid and with word of mouth, we were not able to meet the required number of students to be served at YARFP or the Grazing School. NGLC surveyed students and agency members to ask if cost was a concern, and it was not. Suggestions included moving the events to different dates, moving locations around etc. We will use this approach again in 2025 to see if it results in heightened interest for events. Nebraskaproducers who are self employed are subject to having to work around tight schedules that are unpredictable. This will remain our greatest challenge as we try to bring educational opportunities that are worthshile, and gain the attention of a group of underserved people who are very, very busy. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?As part of professional development opportunities the succession facilitator with NGLC has attended the Nebraska Grazing Conference in 2023and 2024. NGLC was an underwriter for this event and used a booth to promote upcoming events and work NGLC is doing, while gaining knowledge through the conference. NGLC also attended the Women in Ag conference as part of professional development and to share with others in agriculture what NGLC is offering for programs and network with others working toward similar interests. ALL NGLC activities are conducted with goals of providing training and professional development. Each event of 2024provided these opportunities to student participants, agencies who participated, instructors, menbers of the media, as well as board members and advisors who attended the events to see the grant deliverables in action. Additinally, we utilized each as an opportunity to reach the extended communities with the news about what services and training we were providing in the area. Student evaluations were overwhelmingly positive about the training and professional develoment that had been provided. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A workshop summary press release was published in local papers and sent out via the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition listserv to share with producers and communities the success of these workshops. The press release was also published in the NGLC newsletter, listserv, website and Facebook page. All completed trainings have been summarized by NGLC Executive Director and shared to board of directors and advisors to disseminate across communities in Nebraska. Additionally, all workshops and trainings received promotion during and post events across social media channels, and in newsletters etc. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition is currently planning multiple events for the next reporting period: A booth at the Women in Ag Conference in Kearney, NE will be used to promote these upcoming NGLC activities and Succession planning spring of 2025. NGLC will also be an underwriter and have a booth at the 2025Grazing Conference. In addition a presentation regarding succession planning and the importance will take place at the National Grazing Lands Coalition Conference. All of those who have attended 2023 and 2024 NGLC events are included in all outreach efforts, and asked to help promote programming to others they know, who would benefit from these activities. Personal invitations and giving interviews have provided the best opportunities to promote NGLC activities. Ultimately, the efforts to promote our events with advanced notice witll help us accomplish these goals in an even more suffessful manner
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1 Outcomes: 32 students enrolled in the YARFP school held June 18-21, at Calamus Outfitters of Nebraska. All course objectives were met under instructor Dallas Mount, with many students reporting that they would like to repeat the training in the future and refer other participants to attend. School is already scheduled to repeat in July 2025 at Calamus Outfitters. Objective 2 Outcomes: Two Grazing Schools held in Nebraska in 2024. June 24-27-Gordon, Nebraska 22 participants September 17-19-Anselmo, Nebraska. 32 participants registered. Curriculum was written and taught with assistance from multiple parters to include the South Dakota Grasslands Coalition, South Dakota NRCS, Pheasants Forever, University of Nebraska- Extensdion, and instructor Jim Gerrish. MiG: What is it & what can it do for you Basic objectives of grazing management. Emphasizing the critical importance of managing time & space. BREAK Understanding carrying capacity, stocking rate, & stock density What's right for your farm or ranch & how do you figure it out LUNCH Drive to field site Grazing management based on ecosystem processes Solar energy flow, water cycle, mineral cycles, biodiversity BREAK Estimating forage availability and allocating feed Different estimation methods & feed allocation ADJOURN Social time followed by dinner at 6 PM Creating excellent pasture from the soil up Soil health, species adaptation, nutrient management BREAK Grazing management for targeted animal performance From maintenance to milk, how do we adjust management LUNCH Grazing cell layout & design Creating smaller increments of time. Fixed vs Flexible cells. Stock water & grazing distribution. BREAK Drive to field site Outdoor hands-on fence demo ADJOURN Social time followed by dinner at 6 PM Extending the grazing season (Part 1) Setting your ranch up for success - stock policy BREAK Extending the grazing season (Part 2) What are your options & how to use them effectively LUNCH Dollars & Sense of grazing What really determines profitability in pasture-based production BREAK How do I know this will pay? Everybody needs to know how to do cost-benefit analysis Objective 3 Outcomes: To date, no student has requested personal grazing consultant work at their own operations. NGLC plans include securing at least two grazing consultants for 2025who will follow up with grazing school graduates, to