Reaching New Audiences:
Implementing the Nevada
Herds & Harvest Program
Program Overview
Staci Emm
Carol Bishop
Pamela Powell
Holly Gatske
Jay Davison
Steve Lewis
Steve Foster
Loretta Singletary
Standard Beginning Farmer and
Rancher Development Project
Funded by the National Institute of Food
and Agriculture (NIFA)
 Began August 1, 2012.
 Long term goal…

◦ Create and enhance the sustainability of
Nevada’s Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
(BFR’s) through education, mentoring, and
outreach to own, operate and sustain an
agricultural operation.
The BFR Project






Production basics
Entrepreneurship
Business and financial training
Environmental compliance
Diversification and marketing strategies
Mentoring and Outreach
The BFR Project

The project specifically targets…
◦
◦
◦
◦
Hispanic
American Indian
Women
Individuals that qualify as socially
disadvantaged and limited resource
Creating a New Program

How do you create a program with
sustainability

UNCE was reinventing itself at the same
time due to a 70% budget reduction.

Several planning meetings discussed
marketing and branding UNCE agriculture
programs.
Going Back to Basics – Creating
Program Sustainability

Current agriculture social and economic
environments in Nevada were
reexamined.

Marketing and public relations efforts
were placed on building long-term
relationships

Needed to build a dynamic participant
base for UNCE agriculture programs.
Steering Committee

Active farmers and ranchers

University faculty

USDA agencies

Local farming organizations
Hot Topics

The Steering Committee selects three
distinct agriculture “Hot Topics” for the
year

Specialized business plans, marketing
concepts, environmental compliance
guidelines and other related materials
evolve around the “Hot Topics”
Distance Education

UNCE provides distance education
throughout the state via an Interactive
Television Video (ITV) system

The ITV enables producers to attend
Herds & Harvest educational workshops
throughout Nevada.
Marketing Management

“Hot topics”
◦ Planning, implementation and analysis

Understanding producer needs

Developing educational materials to meet
personal values of producers

Building a recognizable brand for UNCE
agriculture programs.
The Name – Change It!

Focus group sessions revealed that the
name Beginning Farmer and Rancher
Project did not adequately capture
program goals, nor did the name
sufficiently elicit participation from
existing farmers and ranchers.

A New Name was created.
New Name

Brainstorming session created…
◦ “Herd & Harvest”

A logo was created along with a display

Every program brochure is designed by a
graphic design artist.
Herds & Harvest
Herds
&
Harvest
Herds
&
Harvest
Herds & Harvest
Marketing Management

UNCE, Mineral County took responsibility
for program marketing and distribution

All marketing concepts were applied to all
segments of the program

Program development staff was hired to
assist in marketing management
Program Kick-off

2012 Cattlemen’s Update
◦ Reached 475 producers around the state

Created Herds & Harvest mailing list
Utilizing Enterprise
Budgets for Producer
Mentoring

Introduced in collaboration with topic

Instruction in basic components

Followed by hands-on example
Methods
Is it worth it?
The Importance of Enterprise Budgets
Carol Bishop, M.S.
Extension Educator
Northeast Clark County
Can you break even?
What’s your number?
Net revenue = gross revenue – operating
or variable costs – fixed costs
Per Square Foot / Per Acre
+
=
Enterprise
Budgets
Use this information to estimate
outcomes from future activities
 Not recordkeeping
 Guesstimation

Purpose

Help with decision making
◦
◦
◦
◦

Crop choice
Extent
Equipment purchase or custom work
Labor
Added benefits
AGRONOMICS DETERMINES
ECONOMICS
Where do I start?

