Northern Plains and Mountains Regional Logic Model

1. Desired Outcomes / Impacts Environmental / Social Change Knowledge Actions • Specific: • Improved profitability • Development of working groups • Presentations • Extension educator training. • One-on-one contacts • BMP field validation • Publications • Development of coordinated guideline recommendations • BMP’s and integrated pest management practices that have been validated in producers fields. Occurs when there is a behavior change based upon what participants have learned (medium term): Development of working teams that will develop practical BMP’s. Development of guideline manuals that integrate producers, private industry, research, extension concerns. Development of producer friendly document by including both scientific and farmer review. Develop working groups consisting of extension educators, extension specialists, producers, and private industry in the validation and testing of the Universities nutrient and pest BMP’s. Producers will implement BMPs in the field and validate BMP’s in producers fields are in place. Increase in producer record keeping practices. Development and adoption of nitrogen and irrigation mgmt plans to protect water resources Adoption of technology and practices which improve irrigation efficiency Who we reach (Participation): Scientists Extension specialists NRCS Producers Students Private organizations Watershed groups and Conservation Districts Initiative 2 Program: Best Management Practices for Production Agriculture Theme Audience Inputs Outputs Northern Plains and Mountains Regional Logic Model Production Agriculture and Water quality Occurs when there is a change in knowledge or the participants actually learn (short term): Increased knowledge of Integrated nutrient and pest management. Increased understanding on what producers are willing to adopt and what they are not willing to adopt. Improved understanding on the importance of integrating research, teaching, extension, private industry, and producers in the development of practical practices that producers will follow. A better understanding of the factors controlling BMP adoption across EPA region 8 Increased knowledge of Irrigation BMPs • Occurs when a societal / • environmental condition • is improved due to a • participant/s action taken • (long term): • Improved relationships between producers, private industry, research, NRCS, and extension personal. • Improved communication between all participants. • Coordination of extension, research, and producer activities that can lead to improved BMP adoption. • Establishment of long-term assessment tools. • Promoting improved profitability combined with improved water quality and water use efficiency. • Demonstrable reduction in • nitrate / pesticide impacts to • ground water (in a basin or • segment of a basin) due to • inefficient irrigation in areas • sensitive to nitrate leaching What weinvest: Faculty and staff time Federal, state, and private organization funds Stakeholder opinions Producers time Assessment costs EXTERNAL FACTORS / BARRIERS: A barrier to this project is that many of the participants have long track records of agreeing to disagree. Organizing well structured meetings will be used to overcome this barrier. ASSUMPTIONS:An assumption associated with this project is that by initiating discussions between research, teaching, outreach, and producers trust can be established and the individuals will agree to work for the common good.