Ag Specialists that Cross the Line April 17, 2007 Presenters: Terry Hejny & Steven D. Johnson

Presentation Objectives Overview of existing Nebraska (UNL) Extension boundaries, ag programs and human resources Highlight Ag Specialists that “cross the line” Review the existing ISU Vet Med partnership with UNL Summarize Lessons Learned and Changing Needs Highlight Emerging Risk Management Educational Opportunities

Nebraska’s County Lines

Extension District Lines

UNL Extension’s Human Resources 1998 (January) Extension Specialists (Ag Economics) –16.2 FTE: 23 faculty SE Extension Educators –28.5 FTE: 29 faculty 2007 (January) Extension Specialists (Ag Economics) –6.05 FTE: 10 faculty SE Extension Educators – 24 FTE: 24 faculty

History of “crossing the line” 4-State Range Beef Cow Symposium –Since 1969: Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota & Nebraska 4-State Beef Conference –Since 1982: Kansas, Iowa, Missouri & Nebraska Crop Insurance Workshop –Since 1999: Colorado, Kansas & Nebraska

Greater Quad Counties On-farm Research Projects Since 1998, UNL Extension has teamed with 30 farmers in Clay, Fillmore, Hamilton and York counties for on-farm research trials. –Set the stage for future programs that “crossed the line”... beyond county and district and region

Farmers & Ranchers College Since 2000, 68 workshops in Grain Marketing and Risk Management and 9 workshops focusing in Livestock Marketing/Risk Management (7: Cow/calf, 2: Swine) Utilizes an Advisory Board for program direction Various funding sources

“Hands-on/Minds on” interactive workshops featuring nationally known experts from other Land-Grant’s (Kohl, Barnaby, Flinchbaugh, Johnson) along with UNL Extension faculty Impact: –Grain Marketing: 700,000+ acres/year, $5,850/workshop x 155 operations = $900,000+ annually –Livestock: 81,000+ head/year x $9.20/head = almost $750,000 annually Farmers & Ranchers College

Nebraska’s “Winning the Game” Since 2003 –WTG, MSG and LMP Minnesota and Nebraska Impact: 500 participants annually Nebraska Extension Specialists & Educators deliver with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board

Soybean Management Field Day Since 1999 Target Audience: 500 participants (crop consultants, lenders, etc.) –annual event conducted in August Nebraska: Coordinated by Extension Specialists & Educators with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board Select “ag specialists” participate

Computerized Farm Financial Recordkeeping 2003: “team” approach: four Southeast District Educators developed the curriculum, authored handouts and instruction Impact 2007: expanded to Northeast and West Central

Ten Easy Ways to Boost Profits $20/Acre 44 Extension Educators and Specialists 23 workshops reaching 372 farmers and consultants 1 year follow-up survey (2 sites) Applying those reduced production costs to their row crop acres generates $941,598 more profit for those respondents. 25 power point presentations and a peer- reviewed document (EC-176)

David Kohl Steve JohnsonElwynn Taylor Art Barnaby Ag Specialists “Crossing Lines”

ISU-UNL Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine Strength in combined resources of leading swine, beef, poultry & red meat producing states. ISU College of Veterinary Medicine Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center, Clay Center, NE

ISU-UNL Professional Program “Crosses the Line” First two years of veterinary education at UNL –25 students enter Fall ‘07 –Hiring veterinary medical faculty –Developing curriculum –Renovating & constructing facilities Final two years & DVM at Iowa State –Will join 480 students at ISU in ’09 –Hiring new faculty –Renovating & expanding facilities Two-phase Veterinary Teaching Hospital project will add 25% to overall college space & increase small animal medicine facility over 100%

Addressing Vet Med’s Changing Needs Vet med program addresses two areas of national need for: –More veterinarians Particularly food safety & security, & public health –Food animal veterinarians Students primarily with rural backgrounds More likely to have food animal interests

Strong Regional Resources Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine –Nation’s first public supported school of veterinary medicine – 1879 –128 years of veterinary teaching experience –Veterinary Teaching Hospital & Clinics –Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory University of Nebraska – Lincoln –Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources –Extensive agricultural animal resources Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center at Clay Center, Nebraska

Lessons Learned UNL Extension’s Perspective –Do’s –Don’ts Ag Specialist’s Perspective –Do’s –Don’ts

Addressing Extension’s Changing Needs Extension Funding Challenges “Graying” Faculty and Staff Complexity of Ag Issues Clientele Educational Needs –Formal –Informal Emerging Technologies

Emerging Risk Management Educational Opportunities Electronic Dissemination –Satellite Broadcasts –Public Television –Newsletters –Web Casting –Pod Casting –Web Meetings –Webinars

Statewide Satellite Broadcast “Making Crop Marketing & Insurance Decisions” 17 County Extension Offices in Nebraska served as downlink host sites March 7 th, 2007

Web-Based Education

AnywhereCounty USDA Ag Census, NASS, FSA & NRCS USDA RMA, GRP, GRIP Proposed: Revenue Counter- Cyclical Program (RCCP)

Presentation Summary Overviewed existing UNL Extension boundaries, ag programs and human resources Highlighted Ag Specialists that “cross the line” Reviewed UNL Extension’s and Ag Specialist’s Lessons Learned and Changing Needs Highlighted Emerging Risk Management Educational Opportunities

Steven D. Johnson Farm & Ag Business Management Field Specialist (515) /farmmanagement.htm Terry Hejny Extension Educator University of Nebraska- Lincoln (402)