Agronomic Crop and Improved Pasture System Development

Local NRCS/FSA Collaborative efforts. The agent collaborates on a regular basis with the local NRCS and FSA office to keep informed on programming and services offered by those service agency. The NAP assessment, recently removed from the responsibility of the Agent and a local NRCS representative in determining loss number, is a controversial issue in De Baca County. Rain fall and drought conditions are particularly difficult to measure across the county as any rainfall is usually spotty and drought conditions persist beyond one single year of adequate moisture. Not utilizing local agriculture experts such as the Extension Agent and a qualified NRCS individual leaves area producers at a disadvantage when applying for federal assistance. These have been ongoing talks between the agencies and local producers over the course of the past few years. The agent attends regular advisory meetings with the NRCS and FSA to stay informed and continues to collaborate with the benefit of local producers in mind.

2008/2009 Producer Newsletter. The agent produces a newsletter for agriculture producers on a bi-annual basis. The agent wanted to increase to a quarterly publication, but was only able to sustain and increase to a tri-annual publication in 2008/2009. A newsletter was published in fall, 2008; winter, 2009 and Spring 2009. The newsletter targets both livestock and crop producers with pertinent information on production strategies, industry and extension educational programs, research trial information, etc. Sent out 2 mailing of 96 newsletters to county producers. The agent visited with 25% of recipients and was informed about the relative nature of the newsletters as they pertain to production practices, being commended on the information included. The agent utilizes area NMSU research facility specialists as well as NMSU specialist to compile pertinent information distributed.

Local Farm visits--the agent worked with 10 area producers this year to improve crop production practices and problem solve. Several hay and wheat producers sought expertise from the Extension serve in trouble-shooting problem areas in their individual fields. In a couple of scenarios, the producers were applying fertilizer inconsistently. Two other producers were finding problems areas in their alfalfa fields that were receiving inconsistent irrigation. In another situation, a producer was having problems with land leveling and inquiring about the flood basin in the area. Another producers was having problems with pecan production where as another producer inquired about of cash crop fruits that may have some sustainability in the area. NMSU Specialist and research specialist from both the Clovis and Tucumcari research stations were enlisted in the problem solving efforts by the Agent.

In the area of pest management, the agent directed local producers to area workshops that offered the CEU credits they needed to keep their license updated. In addition, the local USDA pesticide applicators curriculum and CEU trainings are not being handled as much by the local Extension Service. The agent will hold local CEU training every 2 years and 2009 was an off year for that training. Several County producers took advantage of the USDA private applicators licensure program and others that needed CEU attended workshops that were within one to two-hours of their residence.
Most local pest questions were related to yard and garden home-owners and the agent worked with Carol Sutherland at NMSU and Curtis Smith, Horticulture Specialist, to assist clientele with their questions concerning yard and garden pest management.

Pesticides are an important piece of the management tools available to row crop producers, but in order to use them they must have a private applicator’s license. One component of keeping that license is to further their education of proper pesticide use and management. This agent hosted a class for those producers that had not received enough credits to renew their license. Twelve producers attended the training meeting and completed their continuing education units and renewed their licenses. Because of their attendance at this class, those who completed their training were better prepared to manage their farming practices and gained knowledge that would improve their business.

Now in its second year this agent has collected rainfall amounts and forage production data for the entire county. This agent was asked in 2008 by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Committee to assist the Natural Resource Conservation Service in developing a better means of assessing the health of Roosevelt County grazing lands. Eight rainfall and forage production sites were set out across the county to measure precipitation and forage yield. This data will be used by the FSA County Committee to assist producers with grazing losses occurred during a given year. This agent feels this opportunity will greatly benefit county clientele by establishing production data that can be measured and compared from year to year and location to location and establish a useful database for future use. Loss of production can then be evaluated by the County Committee to determine if compensation is justifiable for producers.

The undertaking of this rainfall collection program has also allowed for the collaboration with the Water Resource Specialist based in Las Cruces to collect rainfall data for use with the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) system. With that relationship established this agent set up a CoCoRaHs training for Roosevelt County. Tweleve residents of Roosevelt County Data now collect data for the program because of their participation in the training program. Precipitation data from these collection sites is being used by CoCoRaHS system to establish rainfall patterns across the western United States. This data will be used for a variety of purposes by this collection group. Coordinating this project has allowed has opened a line of communication with producers and has allowed this agent to stay current on issues happening around the county.

2009

AGRO-TERRORISM EDUCATION

Sandoval County has many small acreage farms. Most farm operators do not understand how vulnerable their farms are to agro-terrorism or to potential liabilities from the general public.

Agent and Southwest Border Food Safety and Defense Center joined forces to help farmers to be prepared for liabilities.

A workshop was held in Bernalillo, NM (Sandoval County) with 17 farmers attending. Topics covered were agro-terrorism on farms, food safety practices for food processing, good agricultureal practices and farm record keeping. One farmer suggested after workshop that this type of training be mandatory for vendors at farmers markets instead of being an educational program.

WESTERN PLANT DIAGNOSTIC WORKSHOP

Sandoval County farmers, ranchers and Master Gardeners attended a workshop conducted by Natalie Goldberg, NMSU Plant Pathologist.

The Western Plant Diagnostic network is establishing a "First Detector" network to help monitor the introduction of new plant pests or unusual pest outbreaks. First detectors are an integral part of the system and include growers extension crop consultants, pesticide applicators, and Master Gardeners.

As a result of the training, county agent and the plant diagnostic lab received a lot more plant and insect samples for diagnosis. Some new problems showed up as a result and remedial actions were taken.