What equipment do I need?
◦ Investment Summary

Is this a perennial crop?
◦ Establishment Costs

What are my revenues & expenses?
◦ Costs & Returns

What if I need a loan?
◦ Monthly Cash Flow
Example

Assumption
◦
◦
◦
◦
Hoop house
Part of 5 acre operation
Travel in summer months to market
Sell on-farm and locally in winter
Investment Summary

What will I need to conduct this
operation?
Lists all tools & equipment needed
 Cost at time of purchase
 How long it will last

Investment Summary for Hoophouse Production
Annual Equipment Costs
Description
Purchase
Price
% Use
Purchase
Price
Annual
Useful Life
Capital
Annual Annual Annual
(Yrs)
Salvage Value Recovery Insurance Taxes Repairs
Annual Fuel
& Lube
Buildings, Improvements, and Equipment
Land
$ 37,500.00
Land preparation
$
150.00
$
-
$
17.50
$
$ 13.13
$
-
497.50
5.00
$
-
$
99.50
$
-
$
$
-
Hoophouse
$ 1,289.38
100% $ 1,289.38
5.00
$
-
$ 257.88
$
-
$ 6.45
$ 12.89
Ground Cover
$
209.15
100% $
209.15
5.00
$
-
$
41.83
$
-
$
-
$
-
Trellising
$
210.00
100% $
210.00
10.00
$
21.00
$
18.90
$
-
$
-
$
-
Row Cover and Pins
$
113.44
100% $
113.44
5.00
$
-
$
22.69
$
-
$
-
$
-
Shade Cloth
$
315.28
100% $
315.28
5.00
$
-
$
63.06
$
-
$
-
$
-
Implements
$
750.00
100% $
750.00
10.00
$
75.00
$
67.50
$
-
$ 4.13
$
Drip Irrigation System
$ 1,303.74
100% $ 1,303.74
5.00
$
-
$ 260.75
$
-
$
-
$ 13.04
Water Tank
$
100% $
10.00
$
28.50
$
25.65
$
-
$
-
$
Sub Total
$ 42,473.49
$ 7,598.49
$
124.50
$ 875.25
$
8.74
$ 23.70
$ 37.32
Cooler Trailer
$ 6,996.70
50% $ 3,498.35
15.00
$
349.84
$ 209.90
$
12.81
$ 19.24
$ 38.48
$
-
1/2 Ton Pickup
$ 30,000.00
15% $ 4,500.00
8.00
$
450.00
$ 506.25
$
16.48
$ 24.75
$ 49.50
$
198.00
Sub Total
$ 36,996.70
$ 7,998.35
NA
$
799.84
$ 716.15
$
29.30
$ 43.99
$ 87.98
$
198.00
Total
$ 79,470.19
$ 15,596.84
$
924.34
$ 1,591.40
$
38.04
$ 67.69
$ 125.30
$
198.00
497.50
285.00
7% $ 2,625.00
100% $
285.00
8.74
-
8.25
3.14
Machinery and Vehicles
Establishment Costs

What will I need to do the first year of
planting the crop?
First year of perennial
 Higher costs / less returns
 ‘Bottom line’ capitalized over life of crop

