Northeast Pasture Research and Extension Consortium

Northeast Pasture Research and Extension Consortium

In 1994, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee stated in Senate Report 103-290, page 24, that "The Committee expects the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to develop a Northeast Pasture Research Consortium involving the ARS facility in State College, Pennsylvania, non-profit research institutions, and land grant colleges in the Northeast. This Consortium should promote applied pasture research, link existing resources, and foster continued state/federal and public/private partnerships for research in this area." In response to this directive, follow-up steps were taken to plan and implement what is now known as the "Northeast Pasture Research and Extension Consortium."

Statement of Issues and Justification:

Forage-based livestock systems generate nearly two-thirds of the agricultural income in the states of the Northeastern U.S. Much of the agricultural land in the region is best suited for forage production because of soil, site, and climatic limitations. Sustainability of agriculture in the region depends on keeping forage-based livestock systems competitive and profitable while protecting the environment. Because of the increasing costs relative to income associated with harvested forage-based systems, many livestock producers are using more pasture-based systems as a means of reducing expenses. Yet, the technological base of scientists and resource people to support sustainable forage-based livestock systems has decreased across the region. This necessitates coordination among the remaining researchers and educators, and collaboration with livestock producers to develop and implement the technology that will increase the competitiveness and profitability of pasture-based systems in the region.

The Northeast research and extension directors approved the concept of developing a Northeast Pasture Research and Extension Consortium in July 1995. A Planning Committee was formed of researchers, educators, and livestock producers. Its recommendations regarding the Consortium’s mission, objectives, long-term and short-term goals, membership, leadership structure, and oversight were approved by the directors in February 1996. Nominations for the Consortium membership were solicited from both the private sector (producers and agri-business suppliers) and the public sector (land-grant university research and extension directors, ARS, and NRCS) in July 1996; members were appointed in September 1996; and the Consortium held its first meeting in January 1997. Meetings have been held annually with the seventh meeting in January 2003. Recent attendance has ranged from 60 to 70 persons. At the last meeting, the private-sector members were strongly supportive of continuing the Consortium.

The mission of the Consortium, as adopted by the membership, is to link livestock graziers and federal, state, land grant, and private research and extension groups into partnerships that will identify, develop, coordinate, and promote pasture research and extension leading to economically, socially, and environmentally sound and sustainable grazing-based livestock production systems for the Northeastern U.S.

Objectives:

To develop and evaluate decision-support information and tools that help producers make appropriate plant, animal, and business management decisions.
To develop pasture-based production systems that support economically sustainable livestock production levels and meet environmental expectations.
To upgrade and enhance the recently created website, the NE Grazing Guide (http://www.umaine.edu/grazingguide), in order to disseminate pertinent pasture-based technology to users.
To facilitate, review, and provide support for grant proposals on pasture-based research and extension topics consistent with Consortium priorities.
To work directly with livestock producers to determine and address their concerns and needs involving pasture forage production, livestock nutrition and health, pasture and supplemental feed allocation, as well as pasture facilities, layout, and design.

Expected Outcomes and Impacts:

Decision-support software is developed and released that can model a full range of pasture-based production systems. Available for use by resource people to help producers make appropriate farm management decisions that increase their profitability.
Collaboration with users provides better insight into what pasture-based information is required to improve the rate of adoption and make grazing more profitable for livestock producers. Improves the viability of the livestock industry in the NE.
Grant proposals are based on priorities identified by users. New funds awarded for pasture-based research and education programs. Livestock producers involved in proposals and the conduct of on-farm research and field demonstrations.
Grazing Guide website is kept current and informative. Increased viewership and dissemination of new pasture-based technology to those seeking the information. Results and recommendations are available to users in a more timely manner.
Exchange of ideas and experiences with users is ongoing. Builds trust between the user community and public-sector providers. Assures relevance and accountability of programs supported by the investment of public and private funds.

Educational Plan:

One of the primary objectives of the Consortium is to disseminate new and existing grazing technology to producers and other users. The structure of the Consortium facilitates the linkage of users and providers of this information. Many of the specific priorities identified by the Consortium members in 1998, address the educational needs of producers.

