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The goals of the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College's Organic Agriculture program are to: <OL> <LI> Increase the quantity, productivity and profitability of organic farming in northeast Wisconsin; <LI> Establish Northeast Wisconsin Technical College(NWTC) as a regional resource center in organic farming.</OL> Grant objectives include:<OL> <LI> Developing and implementing a professional development training workshop series in organic agriculture that will be offered annually; <LI> Creating and implementing an eight credit Organic Farming Certificate Program available on campus and via the internet at NWTC. </OL>Performance outcomes include:<OL> <LI> DACUM(Developing A CurriculUM)process completed for professional development training and certificate program;<LI>60 percent of high school agriculture teachers participating in the workshop series will incorporate at least one or more elements of the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agriculture System's Toward a Sustainable Agriculture curriculum into their current lesson plan as measured through a follow-up survey;<LI>40 percent of UW Extension personnel participating in the workshop series will include organic options in their discussion with farmers as measured through follow-up surveys;<LI>30 percent of instructors and/or consultants completing the workshop series will refer peers to the training as measured by a question on the registration form; <LI>50 percent of farmers enrolled in and/or completing the Organic Farming Certificate Program will investigate and/or apply for organic farm certification as measured through follow-up surveys. </OL>The curriculum developed through this project will be available to and shared with any institution or organization interested at no cost. Entities will be able to take the curriculum and adapt it to meet their specific needs. Additionally, the certificate may lay the groundwork for an associate degree program in organic farming at NWTC. The College will be evaluating the success and demand for the certificate in year four. If developed, participants will be able to apply completed credits towards the associate degree.
Non-Technical Summary: The Northeast Wisconsin Technical College's (NWTC) Organic Agriculture Program is designed to improve resources available to professionals and farmers in northeast Wisconsin by offering educational and networking opportunities. The goals of the program are to: 1) Increase the quantity, productivity and profitability of organic farming in northeast Wisconsin; and 2) Establish NWTC as a regional resource center in organic farming. Grant objectives include: 1) Developing and implementing a professional development training workshop series in organic agriculture that will be offered annually; and 2) Creating and implementing an eight credit Organic Farming Certificate Program available on campus and via the internet at NWTC. NWTC's Organic Agriculture Program supports the Integrated Organic Program's sixth funding priority through the creation of a professional development training series targeting UW Extension and other agricultural professionals. Additionally, the proposed certificate program addresses OREI's first legislatively-defined goal of "facilitating the development of organic agriculture production, breeding, and processing methods." An Advisory Panel will oversee the program's implementation. Panel members will include organic farmers and representatives from the Brown County Extension Office; Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; Wisconsin Technical College System; a manure application business; and the Midwest Organic Sustainable Education Service. <P> Approach: NWTC's Organic Agriculture Program will feature an annual professional development workshop training series and an Organic Farming certificate program. To ensure a solid foundation is in place that addresses the needs of organic producers and processors, NWTC will be taking a two-phased approach to establishing the program: 1) Planning/Curriculum Development, and 2) Implementation. Year one of the project will be devoted to the curriculum development for the Organic Agriculture Program, including the workshop series and certificate program. Both components will be developed at an associate degree-level so participants may apply credits toward a certificate and/or degree program. In year two both the Professional Development for the Organic Educator Workshop Series and the Organic Farming Certificate Program will be launched. The Professional Development for the Organic Educator Workshop is a four-part series that will consist of a two-day training covering a variety of topics in organic agriculture. This initial workshop will be a requirement to participate in the three follow-up sessions that will be available both in person and online to accommodate participants' busy schedules. The three one-day workshops will provide more in-depth information on the topic areas covered in the first training. Participants will be expected to participate in at least one of the follow-up workshops. The Organic Farming Certificate Program is intended for farmers considering and/or transitioning to organic farming, but will be open to others interested in the subject matter. This program will be designed to foster and promote information on the techniques and processes necessary to gain organic certification, which can only be granted by recognized organizations like National Organic Producers (NOP). Upon completion, graduates will have the knowledge they need to formally pursue certification. The Project Director will be responsible for collecting data on attendance, registration, and course/workshop evaluations. This data will be summarized bi-annually and shared with the Advisory Panel so the progress of the program can be evaluated based on the performance outcomes identified. If benchmarks are not being met, the Panel, Project Director and Co-Project Director will together determine what adjustments and/or steps need to be taken. Additionally based on the evaluation data, changes may be made to enhance or improve the existing curriculum.