This project was funded by a Capacity Support Grant from the MWCC Watershed Fund.
Project Description
The Winnett ACES Soil Health Initiative utilized the Education and Outreach Coordinator’s knowledge and skill set in soil health and added a technical assistance component to the Education and Outreach program already offered by ACES. The program expanded the Education and Outreach Coordinator’s role to include technical assistance for ranchers in Central Montana, working with them on their individual soil health plans and in a long-term consultation format that cannot be provided by a single workshop.
This initiative has grown into the Winnett ACES Soil Health Program and the E&O Coordinator is now the full-time Land Health Specialist – focusing on individual consulting as well as educational programming around soil health and land conservation for ACES members and producers in central Montana.
Adding capacity to the coordinator position allowed for more time spent with ranchers on the land, gathering information, and assisting with questions or issues landowners might have around soil health. The effectiveness of one-on-one consultations with follow-up technical support far outweighs a one-time workshop. While the workshop may spark curiosity (and is still very valuable), it is the follow-up assistance and materials that make action happen. While providing this technical assistance and through conversations with landowners, the coordinator was also able to identify what educational, monitoring, and resource gaps may be hindering soil health improvement as well as other conservation practices and inform future offerings from Winnett ACES.
Project Outcomes and Impacts
The Soil Health Initiative accomplished the following with Watershed Fund Capacity Support funding:
- Reached six ranching operations (10 people) through individual consultations
- Launched the Pasture Walk series, held once a month through the summer. This series will be back by popular demand for the foreseeable future. More than 30 people attended these opportunities to get in the field and discuss with their neighbors what they are seeing (and hearing). Each operation participating in the program received a private consultation that included a tour of the ranch and discussion of operation goals, soil and plant sampling (landowners paid for soil samples), interpretation of sample results, a personalized soil health report and plan, and follow-up support on recommendations.
- Engaged 36 community partners