Each of the grant proposals, supported by the Consortium to-date, has contained a strong educational component. It is clear from the discussions with producers over the last seven years that they support the need for continued research, but they want existing research knowledge packaged into usable information for both beginning and experienced graziers.

One of the discussion topics at the recent Consortium meeting was the opportunity to link NE providers of grazing technology in a joint educational effort. This would include Cooperative Extension, NRCS/GLCI, American Farmland Trust, and agri-business suppliers. One of the action items agreed upon was to develop such a grant proposal with major emphasis on education, outreach, demonstration, and applied research.

Governance:

The Consortium is lead by co-chairs, one each from the public and private sectors. In addition, the past co-chairs, the incoming co-chairs, and two members-at-large serve as the Executive Committee. The term of the co-chairs is one year. The incoming co-chairs assume leadership at the end of each annual meeting. The shared leadership between the public and private sectors is important to the success of the partnership. The Executive Committee handles the business of the Consortium between annual meetings and provides the continuity needed from year to year. Members of the Executive Committee are elected by the membership.

Selected Accomplishments:

The following accomplishments of the Northeast Pasture Research and Extension Consortium provide the framework for continued progress and success:

The initial major Consortium action was to sponsor a grazing workshop designed to answer two questions: "What do we know?" and "What do we not know?" This workshop, "Grazing in the Northeast: Assessing Current Technologies, Research Directions, and Education Needs," was held in March 1998. Over 110 people (livestock producers, scientists, educators, agri-business suppliers) attended from throughout the NE. A publication distributed at the workshop contained the presented papers that responded to these two questions (Krueger and Pionke, 1998a). Immediately following the workshop, the speakers and co-authors met with Consortium members and guests in a special session to answer a third question, "Of what we do not know, what do we need to know?" The participants identified 22 needs. They then selected six short-term priorities (4 research and 2 extension) and two long-term priorities. Leaders and collaborators were identified for each of the eight priorities. A supplemental publication was prepared summarizing the selected needs and the initial implementation plans for the short-term and long-term priorities (Krueger and Pionke, 1998b). These needs have been the basis of competitive grant proposals submitted to the NE Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, the Fund for Rural America, and the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems. The Consortium also requested that a website on grazing research and education be developed to address the need for timely and effective dissemination of grazing technology to resource persons and producers in the NE. This effort was initiated by Tim Griffin at the University of Maine with grant support from ARS and in-kind support from the Maine Cooperative Extension. The URL for the NE Grazing Guide is http://www.umaine.edu/grazingguide.

Literature Cited:

Krueger, C. R., and H. B. Pionke, eds. 1998a. Grazing in the Northeast: Assessing Current Technologies, Research Directions, and Education Needs, NRAES-113. Ithaca, NY: Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service. 218 p.

Krueger, C. R., and H. B. Pionke, eds. 1998b. Priority Pasture Research and Education Needs: A Supplement to the Proceedings from "Grazing in the Northeast: Assessing Current Technologies, Research Directions, and Education Needs," NRAES-113S. Ithaca, NY: Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service. 12 p.

Members (52):

28 producers (dairy, beef, sheep, goat, and horse enterprises; 12 NE states)

12 land-grant universities (research and extension; NE states and OH)

6 USDA/ARS (MD, OH, PA, WI, and WV)

2 USDA/NRCS (GLCI and GLTI)

2 agri-business suppliers

2 NGOs

Collaborators and Other Interested Persons (91):

38 land-grant universities (research and extension; NE states, NC, and OH)

23 USDA/NRCS/GLCI (NE states and OH)

12 USDA/ARS (ME, OH, PA, WI, and WV)

8 producers (NE states, OH, and VA)

5 NGOs

3 agri-business suppliers

1 non land-grant university

1 USDA/NESARE

Administrators (9):

5 USDA/ARS

2 land-grant universities (research and extension)

1 USDA/NRCS

1 USDA/CSREES

For more information contact Chuck Krueger nepastureconsortium@adelphia.net

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