encourage use of services. The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition and Nebraska Extension hosted a workshop Generational Transition in McCook on October 10, 2023. A second workshop was held in Hickman on February 20, 2024. Outcome 1: A total number 16 producers attended the workshop that took place at the South Platte Natural Resource District in McCook. A total number 46 producers attended the workshop that took place at the Hickman Community Center in Hickman. This makes a total of 65 farming and ranching families who were impacted through these two workshops this year. Outcome 2: The NGLC succession facilitator has been in contact with many families needed resources as a result of these two workshops. Connecting producers with local resources has been the largest request. There have been numerous individuals who have requested follow ups and accountability for completing their transition plans. Connections have been made to connect the producers to the resources and professionals requested. The NGLC succession facilitator continues to build relationships with families as they work on their succession plan. A follow up survey will be sent to gather data on their progress within the next few months. Outcome 3: Succession planning is a sensitive topic for farm and ranch families. Many of the families who have attended the workshops this year have been private about their progress. Through a conversation had with the estate planning attorney who presents the legal aspects of transition planning at these workshops, she has worked with 12 families over the past year on completing their succession plans. NGLC will continue to connect families with professionals equipped to complete these documents and maintain a relationship needed to gather data. Outcome 4: The total number of acres impacted through the first workshop was 21,860 and through the second 26,665. That is a total of 48,525 acres impacted this year. Impacting acres through transition planning is a positive outcome for the future of the land as we know plans are in place for that next generation to take over.
Publications
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Progress 09/15/22 to 09/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition (NGLC) Succession Facilitator organized the first succession workshop to provide educational information to farmers and ranchers, and their heirs or the next generation of land stewards for the operation, on transitioning family operations to the next generation. NGLC has identified a target audience for the succession planning workshops as the generation who 1) feels they are ready to pass the family operation onto the next generation, and 2) the generation that feels they are ready to take over their family operation. Both audiences were a target audiences considered when promoting this event. The workshop was promoted through many forms of media outlets which included social media, community calendars, NGLC website, radio interviews and radio promotional slots. It was also promoted through newspaper publications, Nebraska Farm Bureau publication and the NGLC email listserv. This educational workshop on succession planning, Finding Fairness in Farm and Ranch Transition, tools to talk about tough issues, was held on December 7th, 2022, in Norfolk, NE where both target audiences were in attendance. This event was facilitated by an award winning author, columnist and frequent television guest, Elaine Froese who spoke to the group on this important topic. Froese is nationally known for ability to help farm families better communicate their expectations and timelines for the successful transition of their farm business. She specializes in conflict resolution and coaching farm families on how to talk about tough issues. Froese spoke to the audience of farmers, ranchers and NGLC board members who are looking to find tools for transferring the farm or ranch to the next generation. The group was small, but the discussion was valuable. Those who attended experienced a more personal atmosphere where Froese was able to provide mentorship and specific advice to how each family could connect with family members on starting those hard conversations. Those who attended left feeling encouraged and motivated to tackle the tough issues they had been avoiding. A follow up survey was collected to retrieve demographic information and statistic information to be reported. The data collected showed that 100% of those who attended were part or full owners of the operation. Approximately, 19,000 acres were impacted through this educational event. None who attended felt they would be categorized as beginning farmers and ranchers, but 60% indicated they would identify as women in agriculture which are a minority population in Nebraska that NGLC has identified as a target audience. As a result of this event 100% of those in attendance indicated they would very likely continue or start wok on their succession plan. The NGLC Succession Facilitator will be following up with these families to see if there are additional resources or information that they would need to be successful at continuing to plan for the future generation of land stewards. Through this event one family was connected with an estate planning attorney to begin the process of developing a will. The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition hosted a second workshop Enhancing the Grasslands of Nebraska Through Generational Transition in Sidney on March 7. A total number 47 individuals attended the workshop that took place at the South Platte Natural Resource District. Of those in attendance one represented UNL Extension and two Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition. Pamela Epp Olsen presented the legal elements of transition planning and facilitated the panel discussion of which producers shared about their experience with transitioning to the next generation. The three producers who graciously shared about their experience with transition planning were Pam Anderson, Peter Lapaseotes and Will Lookabill. Each producer provided a diverse and yet relatable experiences to those in attendance. Of those who attended, 31 individuals completed portions of the evaluation form and provided feedback on the workshop. Demographics of the group were: 2 younger than 40, 15 between 41-65, 14 older than 65. 