Operating Establishment Costs
Total Units
OPERATING COSTS
Rodent Control
Insecticide
Herbicide
Fertilizer
Irrigation
Alfalfa Seed
Roundup
Accounting & Legal
Fuel & Lube
Maintenance
Utilities
Miscellaneous
Interest Operating Capital
$
Unit
50.00
Acre
50.00
Acre
50.00
Acre
50.00
Acre
50.00
Acre
50.00 Lbs/Acre
2.00 Quarts/Acre
1.00 Annual
1.25 Annual
1.00 Annual
1.00 Annual
50.00
Acre
37,136.18
$
Price/Cost
Per Unit
Total
Cost/Value
$
1.50 $
$
$
$
55.00 $
$
52.00 $
$
130.00 $
$
2.60 $
$
14.50 $
$
250.00 $
$ 9,214.88 $
$ 10,926.62 $
$ 3,600.00 $
$
5.00 $
$
0.065 $
75.00
2,750.00
2,600.00
6,500.00
6,500.00
1,450.00
250.00
11,518.60
10,926.62
3,600.00
250.00
1,206.93
Total
Cost/Value
Per Acre
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
1.50
55.00
52.00
130.00
130.00
29.00
5.00
230.37
218.53
72.00
5.00
24.14
47,627.15 $
952.54
Your
Farm
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
TOTAL OPERATING COSTS
$
OWNERSHIP COSTS
CASH OVERHEAD COSTS
Liability Insurance
Office & Travel
Annual Investment Insurance
Annual Investment Taxes
$
$
$
$
500.00
250.00
1,111.74
110.00
$
$
$
$
10.00
5.00
22.23
2.20
TOTAL CASH OVERHEAD COSTS
$
1,971.74 $
39.43
NONCASH OVERHEAD COSTS (Capital Recovery)
Buildings, Improvements, & Equipment
Machinery & Vehicles
$
$
2,434.80 $
10,966.77 $
48.70 ________
219.34 ________
TOTAL NONCASH OVERHEAD COSTS
$
13,401.57 $
268.03
TOTAL OWNERSHIP COSTS
$
15,373.31 $
307.47
TOTAL COSTS
$
63,000.45 $ 1,260.01
YEAR ONE INCOME
Alfalfa Hay
TOTAL GROSS INCOME
TOTAL ESTABLISHMENT INVESTMENT
3.50
Tons
$
144.00 $
$
25,200.00 $
25,200.00 $
504.00
504.00
$
37,800.45 $
756.01
________
________
________
________
Costs & Returns
How much can I expect in returns?
 What costs do I have?

Gives the ‘bottom line’
 Bottom line will change with scale of
operation

Southern Nevada Hoophouse Production Costs and Returns, 710 sq ft., 2010
Sq.
Ft Total Units
Unit
GROSS INCOME
Tomatoes
354
913.32
lb
Golden Summer Squash 356
1281.60
lb
Squash Blossoms
356
4272.00 blossom
Baby Greens
354
233.64
lb
Mustard
89
53.40
lb
Kale
89
86.33
lb
Spinach
178
142.40
lb
TOTAL GROSS INCOME
OPERATING COSTS
Seed
8.00
Pkg
Starter Plants
30.00 6 pack
Insecticide
1.00
Quart
Fertilizer
1.00
Quart
Irrigation
1.00 Annual
Operator Labor
320.00 Hourly
Accounting & Legal
1.00 Annual
Fuel & Lube
1.00 Annual
Maintenance
1.00 Annual
Packaging
2000.00 Clamshells
Packaging
300.00 Wax Boxes
Advertising/Signs
2.00
Units
Transportation
12.00
Trip
Miscellaneous
710
Sq Ft
Operating Capital Interest
$ 4,982.00
$
TOTAL OPERATING COSTS
INCOME ABOVE OPERATING COSTS
OWNERSHIP COSTS
CASH OVERHEAD COSTS
Liability Insurance
Office & Travel
Annual Investment Insurance
Annual Investment Taxes
TOTAL CASH OVERHEAD COSTS
NONCASH OVERHEAD COSTS (Capital Recovery)
Buildings, Improvements, & Equipment
Machinery & Vehicles
TOTAL NONCASH OVERHEAD COSTS
TOTAL OWNERSHIP COSTS
TOTAL COSTS
NET PROJECTED RETURNS
Total
Cost/Value
Price/Cost
Total
Per Square
Per Unit Cost/Value
Foot
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
2.50
2.00
0.50
3.50
4.00
3.00
3.00
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
14.50
1.50
25.00
13.00
16.20
13.00
50.00
198.00
125.30
0.16
1.00
90.00
70.00
0.20
0.065
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
2,283.30
2,563.20
2,136.00
817.74
213.60
258.99
427.20
8,700.03
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
6.45
7.20
6.00
2.31
2.40
2.91
2.40
12.25
$ 116.00 $
$
45.00 $
$
25.00 $
$
13.00 $
$
16.20 $
$ 4,160.00 $
$
50.00 $
$ 198.00 $
$ 125.30 $
$ 320.00 $
$ 300.00 $
$ 180.00 $
$ 840.00 $
$ 142.00 $
$ 161.91 $
$ 6,692.41 $
$ 2,007.62 $
0.16
0.06
0.04
0.02
0.02
5.86
0.07
0.28
0.18
0.45
0.42
0.25
1.18
0.20
0.23
9.43
2.83
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
0.07
0.35
0.05
0.10
0.57
$ 875.25 $
$ 716.15 $
$ 1,591.40 $
$ 1,997.13 $
$ 8,689.54 $
$
10.49 $
4.38
3.58
2.24
2.81
12.24
0.01
50.00
250.00
38.04
67.69
405.73
Monthly Cash Flow
Shows income and expenditures by month
 Just for operation costs
 Useful for knowing when operating loans
will be needed and when they can be paid
back
 Usually required to obtain loan

