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.

Livestock Disease/Agriculture & Food Safety Biosecurity (Quay County)

Plan Goal

Increase knowledge of Quay County producers in the areas of agriculture bio-security, and animal disease prevention and control.

Situation Statement

New Mexico Agriculture accounts for over 70% of cash receipts in the state. Quay county surveys and Agricultural census state that 72% of business receipts are derived from agriculture industry. With over 55,000 hd of cattle and over 100,000 acres of cultivated land, agriculture remains to be the top revenue generator for Quay County. Additionally, other agricultural crops include alfalfa acres or 3,000ac, 2,500ac of sorghum, and 80,000ac of dryland wheat.
Producers should be able to stay informed about upcoming and emerging issues in order to modify their respective operations. Each operation should have in place an emergency management plan to be prepared to respond to natural or man made disasters.
Educational programs such as NM Cattle Growers’Joint Stockmans Convention, Southwest Beef Symposium, Cattlemen’s College, Ranch to Rail, Beef Quality Assurance, and Tucumcari Ag. & Home Ec. day have been utilized as avenues to better equip livestock producers with management and marketing tools. These events can also be used to educate producers, government officials and industry partners to disease situations, prevention, control and bio-security in New Mexico. Contact can be done through mass media outlets to provide producers with information on livestock disease issues. Taking active part with local Emergency Management and the Southwest Border Food Safety and Defense Center exercises will better prepare this office to serve as a “first responder” capacity in the case of an agroterrorism/Natural Disaster threat.

Target Audience and Actions

Audience will be producers in Quay County and surrounding area. Partnerships will be established with NM Beef Council, NM Livestock Board, Southwest Border Food Safety and Defense Center, NM Department of Agriculture,NM Cattle Growers, Local city and state officials as well as other commodity specific organizations. This reporting agent will also attend professional development sessions with pertinent subject matter criteria. Methods of reaching said audience will be through workshops, town hall meetings, mass media, functional exercises, newsletters, and one on one contact.

Short-Term Objectives

Increase producer's level of knowledge gained by 10% on those topics directly affecting their respective operation. Develop programs that address upcoming and emerging issues within the region and state. Create an awareness of Farm & Ranch bio-security through proper planning and needs assessment. Develop partnerships and networking with local and state Emergency Preparedness Agency, FEMA, and SW Border Food Safety and Defense Center.

Medium-Term Objectives

Development of 10 or more individuals in their respective professional organizations to take first hand working knowledge on addressing those issues important to the viability of Eastern New Mexico Agriculture. Increase awareness of 30% of the agricultural population in Quay County. In addition, assist producers develop an emergency management plan for their respective business.

Long-Term Objectives

Provide annual educational events, workshops, and basic information on emerging and ongoing issues that affect agriculture. Provide for 80% of farms and ranches the ability, knowledge and resources to develop an agriculture bio-security plan for their operations. Have on hand inventory and identify areas susceptible to agro-terrorism.

Evaluation Plan

Evaluations at workshops will consist of retrospective post, where individual participants can rate themselves before and after program participation for knowledge gained on topics presented. Surveys and contact of participating farm and ranches with will be documented.
Participation in functional exercise as well as cooperation and coordination with local emergency management personnel will provide consistent self evaluation of Agriculture Emergency Management plan. Additionally, customer satisfaction of local and area programming for upcoming animal disease issues and outbreaks will be on a case by case basis.