20 males and 11 females. All identified as Non-Hispanic/Latino. One individual in attendance was a financial advisor. In addition, the individual who was younger than 40 identified as the next generation of which would be considered a new beginning farmer and rancher. Of those in attendance: 90% owned agricultural land. 65% leased land. 65% manage agricultural land. The total number of acres impacted through this workshop were 85,800. 75% of those who attended the workshop are very likely to continue to work on their transition plan, while <10% are somewhat likely. Three individuals this question did not apply to their current situation. Because of this workshop 84% of the attendees Fully Agreed they gained an increase in knowledge of legal tools available for transition planning by attending the workshop. Where the remaining 16% Somewhat Agreed with this statement. 75% Strongly Agreed they learned something from the producer panel where the remaining 25% Somewhat Agreed with this statement. 70% of those in attendance felt they had the resources they needed to complete their transition plan, where the remainder only Somewhat Agreed with that statement or refrained from answering. A follow up contact sheet was used to gather contact information of those who attended the workshop. The information gathered allows NGLC, and others to follow up as needed based on what information the individual requested. As a result of this workshop individuals would like to be followed up with for more information on resources in their area, added to the NGLC listserv, additional information from Pam Olsen, and accountability for working on their succession plans. Many individuals left positive feedback on how they felt the information was good and the workshop provided incentive to get their plans started or make progress on what they have already started. The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition conducted four separate events in 2023 to meet objectives and deliverables for the awarded NIFA grant, "Strengthening Nebraska's Ranching Legacy." June 13th-15th, 2023. Grazing School-RuJoDen Ranch, Chadron, Nebraska. Target audience: Operators and Agency representatives looking to strengthen their knowledge of grazing practices, and to incorporate them on their own places as well as werve as a technical resource for those in need of grazing assistance. June 27th, 2023-Annual NGLC Grazing Tour-SE Lancaster, County, and NW Pawnee County, Nebraska Target audience: Operators, managers, food consumers, grasslands enthusiasts, elected decision makers interested in information on how to improve grazing practices, how to educate those within a sphere of influence on the importance of caring and conserving Nebraska grasslands, and those who are in positions that affect policy regarding Nebraska grasslands. July 10-13th, 2023. YARFP-Imperial, Nebraska Target audience: Young adults aged 18-30 interested in learning and growing their knowledge of all concepts from the Ranching for Profit Curriculum, designed to reach young adults who can take curriculum knowledge to their own operations to implement and create opportunities for managed change that will improve profit margins on owned and managed ranches. September 6-8, 2023. Grazing School-Aurora, Nebraska Target audience: Operators and Agency representatives looking to strengthen their knowledge of grazing practices, and to incorporate them on their own places as well as werve as a technical resource for those in need of grazing assistance. Changes/Problems:One "major" problem that could be observed, would be the inability to deliver on the requirements that a certain number of participants attend each of the grant objective trainings/schools. Despite utilizing intensive marketing and advertisting, both paid and with word of mouth, we were not able to meet the required number of students to be served at YARFP or the Grazing School. NGLC surveyed students and agency members to ask if cost was a concern, and it was not. Suggestions included moving the events to different dates, moving locations around etc. We will use this approach in 2024 to see if it results in heightened interest for events. Nebrasak producers who are self employed are subject to having to work around tight schedules that are unpredictable. This will remain our greatest challenge as we try to bring educational opportunities that are worthshile, and gain the attention of a group of underserved people who are very, very busy. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Succession Workshop that was hosted in Norfolk, NE provided an opportunity for those who attended to hear Elaine Froese award winning author, columinist and frequrent television guest speak on the topic of succession planning. Froese spoke on the topic of Finding Fairness in Farm & Ranch Transition. Those who attended the workshop were able to gainmentorship as Froese connected with each family on a personal level. As part of professional development opportunities the succession facilitator with NGLC has attended the Nebraska Grazing Conference in 2022 and 2023. NGLC was an underwriter for this event and used a booth to promote upcoming events and work NGLC is doing, while gaining knowledge through the conference. NGLC also attended the Women in Ag conference as part of professional development andto share with others in agriculture what NGLC is offering for programs and network with others working toward similar interests. ALL NGLC activities are conducted with goals of providing training and professional development. Each event of 2023 provided these opportunities to student participants, agencies who participated, instructors, menbers of the media, as well as board members and advisors who attended the events to see the grant deliverables in action. Additinally, we utilized each as an opportunity to reach the extended communities with the news about what services and training we were providing in the area. Student evaluations were overwhelmingly positive about the training and professional develoment that had been provided. