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INVESTIGATOR: Emm, S.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
MAIL STOP 404
RENO, NEVADA 89557-0106

NEVADA BEGINNING FARMERS AND RANCHERS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The long-term goal of this resubmitted Standard BFRDP Project is to create and build capacity with Nevada's beginning farmers and ranchers (BFRs) to own, operate and sustain viable agricultural operations. The short-term goal is to increase BRFs' participation in USDA programs including basic farm and cropping practices, diversification and marketing strategies, entrepreneurship and business training, obtaining land and water resources, accessing capital and financial management. Specific objectives for training and mentoring activities are to increase Nevada BFRs basic farming and ranching skills on small acreages and to increase Nevada BFRs basic skills in livestock farm to fork production. This project will collaborate with the Nevada Farm Bureau, American AgCredit, Nevada Cattlemen's Association, Nevada CattleWomen, Inc., USDA -NRCS, USDA- FSA, American Indian Tribes, and a non-profit called Bees for Vets. The total percentage of funds allocated to Community Based Organizations is 23.55%. There is 11% of the budget allocated to mentorship on American Indian Reservations under socially disadvantaged group, and 2.5% of the budget allocated to military veterans. It is anticipated that the project team will recruit and track American Indian, military veterans, women and Hispanic producers.

OBJECTIVES: Due to needs assessment results and requests from farming and ranching non-government agencies (NGOs), the long-term goal of this Standard BFRDP Project Renewal is to create and build capacity with Nevada's BFRs to own, operate and sustain viable agricultural operations. The short-term goal is to increase BFRs' participation in USDA programs including farm loan purchases, gaining access to land, entering new markets, starting and sustaining an agriculture operation, and improving production practices. Programs under this project will be developed to train Nevada farmers and ranchers to address risk, which will protect their operations and investments. Training programs, which address diversification across time, geographic diversification, and marketing diversification will assist in sustaining Nevada BFR operations. For this project, training programs are organized under training on small acreages and livestock farm to fork production. There are Level I and Level II certification programs to increase producers' skills from farm to marketplace that are integrated into the project based on previous reviewer comments. The three main objectives are below:1. Increase Nevada's BFRs' basic farming and ranching skills on small acreages.Level I certification would include an introduction and will take BFRs through the following modules, which will include field trips and mentoring for hands-on experiences:Setting Goals: What are your goals, what jurisdiction and regulations exist in your area, and what resources do you have available to you? Soils: How to manage soils to improve them? Production: How do I raise or grow a quality product? Water: What are my water rights and what is my water quality? Entrepreneurship and Financial Management: How can I make money?Level II certification includes increased training on farming and ranching through the following modules, which will include field trips and mentoring for hands-on experiences:Evaluating your resources and exploring opportunitiesPlants: Vegetable, fruit, pasture and hay productionAnimals: Small livestock and poultry productionNatural Resource Risk Management: Wildfire and FloodsOverall Sustainability: The whole property approachMitigating Risk with Financial Management and Business Skill Building2. Increase Nevada's BFRs' basic skills in livestock farm to fork production.Level I certification includes an introduction to livestock production and will take BFRs through the following modules, which will include field trips and mentoring for hands-on experiences:Setting Goals: What are your goals, what jurisdiction and regulations exist in your area for raising livestock, and what resources do you have available to you?Livestock Nutrition: Principals of intensive and extensive production systems that will include nutritional aspects of feedstuffs related to improving growth performance.Livestock Reproduction: Reproductive cycle and most important breeds for optimal livestock production.Optimal water consumption/utilization.Low-stress handling and safety.Factors affecting palatability and consumer preference (i.e. color, tenderness, animal diet via taste, etc.)Entrepreneurship and Financial Management: How can I make money?Level II certification includes advanced knowledge of raising and processing livestock from farm to plate. In this Level II, BFRs will evaluate live cattle and then follow those cattle through the slaughter and processing process at the University of Nevada, Reno Agricultural Experiment Station, which is the location of Wolf Pack Meats.Providing consistency and quality of product.Nutritional, genetic, and reproduction factors that affect quality of carcasses and beef cuts.Advanced nutrition management and optimal utilization of byproducts as feedstuff.Carcass evaluation: Estimation of profitability and eating experience by evaluating yield and quality grades (grading systems).Harvesting and Processing.Meat fabrication, carcass breakdown, primal and subprimal values and value-added products.Performing basic operations of slaughter and food safety concepts such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs), and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP). Establishing and maintaining a relationship with USDA (i.e. what is required and when).Understanding value-added opportunities for production and marketing, which may include negotiating contracts, fair market value and future prices.Overall Sustainability: The whole business approach.Mitigating Risk with Financial Management and Business Skill BuildingThe program is designed based on the above two objectives, however, there is additional objective below that are integrated into farming and ranching small acreages and producing livestock farm to fork production. These objectives below are imperative in reaching all audiences and BFR needs in the state, and giving BFRs the best chance at overall success. The additional objectives are the following:3. Increase Nevada's BFRs' entrepreneurship, business and financial management skills necessary to own, operate and sustain an agricultural operation.Some of the issues BFR's are facing and need education on are trade agreements, supply chain problems, drought, fire, volatility in interest rates, oil prices, and other fiscal and financial risk factors including inflation risk for insurance and human resources. Financial management skills and business and entrepreneurship skill building will be integrated at Level I and Level II. This objective will be accomplished through a partnership between the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, American AgCredit, and the USDA Farm Service Agency. There will be a module in each Level I and Level II training (See Objectives 2 and 3) dealing with financial management, and other business risks including agricultural leasing and insurance opportunities. These modules will provide additional education and training in agriculturally related income tax issues, self-employment tax, how to plan for retirement, financial management to access credit and estate transfer. Enterprise budgets developed in the previous two program periods will be used and updated to provide budget examples for a variety of agricultural operations, including entering into new markets.These examples will provide a baseline for individual budget development and serve as teaching tools for the Farm Bureau mentoring program, and the classroom setting for Extension and American AgCredit instructors. All curriculum and enterprise budgets will be presented to facilitate agricultural business related loan applications.This project will also work with NGOs to provide training and assistance to BFRs across the State of Nevada. These collaborations are with American Indian Tribes, Nevada Farm Bureau, Nevada Cattlemen's Association, Nevada Cattlemen's Association, and Bees for Vets - A non-profit organization.

APPROACH: Methods are based on25 new BFRs and 50 existing BFRs per year. in each of the small acreage production and the livestock production and marketing certification programs.Measurement of Specific Action TakenDocument the BFR making production or market changes to improve profitability. Estimate 75% will make a production change based on increase knowledge.Document the BFR making production or market changes to improve profitability. Estimate 75% will make a production change based on increase knowledge.Estimated that 50% BFRs will evaluate their on-farm resources and take financial steps toward accessing capital.Evaluation survey and one-on-one mentorship will document changes in production practices by the BFR producer that improved profitability.Document the BFR participating in a USDA program.Document the BFR making production or market changes to improve profitability. Estimate 60% will make a production change based on increase knowledge.