Building a Small-acreage Program

1. Stephanie Etter Building a Small-acreage Program Susan Donaldson

2. Step 1*: Identify your target audience • Watershed or subwatershed • County or other political division • Areas with similar zoning • Subdivision or HOA • Etc… **Assumes you have already identified a need!

3. Step 2: Understand your audience! Use some form of information-gathering: • What are their expectations of the class? • What is their preferred method of accessing information, etc.? • How long have they had their property? • When are they available? • What do they want to accomplish on their property? • What motivates them?

4. Motivators for small acreage owners • Improve appearance of property • Learn new skills • Save time and money • Meet people • Increase productivity (sometimes) • Meet regulatory demands (maybe) • Increase property values (sometimes)

5. These are NOT necessarily motivators! • Making a profit from the property • Management for productivity • Protecting the environment

6. What issues are of concern to almost everyone in the audience? • Drinking water quality and quantity • Ugly properties • Nuisances (blowing dirt, manure piles, flies, etc.) • Irrigation water supply and management • And…weeds! Generally a top interest.

7. Step 3: Plan the basic program • Decide what will be included • Pick your delivery methods • Set dates • Find instructors • Determine program rules You already know how to do this!

8. Don’t forget to get buy-in from your co-workers!

9. Step 4: Figure out a budget • Grant funds • Program fees • Balance expenses and income • Include a cushion

10. Step 5: Market the program • Shotgun vs. targeted

11. Step 6: Select evaluation tools • Awareness • Knowledge • Behavior change • Ecosystem change

12. Ways to use the curriculum: Idaho • Teach the entire curriculum - Idaho has been doing so since 2002 • Fee ($275 in 2008) covers soil, water and forage analysis • One fee per unit (2 individuals) • Includes tours & follow-up site visit • Each unit provides dinner once during the training • Attend future classes & tours at no charge

13. The Washington experience Workshops and Training The Small Acreage program offers workshops throughout the year on issues of interest to rural landowners. Topics include mud and manure management, pasture management, wells and septic maintenance, and fencing for livestock. For those who wish more in-depth information, the program also offers a 12-week series, Living on the Land: Stewardship for Small Acreages. Graduates of this training come away with a workable plan for their property that they created themselves based on what they learned in class. For the next class, check the calendar (http://clark.wsu.edu/calendar/index.asp) or call 360-397-6060 x7720. http://clark.wsu.edu/horticulture/smallAcreageProgram.html#workshops • Teach entire course in 12 weeks • Includes soil testing • Participants develop a stewardship management plan • Allow public to attend select modules or lessons • Use lessons separately to target various issues • Fact sheets, magazine articles and Web site • Property tours

14. The Oregon experience Living on the Land Series- Creswell Stewardship for Small Acreages Thursday, July 24, 2008 - Thursday, August 14, 2008 Living on the Land is a workshop series tailored for small acreage landowners. There are four workshops in the series and one field tour. Workshops will be taught by agency and industry professionals and local landowners. The field tour will have stops to visit with landowners in the Coast Fork Willamette River Watershed area. Participants will learn about some of the management practices these neighbors are implementing on their land. Living on the Land is sponsored by OSU Extension Service Small Farms Program, East Lane Soil and Water Conservation District and Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council. • Four 3-hour workshops (managing soil, water resources, pasture and grazing management, weed management) • One 5-hour field tour on Saturday, with picnic lunch • Includes binder of materials • $20 fee

15. New to Minnesota 'Living on the Land' Workshop Starts Feb. 6Minnesota Ag Connection - 01/28/2008Dream of owning acreage in the country? Have an existing acreage that needs a plan for the best possible results? Do you have ideas for supplementing your income or increasing your on-farm income? If the answer is "yes," University of Minnesota Extension has a workshop series to help you and your family.The "Living on the Land" workshop series is being launched as a pilot course this spring by University of Minnesota Extension. The eight-week course is designed to arm landowners with basic agricultural information to enable them to be good stewards of their 40-acre (or less) tract. The course will begin with goal setting and individual property inventory, then address soil, plant and water basics. • Piloted this spring • Eight-week course, 3 hours per class • Use the “unit” concept • Includes forage and soil testing • Includes a site visit consultation from an Extension Educator

16. Spotlight on the Nevada Small Ranch Program: Delivery methods • Community meetings • Outdoor workshops • Indoor classes • Individual site visits • Monthly newsletter • Small Ranch Manual • Special events and forums • Barbecues and neighborhood work parties

21. Work with the media

23. Plan events just for fun!

24. Be ready to respond to local issues

27. Too little…and too much!

29. What do you do if no one comes? • Make sure you’re addressing priority local concerns • Adjust delivery methods (timing, type of classes, etc.) • Offer incentives • Market more effectively • Offer one-on-one visits • Consider focus groups or other means to get feedback from your audience

31. Elements of successful small-acreage programs

32. Activities Reinforce teaching Ideas included in Lesson Plans

33. Recognize your volunteers

35. Elements of successful educational programs • Place emphasis on community and neighborhood – why did they move to the area in the first place?

36. Effective teaching Use a variety of sources of information and methods of delivery to meet various learning styles Use humor to reinforce learning

37. Evaluate your program Program satisfaction rating Pre- and post-tests Knowledge gain Behavior change (number of BMPs completed) Water quality data before and after installation of BMPs

38. Idaho Evaluation Results-2007 Before LOTL After LOTL 1=None, 2= Little, 3=Some, 4=Good Deal, 5=Great Deal * p<.001

39. Provide resource and guidance Provide technical assistance (Cooperative Extension, NRCS, etc.) Resources for future assistance

40. Be flexible • Willingness to adapt to special needs and interests of audience – aversion to herbicides, etc.; horse lovers, etc.

41. Persistence • Repetition and reinforcement of information • Reinforcing a sense of community • Potential high turnover of property owners means continued outreach activities will always be needed

42. What barriers must be overcome? • New audience we’re not used to working with • Requires a high degree of “touch” and a lot of time and energy • Must be a very active listener and very flexible • Can generate work for others who may not be ready for it • Sustaining the program after the first few years can be tough

43. Remember: • Understand your audience and their needs • Establish trust: Be an advocate, not an adversary • Be flexible • Respond to new or special needs • Build a sense of community • Reward volunteers • Have fun!