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A workshop summary press release was published in local papers and sent out via the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition listservto share with producers and communities the success of these workshops. The press release was also published in the NGLC newsletter, listserv, website and Facebook page. All completed trainings have been summarized by NGLC Executive Director and shared to board of directors and advisors to disseminate across communities in Nebraska. Additionally, all workshops and trainings received promotion during and post events across social media channels, and in newsletters etc. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition is currently planning multiple events for the next reporting period: A booth at the Women in Ag Conference in Kearney, NE will be used to promote these upcoming NGLC activities and Succession planning spring of 2024. NGLC will also be an underwriter and have a booth at the 2024 Grazing Conference. Generational Transition Workshop will be held October 10th in McCook. A succession workshop will take place in SE Nebraska in the early 2024. NGLC Grazing Tour will be held in June 2024. NGLC Grazing School will be held NGLC Ranching for Profit School will be held in A follow up survey will be conducted to gather information from attendees of the first two succession workshops. Those who have indicated to NGLC they would like connected with resources and followed up with will be reached out to by the Successsion Facilitator to see what resources we can connect individuals with. Ultimately, the efforts to promote our events with advanced notice witll help us accomplish these goals in an even more suffessful manner.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 3:Succession planning program hosts two workshops annually Succession planning program hosted one workshop in Norfolk, NE where Elaine Froese spoke on Finding Fairness in Farm and Ranch Transition. A second workshop was held on March 7 at the South Platte Natural Resource District in Sidney, NE. Outcome 1: 13 Families were reached as a result of this workshop that was held in Norfolk, NE. 47 individuals participated in the second workshop held in Sidney, a total of 29families were impacted through this workshop. This makes a total of 42 familes that were impacted this year. Outcome 2: NGLC Succession Facilitator is working with one family to complete a succession plan through developing a will that would include plans for the next generation. Additionaly the succession facilitor is working with one familiy who has nearly completed their succession plan and will transfer their operation to the son soon. A third family has just begun planning and has set up a meeting with a lawyer to start this process. Finally a fourth family has nearly completed their plans. This makes a total of four families the sucession facilitator has been in contact with this year working toward completing their plans. Outcome 3: To date one family has completed their succession plan. Outcome 4: As a result of the Norfolk succession workhop, 19,000 acres were impacted by those who attended. These individuals are working on their succession plans for the next generation. A total of 85,800 acres were impacted as a result of the Sidney generational transition workshop. Acres associated with families who are working on their transition plans to date equals 12,000. Objective 1 - Host one Young Adult Ranching for Profit (YARFP) school annually in Nebraska Outcome 1: 25students enrolled in the YARFP school held July 10-13th, 2023 at Imperial, Nebraska. All course objectives were met under the instruction of Jordan Steele. Outcome 2: Students who completed YARFP formed a collaborative network through the provided exchange of contact information from NGLC. Outcome 3: Well over 10% of students who completed YARFP reported that they own, manage, or work on operation where they utilize the skills learned. at YARFP. Objective 2 - Host two Grazing Schools annually in Nebraska Outcome 1: Curriculum was written and taught with assistance from multiple parters to include the South Dakota Grasslands Coalition, South Dakota NRCS, Pheasants Forever, University of Nebraska- Extensdion, and instructor Jim Gerrish. Outcome 2: 53 students participated in two grazing schools. Grazing school 1 was held at Chadron, Nebraska June 13-15. The second was held at Aurora, Nebraska September 6-8. All coursewourk deliverables were presented and trained on. Additionally, some RFP curriculum was shared to include Succession Planning and discussion. Outcome 3: Well over 25% of students self reported that they were classified as beginning ranchers. Outcome 4: As surveyed post grazing school completion, well over 10% of students reported they were implementing their training on their own operations. Objective 3:To date, no student has requested personal grazing consultant work at their own operations. NGLC plans include securing at least two grazing consultants for 2024 who will follow up with grazing school graduates, to encourage use of consultants and arrange personal visits to respective operations.
Publications
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