Description
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
Septem ber October
Novem ber Decem ber
Total
Production:
Tomatoes
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
$ 456.66
$ 913.32
$
913.32
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
2,283.30
Golden Summer Squash $
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$ 128.16
-
$ 897.12
$ 897.12
$
640.80
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
2,563.20
Squash Blossoms
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$ 106.80
$ 747.60
$ 747.60
$
534.00
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
2,136.00
Baby Greens
$
-
$
245.32
Mustard
$
-
$
Kale
$
-
Spinach
$
-
Total Income
$
Seed
$ 327.10
$ 327.10
$
81.77
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
817.74
71.20
$
71.20
$
71.20
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
213.60
$
32.37
$
64.75
$
97.12
$
64.75
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
258.99
$
53.40
$ 106.80
$ 160.20
$ 106.80
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
427.20
-
$
402.30
$ 569.84
$ 655.62
$ 253.32
$ 234.96
-
$
-
$
8,700.03
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
$
-
Starter Plants
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
$ 45.00 $
Insecticide
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
25.00
$
-
Fertilizer
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
Irrigation
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
$
Operator Labor
$ 117.00
$
143.00
Accounting & Legal
$
4.17
$
Fuel & Lube
$
10.42
Maintenance
$
6.59
Packaging
$
-
$
Packaging
$
-
Advertising
$
$ 2,101.38
$ 2,558.04
$ 2,088.12
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$ 116.00
$
-
$
116.00
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
45.00
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
25.00
13.00
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
13.00
2.03
$
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
16.20
$ 416.00
$
26.00
$
52.00
$
4,160.00
Operating Inputs:
Transportation to Market $
-
6.08
2.03
$
2.03
$
2.03
$
2.03
$ 143.00
$ 169.00
$ 494.00
$ 234.00
$ 702.00
$ 936.00
$
728.00
4.17
$
4.17
$
4.17
$
4.17
$
4.17
$
4.17
$
4.17
$
4.17
$
4.17
$
4.17
$
4.17
$
50.00
$
10.42
$
20.84
$
20.84
$
20.84
$
20.84
$
20.84
$
20.84
$
20.84
$
10.42
$
10.42
$
10.42
$
198.00
$
6.59
$
13.19
$
13.19
$
13.19
$
13.19
$
13.19
$
13.19
$
13.19
$
6.59
$
6.59
$
6.59
$
125.30
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
320.00
$
320.00
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
300.00
$
300.00
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
90.00
$
-
$
90.00
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
180.00
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$ 168.00
$ 336.00
$
336.00
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
840.00
Miscellaneous
$
11.83
$
11.83
$
11.83
$
11.83
$
11.83
$
11.83
$
11.83
$
11.83
$
11.83
$
11.83
$
11.83
$
11.83
$
142.00
Interest OC
$
13.49
$
13.49
$
13.49
$
13.49
$
13.49
$
13.49
$
13.49
$
13.49
$
13.49
$
13.49
$
13.49
$
13.49
$
161.91
Total Operating Costs
$ 163.51
$
189.51
$ 206.52
$ 263.60
$ 617.55
$ 935.55
$ 1,427.55
$ 1,129.55
$ 462.51
$ 188.51
$
718.51
$
6,692.41
Net Returns
$ (163.51) $
212.79
$ 363.32
$ 392.02
$ (364.23) $ (154.59) $ 1,165.83
$ 1,130.49
$
$ (462.51) $ (188.51) $
(718.51)
$
2,007.62
$ 389.55
958.57
Now the fun begins!
Interactive portion of presentation





