Note: This site is for reviewing legacy plan of work data from 2007-2011. If you are looking for the current plan of work interface, visit pow.nmsu.edu.
Youth Development (Quay County)
Plan Goals
This plan relates to a supporting role in youth outreach programming in the areas of Outdoor Classroom, Kids Cows & more, County Fair, 4-H, curriculum enrichment and other 4-H and youth development activities.
- Owner
- Thomas Dominguez
- Related Plans
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Youth Development
Impact Reports
Youth Development’s majority emphasis is a supporting role to local and district events. Assistance with Quay County Fair in terms of preparation, organization and assistance on a one on one basis. 4-H District contest were held in Artesia during the month of June. This reporting agent served as superintendent to two district contest.
Additional responsibilities include serving on the advisory board to our Outdoor Classroom and Earth Day events. The Outdoor Classroom is a ten acre plot complete with native pasture, walking path, amphitheater, and riparian area. Educational activities for Tucumcari ISD remains the major focus. Students receive basic and advanced instruction in the areas of wildlife management, natural resource conservation, ecosystem enhancement, and agriculture.
This year I had the privilege to be a part of tremendous effort involving a team of Extension personnel, industry partners and New Mexico Beef Council. The NM Beef Industries Initiative educational component developed a plan and program to address the fact that nationally, the average age in the ranching community continues to increase as more young people are opting to leave the ranch for other careers outside of production agriculture. As a result, the fabric of rural economies, as well as our ranching tradition and cultures, stand to be lost. In a rural state like New Mexico, these are significant implications.
In effort to answer the call to this rising concern we developed the New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp, held in June 2011. The Extension education program, which emphasizes conservation stewardship and management practices to improve beef production, incorporates an applied skills learning environment for local and regional beef producers from north central New Mexico, area pueblos and communities, as well as the Navajo Nation. Participants faced a multitude of business-based production, environmental, and economic challenges. NMYRMC is tailored to introduce 15 to 19 year old participants to new science-based concepts, advanced technologies, and applied skills, that are used successfully on commercial beef cattle operations to increase their long-term sustainability. Not only did youth leave this experience with an expanded toolbox of new skills and practices, but also with an appreciation on how their newly acquired skills and practices relate to the cash flow of a ranch in the Southwest.
New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Twenty-nine teens from family-owned New Mexico ranches, an enthusiastic group of instructors from New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service, and the picturesque landscape of the Valles Caldera National Preserve in northern New Mexico created a unique event for the future ranch managers.
“When you capture this much positive energy into a single event, great things happen,” said Manny Encinias, New Mexico State University Extension beef cattle specialist and a member of the camp’s organizing task force.
The youth ranch management program focused on providing hands-on training for future ranch managers and stewards of New Mexico’s natural resources. The program is an expansion of the research and education contractual agreement between NMSU and the Valles Caldera Trust.
Camp participants selected for the program came from ranches in19 New Mexico counties to learn science-based skills used successfully on modern-day ranches to improve beef production, natural resource stewardship, wildlife management and fiscal management.
During the week-long camp, participants were challenged 12 hours a day with a college-level curriculum of hands-on activities and lectures. Each day’s activities contributed information that the youth used to develop a ranch management plan for designated areas of the 89,000-acre Valles Caldera National Preserve.
Information presented by NMSU Cooperative Extension specialists and county agricultural agents included Beef Quality Assurance training; pros and cons of artificial insemination and estrus synchronization; uses of real-time ultrasound technology to determine pregnancy and estimate carcass traits; and range plant identification and range management techniques to determine stocking rates for grazing.
NMSU Extension wildlife specialists and representatives from the New Mexico Game and Fish Department talked about the importance of co-existing with wildlife, how to estimate wildlife populations and how to improve wildlife habitats.
The youth were also exposed to various ways to market cattle. They participated in a traditional sale-barn mock sale conducted on-site. They also learned about forward contracting cattle through video and online sales, as well as marketing beef and beef products directly to the consumer.
Other camp highlights included fabricating a beef carcass into retail cuts for the camp cooks to prepare during the week, and watching a ranch horse training demonstration. The campers also tested their shooting skills at an air rifle mobile recreation unit and an archery range.
To put all of the week long instruction, logical thinking and management skills to good use, the youth were divided into six teams that developed ranch management plans for assigned areas of the preserve, which ranged in size from 4,000 to 5,000 acres. The plans were presented to a panel of judges made up of successful New Mexico ranch managers, and an audience that included dignitaries and parents.
Additional responsibilities include serving on the advisory board to our Outdoor Classroom and Earth Day events. The Outdoor Classroom is a ten acre plot complete with native pasture, walking path, amphitheater, and riparian area. Educational activities for Tucumcari ISD remains the major focus. Students receive basic and advanced instruction in the areas of wildlife management, natural resource conservation, ecosystem enhancement, and agriculture.
This year I had the privilege to be a part of tremendous effort involving a team of Extension personnel, industry partners and New Mexico Beef Council. The NM Beef Industries Initiative educational component developed a plan and program to address the fact that nationally, the average age in the ranching community continues to increase as more young people are opting to leave the ranch for other careers outside of production agriculture. As a result, the fabric of rural economies, as well as our ranching tradition and cultures, stand to be lost. In a rural state like New Mexico, these are significant implications.
