Issue: New Landowner Education

Work Group Names: Hugh Soape, Larry Pierce, Philip Shackelford, Larry Nickel

Region: South 11 Circle which primary base program it addresses - ANR

Section 1. Relevance

Relevance is included to provide the reason the educational program should be developed to address the identified issue. Within the relevance section, there are several questions that must be addressed. This section will seek to address these.

Where did this issue surface?

Sources where issue surfaced: Method Selected

Texas Community Futures Forum

County Committees

Other: County officials & state legislatures

What is the issue/problem?

A large influx of individuals moving from metropolitan areas into rural counties that are 2 or 3 generations removed from agriculture.

Problem size and scope? (How many people does it affect? How wide spread?)

District wide, state wide especially in counties that border major metropolitan areas

Problem severity? (How serious is this issue?) High

Description: New landowners are in need of educational resources

Target Audience? (Who does the problem impact and how many?)

New landowners, school districts, local ag businesses, taxing authorities, civic and volunteer groups, etc.

What are some general characteristics of the audience this program targets?

Affluent educated, unfamiliar with ag practices, 2-3 generations removed from the land, dreamers, homesteaders, eager to learn, open to advice.

Section 2. Response

Response refers to how Extension intends to address the issue by developing an educational program.

State the goal of the program. .

To educate new landowners

State the outcome objectives.

Client Change	At the end of this program, will....
Knowledge	increase knowledge on.... Land management, common ag practices, services available, tax awareness, leasing, natural resource ed.. Basic equipment, law and order, health and safety
Skills	develop skills.... Long range management plan for land use, plant ID, best management practices, pesticide safety/application
Attitude	change their attitudes pertaining to... Ease of land management “Green acres” mentality, extension services, land management, pre-conceived ideas
Behavior Change	adopt.... New production and management methods
New Technology	adopt.... Networking with neighbors, internet resources
Best Practice	adopt ..... Suitable for their needs

Program Design. In the space below, provide an explanation of the program design. Try to list the topics that could be addressed under this issue. For example, if this was an educational program for new ranch landowners, topics could include: pond management, introduction to beef cattle production, introduction to wildlife management, and general landscaping. Also, try and list resources that could be used to help develop or provide existing curriculum to address the issue.

Topic (Subject Matter)	Existing Resource(s)	Contact Person(s)
Extension interpretation	Ag Communications	Agents
Services	NRCS, FSA, TDWD	NRCS, FSA, TDWD
Taxing entities	School and appraisal diet	school administrator, chief appraiser
Volunteerism	civic org, (Lions, Rotary), master naturalists and gardeners	members and chair person
Farming practices/crop/forage	local farmer	district based specialist, local ag producers, committee members
Alternative Ag	Extension publications, local ag producers	local ag producers
Animal production	extension publications, local ag producers	local producers involved in alternative ag
Health and safety	Co, EMS, Volunteer Fire Dept, TDH	Officials with each group
Water	Publications	GWCD administrators
Wildlife production	TPWD, wildlife Co-ops	Local land owners Wildlife biologist
Law and order	department publications	Game warden, TSCRA, local sheriff

Section 3. Results

The last section deals with evaluation of this program. The evaluation content should mirror the objectives that are outlined in section two. Please try and list some specific questions that should be asked to the target audience to determine if the intended change took place. List as many potential questions as possible. The goal here is to create a question bank for each client change level so that the educator can review these questions to see if any of them are relevant to their program. If they are, then they can use them to measure change in their program. Remember, not all evaluation strategies have to be written questionnaires. They may also be interviews, direct observation, or focus groups. Please describe your method in this section where appropriate.

Client Change Level	Sample Questions (Review the objectives section to help place questions or statements in the space below)
Knowledge
Skills

Attitude
Behavior Change

New Technology
Best Practice

EXAMPLE #1

New Landowner Education Program

Lee County

For each of the topics listed below, in the LEFT column, circle the ONE number that best reflects your knowledge level before the New Landowner Education Program. Then, in the RIGHT column, circle the ONE number that best reflects your level of knowledge after the New Landowner Education Program.

KNOWLEDGE LEVEL

Poor----------Fair ----------No opinion---------- Good ----------Excellent

1 --------------2 --------------------3 --------------------4 ----v----------------5

DATE	TOPICS	BEFORE the Program					AFTER the Program
March 20	Taxing Entities (Appraisal District, School)	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
April 17	USDA Agricultural Service, Wildlife Management, NRCS, FSA, Texas Cooperative Extension, and Texas Parks and Wildlife.	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
May 15	Livestock and Crop Production	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
June 19	Small Town Farm Base Business	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
July 17	Value Added Processing (home grown foods, preservation, and safety)	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
Aug. 21	Water Issues (water wells, water waste systems, LPGCD, and water districts)	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
Sept 18	Health and Safety (medical services, EMS, Fire Dept., DPS	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
Oct 16	Law & Order (stray cattle, dumping, waste Disposal)	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
Nov 20	Volunteerism (civic organizations, clubs, and churches)	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5

Please answer the following questions the best you can.

What agricultural practices did you go home and adopt?

Did this program help you determine new options you can adopt to your land? (Circle the best answer)

YES NO

- Please explain your answer.

Do you feel like you have a better understanding of Texas Cooperative Extension? (Circle the best answer)

YES NO

Will you come back to Texas Cooperative Extension for information in the future? (Circle the best answer)

YES NO

Please provide any additional information in the space below.

Thank you very much for your time!!!

Please let us know if we can help you in the future!!!

Economic Indicators. Are there economic indicators that can be measured concerning this issue?

YES NO

Please list them below.

Interpretation. The last step in the process is interpreting the results to our stakeholders. List internal and external stakeholders that would be interested in the results of this educational program. Do not forget to think about other state agencies and groups that would be interested in these outcomes.

Internal to Extension Stakeholders	External Stakeholders

Additional Resources. What additional resources are needed to address this issue? In other words, what is needed to design innovative programs that will impact our audiences? Use the space below or the back if needed.