Open excel spreadsheet
Start with changes to investment
summary
Change price, amount of use, time
Follow with changes to variable costs and
returns
Created interest for further work
Operators Labor
4.0 Monthly
Adult Family Labor
4.0 Hourly
Family Labor
160.0 Hourly
Accounting & Legal
0.2 Annual
Fuel & Lube
1.0 Annual
Maintenance
1.0 Annual
Packaging
300.0 Boxes
Advertising/Signs
0.2 Annual
Miscellaneous
5500.0
Sq Ft
TOTAL OPERATING COSTS
INCOME ABOVE OPERATING COSTS
OWNERSHIP COSTS
CASH OVERHEAD COSTS
Liability Insurance
Office & Travel
Annual Investment Insurance
Annual Investment Taxes
TOTAL CASH OVERHEAD COSTS
NONCASH OVERHEAD COSTS (Capital Recovery)
Buildings, Improvements, & Equipment
Machinery & Vehicles
TOTAL NONCASH OVERHEAD COSTS
TOTAL OWNERSHIP COSTS
TOTAL COSTS
NET PROJECTED RETURNS
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
2,000.00
750.00
5.00
250.00
460.90
68.78
1.00
350.00
0.05
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
8,000.00
3,000.00
800.00
50.00
460.90
68.78
300.00
70.00
275.00
14,165.68
272.32
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
1.45
0.55
0.15
0.01
0.08
0.01
0.05
0.01
0.05
2.58
0.05
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
$
$
$
$
$
43.39
250.00
43.39
76.39
413.16
$
$
$
$
$
0.01
0.05
0.01
0.01
0.08
________
________
________
________
$
$
$
$
$
$
141.90
525.60
667.50
1,080.66
15,246.34
(808.34)
$
$
$
$
$
$
0.71 ________
2.63 ________
0.12
0.20
2.77
(0.15)
One-on-one mentoring

Held at farm or office of producer
◦ Record access
◦ Familiarity
One enterprise used as template for all
 Amount of time involved varied
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Results
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28 individualized budgets completed first
year
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Small farm fall CSA
Pasture goats
Field tomatoes
Meat harvesting operation
Benefits to Producer

Process itself offers benefits
◦ Strengths and weaknesses
Establishes break-even point
 Reminds producer of ‘hidden’ costs
 Provides producer with tool for financing
opportunities