In effort to answer the call to this rising concern we developed the New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp, held in June 2011. The Extension education program, which emphasizes conservation stewardship and management practices to improve beef production, incorporates an applied skills learning environment for local and regional beef producers from north central New Mexico, area pueblos and communities, as well as the Navajo Nation. Participants faced a multitude of business-based production, environmental, and economic challenges. NMYRMC is tailored to introduce 15 to 19 year old participants to new science-based concepts, advanced technologies, and applied skills, that are used successfully on commercial beef cattle operations to increase their long-term sustainability. Not only did youth leave this experience with an expanded toolbox of new skills and practices, but also with an appreciation on how their newly acquired skills and practices relate to the cash flow of a ranch in the Southwest.
New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Twenty-nine teens from family-owned New Mexico ranches, an enthusiastic group of instructors from New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service, and the picturesque landscape of the Valles Caldera National Preserve in northern New Mexico created a unique event for the future ranch managers.
“When you capture this much positive energy into a single event, great things happen,” said Manny Encinias, New Mexico State University Extension beef cattle specialist and a member of the camp’s organizing task force.
The youth ranch management program focused on providing hands-on training for future ranch managers and stewards of New Mexico’s natural resources. The program is an expansion of the research and education contractual agreement between NMSU and the Valles Caldera Trust.
Camp participants selected for the program came from ranches in19 New Mexico counties to learn science-based skills used successfully on modern-day ranches to improve beef production, natural resource stewardship, wildlife management and fiscal management.
During the week-long camp, participants were challenged 12 hours a day with a college-level curriculum of hands-on activities and lectures. Each day’s activities contributed information that the youth used to develop a ranch management plan for designated areas of the 89,000-acre Valles Caldera National Preserve.
Information presented by NMSU Cooperative Extension specialists and county agricultural agents included Beef Quality Assurance training; pros and cons of artificial insemination and estrus synchronization; uses of real-time ultrasound technology to determine pregnancy and estimate carcass traits; and range plant identification and range management techniques to determine stocking rates for grazing.
NMSU Extension wildlife specialists and representatives from the New Mexico Game and Fish Department talked about the importance of co-existing with wildlife, how to estimate wildlife populations and how to improve wildlife habitats.
The youth were also exposed to various ways to market cattle. They participated in a traditional sale-barn mock sale conducted on-site. They also learned about forward contracting cattle through video and online sales, as well as marketing beef and beef products directly to the consumer.
Other camp highlights included fabricating a beef carcass into retail cuts for the camp cooks to prepare during the week, and watching a ranch horse training demonstration. The campers also tested their shooting skills at an air rifle mobile recreation unit and an archery range.
To put all of the week long instruction, logical thinking and management skills to good use, the youth were divided into six teams that developed ranch management plans for assigned areas of the preserve, which ranged in size from 4,000 to 5,000 acres. The plans were presented to a panel of judges made up of successful New Mexico ranch managers, and an audience that included dignitaries and parents.
Youth Development (Quay County)
This reporting agent serves a supporting role in most youth development activities in the County. An example of these programs include the Quay County Fair, Catch it Heifer program, 4-H State Horse Show and Rodeo. Youth driven committees that I participate in include the Outdoor Classroom Improvement Committee and Earth Day organization.
This reporting agent serves a supporting role in most youth development activities in the County. An example of these programs include the Quay County Fair, Catch it Heifer program, 4-H State Horse Show and Rodeo. Youth driven committees that I participate in include the Outdoor Classroom Improvement Committee and Earth Day organization.
Youth development programming in Quay County includes several events throughout the 2008-09 year. This plan served in a supporting role to 4-H and youth program in the county. Periodically youth programming expanded into other locally sponsored activities.
Earth Day celebrations were emphasized with two days of event activities serving youth in Middle and Elementary schools respectively. The events hosted twelve stations each highlighting conservation, natural resources, recycling and other environment friendly practices for kids to implement at home. Surrounding schools also attended with a total of over 900 participants and involving over 130 volunteers for the two days.
Other activities included making presentations on requested subject matter for individual classroom curriculum. Topics include "soil properties", "botany", and "ag in the classroom".
Quay County Fair is a time for 4-H and FFA members to exhibit their years work. Supporting roles include volunteer management and development.
Earth Day celebrations were emphasized with two days of event activities serving youth in Middle and Elementary schools respectively. The events hosted twelve stations each highlighting conservation, natural resources, recycling and other environment friendly practices for kids to implement at home. Surrounding schools also attended with a total of over 900 participants and involving over 130 volunteers for the two days.
Other activities included making presentations on requested subject matter for individual classroom curriculum. Topics include "soil properties", "botany", and "ag in the classroom".
Quay County Fair is a time for 4-H and FFA members to exhibit their years work. Supporting roles include volunteer management and development.
Events for the 07-08 year in youth development include, "Catch it Heifer" workshops, 4-H curriculum for 2nd graders, Outdoor Classroom, and other supporting roles in County Fair events.
Tomas Dominguez has signed on to support Youth Development within Quay County.