Field Office Innovative Solutions (Part 3)

1. Field Office Innovative Solutions(Part 3) Illinois NRCS All Employee Meeting March 2, 2005

2. Benefits to NRCS / SWCD • Opportunity to educate non-farm people about “conservation agriculture” • Non-farm people are taxpayers—what do their conservation dollars buy?

3. Benefits to NRCS / SWCD President Bush’s “faith-based initiative” Build relationships with local agri-business

4. Benefits to NRCS / SWCD • Farmers sell our product • Recruit diversity workforce, volunteers, SWCD board and committees

5. Benefits to NRCS / SWCD • Extends our areas of influence in towns, cities, and overseas • Strengthens our internal partnerships • Something to put on your outreach report!

6. Benefits to Agriculture • Non-farm people get “connected”; they can “put a face” on agriculture • Farmers can explain: costs / returns program pmts. GMO’s nutrients / pesticides technology conservation practices

7. Benefits to U.S. society • People know where and how their food is grown • Improve our image overseas as a “caring” society

8. Benefits to U.S. society • Breaks down perceived barriers: urban—suburban—rural—farmer religious denominations

9. What you can do: • Look for interest—”fan the flames” • Have a speaker come to a meeting • Attend a harvest celebration • Help us find diversity among the non-farm partners

10. More information • See me or anyone from the Ottawa Field Office NRCS / SWCD staff • Go to foodsresourcebank.org

11. Success Some people dream of success….. While others wake up and work hard at it!

12. CREATING INDIVIDUAL WORK AREAS IN YOUR COUNTY By ADAM LUCIE SCT & JEREMY PIPER SC

13. MANAGING WORK AREAS • In Carthage we divide our county into areas according to the number of employees we have. • The District Conservationist keeps a log book of all work going on in the county. Applications are then handed to the employee responsible for the area the project is located in. • Each staff member is responsible for their own area of the county. • We work together on large jobs or when someone needs extra help.

15. NEGATIVE RESULTS OF OTHER MANAGEMENT STYLES • The person closest to the door gets the most work. Work is not evenly distributed. • The employee who has been working in the office the longest receives a larger work load. • Allowing employees to only work with one program cheats them in the future.

16. ORGANIZATION • Time is saved and the over all quality of work is improved. • Travel distance and time is reduced. • It is easier to track progress of employees and for employees to track their own progress.

17. Who’s Working on that? • If a question arises about a project the staff will know who is responsible based on the area where it is located. • Clients will become familiar with the staff member in their area. • Staff members will know their section of the county which will allow them to better serve the public.

18. CLOSING • Finally, managing your workload and staff can be accomplished many different ways. However the way we manage can make the difference between an office or a great field office.

19. Excellence is the result of caring More than others think is wise; Risking more than others think is Safe. Dreaming more than others Think is practical and expecting More than others think is possible.

20. Spores and More Mushroom Festival A Project of the Heartland of Illinois RC&D

21. Opportunity Lake Shelbyville is not being used to the capacity available Businesses in the Towns around the Lake want to see an increase in Tourism Many meetings have been held with State Legislators to look into increasing Tourism People have many outdoor interests in the Area No Festivals involve each Town collectively

22. Ah! Morels

23. Organizing a Planning Committee • Involve all 4 towns of Bethany, Findlay, Shelbyville and Sullivan • Build relationships • Determine Events and Activities to be held • Utilize “Experts” on the subject

24. ADVERTISE • Secure Funding…RC&D Grant • Determine the best way to reach people who may be interested • Those used: 3 TV Stations, Radio, Newspaper feature stories, Flyers and Posters

25. Hold Pre-event Contest • To get local people involved using their favorite mushroom patch • To build anticipation for the Festival Hunt • Train Contest Judges for Biggest Shroom

26. Festival Kickoff

27. Mushroom Hunt Registration

28. Mushroom Hunt

29. Hunt Results and Auction

30. Town Festivals

31. Another RC&D Initiative

32. Heartland Graziers Heartland of Illinois RC&D Project • An Opportunity to provide Assistance to New and Existing Graziers • Network with each other and share Ideas, experiences, successes, rent equipment or sell products • Cooperate with other Agencies (Cooperative Extension Service, Farm Bureau, Illinois Beef Association)

33. Workshops • Provide Resource Information on Pasture Establishment, Management, Herd Selection, Marketing and Economics

34. Pasture Walks and Demonstrations

36. Innovation The best way to perfect The future… Is to create it.

37. Thankyou for your attention!