Benefits to Extension Educator

Builds relationships and trust
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Created referrals
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Current trends and pricing
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Establishes base budgets for future use
Questions?
Thank You For Coming!
Reaching New Audiences:
Implementing the Nevada
Herds & Harvest Program
Evaluation
Pamela Powell
Staci Emm
Loretta Singletary
Carol Bishop
Holly Gatske
Jay Davison
Steve Lewis
Steve Foster
University of Nevada, Reno
Why This Project?
◦ The livestock, forage and specialty crop
industry in Nevada comprises an essential
component of economic stability.
◦ 95.63% of all land in Nevada is devoted to
farming and ranching practices.
◦ Nevada has seen an increase in small specialty
crop operations.
◦ Education, outreach and mentoring programs
that focus on beginning farmers and ranchers
is lacking.
Project Goals: Herds & Harvest
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Increase communication, agricultural
entrepreneurship, business and financial
management skills
Increase capacity to manage water resources
effectively
Increase agricultural management knowledge
and skills to implement sustainable agricultural
management practices
Increase skills to develop a marketing strategy
that ensures the competitiveness of their
agricultural operation
Provide ongoing mentorship following
workshops
Discuss our success in
collecting data from
Herds & Harvest
participants
Objective for Today
Limited data exists on evaluating
educational programs for ranchers and
farmers
Why?
Reasons for lack of
participation in Surveys
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Hesitation to share information with
government – Lack of trust
Don’t understand importance/use of evaluation
Limited time – busy schedule
You want me to change “always did it this way”
– way of life / quality of life
Bottom line is the balance sheet
We never asked – measured growth not people
Whole picture approach – change in practice
changing cost of production
Educators resist evaluation
Community based
participatory research
A Model from the Health Care Profession
It is:
1. cooperative, engaging community members and
researchers in a joint process in which both
contribute equally
2. a co-learning process
3. systems development and local community
capacity building
4. an empowering process through which
participants can increase control over their lives
5. a balance between research and action
Our Research
Research - Introduction

Farmers/ranchers informed of UNCE research
at beginning of first day of training

Trainers engaged in research
◦ Provided Information Sheet
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Purpose of research
Methods used
How data collected
Participation was voluntary and confidential
◦ Questionnaire (Adult and Youth)
 Demographics
 Baseline data / skill level / success means.........

Participation was not required to be a part of
Herds & Harvest workshops
Research - Method
Phase One
 Instrument designed to measure:
◦ Knowledge gain
◦ Attitude change
◦ Behavior change???
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Retrospective pre-post survey design
21 topics, 5-point Likert-type scale, with
demographics
1 page
Included an envelope to put completed (noncompleted) survey in
Surveys were administered at conclusion of
training (5 workshops)
Research - FINDINGS

5 workshops (32 statewide classes - ITV)
◦ Field Crops: Old and New (2)
◦ Processing and Selling Locally Grown Meat (2)
◦ So You Want to Be a Produce Farmer
212 total participants
50% overall completion rate
Of the 105 likert-type scale questions, 96
were statically significant to <.05 when
comparing pre to post mean scores
 Cronbach’s Alpha reliability scores:
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◦ .924, .923, .957, .950, .964
Research - FINDINGS
W1: How to decide if Tef is a potential alternative crop
W2: What production practices are required to sell meat
to Whole Foods Market
 W3: How to use plants and farming practices for insect
control
 W4: The potential income and costs associated with hog
production
 W5: How to decide if cellulosic biomass is a potential
alternative crop
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Comments:
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Knowledge given was excellent
One on one answers to my questions
Ability to visit with other conference attendees/networking
Field trips/tours
Enterprise Budgets
Research - Findings
◦ Over 65% of the participants reported they
would make changes or take actions in their
agricultural practices based upon workshop
education.
◦ Grass/alfalfa yield doubled due to education about
◦
fertilization
CSA business doubled after attending the Processing
and Selling locally grown meat working and networking
with Whole Foods Management
Results
results
Researchers/educators, producers and
businesses continue to collaborate and
design new programs
 Enterprise Budgets
 Producers are learning from each other
 Sharing of information
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◦ Presentations
◦ Publications
results
Phase Two:
Interviews with Attendees
Phase Three:
Final Survey
Implications
Implications
 The
use of CBPR to help build
relationships thereby increasing the
participation in collecting evaluation data
 Having an impact in changing production
practices and marketing strategies
 Development of mentoring relationships
 Willingness to investigate specialty crops
Further Research
Further Research
Optimal strategies for educating nonfarming community – “helping urban
residents better understand where their
food comes from”
 Partnerships between ag and non-ag
entities

2010 Community Assessment (NRDC and UNCE)
Questions?
Thank you!