RANCH MANAGER TRAINING

The Ranch Manager Training project will design a comprehensive, interdisciplinary curriculum to train and certify qualified and employable specialists for 21st-Century farm and ranch management and land stewardship. The project will advance the occupation of “Certified Ranch Manager” as a viable life vocation for young people who are grounded in and committed to rural agricultural community and lifestyle.

In 2005, The Rural Landscape Institute received a three-year matching Conservation Innovation Grant from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to develop a curriculum and implementation process for a university undergraduate degree in Ranch Management.

Dramatic forces of change have driven the need for a new kind of skill-set for successful farm and ranch management. More than ever, even family-scale operations demand technical, legal, business, human relations and communication skills that were not contemplated a generation ago. The 21st-Century ranch manager is an innovative, multi-faceted professional with complex skills beyond crop and livestock production. Further, there is an emerging sector of career opportunities as resident managers for the increasing number of absentee-owned ranches. These positions can be very rewarding for “native” ranch-bred young people.

NEW! The results from our three-year grant are below. (All reports are in PDF format, requiring Adobe Reader in order to view them.)

• Executive Summary (193 KB)

• Existing University Programs in Ranch Management - An assessment of existing programs to train Ranch Managers determined that no program currently exists that adequately meets the needs addressed by this project. (622 KB)

• Assessment of Surveys - Two surveys were designed and distributed to support the goals of the project. The Needs Assessment survey gauged the need for an innovative ranch manager training program, and the Skills Survey determined what set of skills a ranch manager needs in the current economic environment. (73 KB)

• Curriculum - A proposed Curriculum for an innovative Ranch Manager Training program describes a one-year Certificate program and a four-year Bachelor of Science degree program. (606 KB)

• Internship Program - The Internship Program fulfills the requirement of the proposed Bachelor of Science in Ranch Management for hands-on experience. (323 KB)

• Professional Association - The proposed National Assocation of Certified Ranch Managers (NACRM) is a professional organization for managers of agricultural lands. Its primary purpose is to certify ranch managers, as well as promote the industry, provide professional development opportunities, provide educational resources, and assist in job placement. (49 KB) More information coming soon at www.nacrm.org.

• Certification Program - A Certification Program validates the high levels of education, experience, and ethics that a Certified Ranch Manager has achieved in the field of agricultural land management. (2031 KB)

• Professional Development Program - A Professional Development program gives Ranch Managers the opportunity to pursue life-long learning experiences, a necessary component of success in the current economic environment. It is also a requirement for Re-Certification. (74 KB)

• Model for Implementation - This strategy suggests collaboration with key individuals and groups to garner the support to ensure the program is implemented at a land-grant university in the West. It also includes specific suggestions for implementing it at Montana State University. (92 KB)

• Resource Library - A web-based Resource Library provides an annotated list of resources for anyone seeking more information about ranch management (700 KB)

Many thanks to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service for their technical and financial help in completing this project.