BROOKINGS, S.D. — Whether running a legacy business, launching something new or inspiring change in a community, it’s important to have a strong support system.

However, networking can be challenging, particularly in rural areas. In addition to providing training on specific topics and skills, SDSU Extension’s cohort programs help people overcome challenges to build their support network and develop a deep knowledge base.

The newest SDSU Extension cohort program, Emerging Sheep Producers, started in September 2022. The program meets a need in South Dakota’s growing sheep industry, where 50 percent of respondents to a recent survey reported having fewer than 10 years of experience.

“Throughout the United States, we’re seeing a lot of newer producers starting,” said Kelly Froehlich, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Sheep and Goat Specialist. “This program is designed to give them the hands-on experience and knowledge they need to be successful.”

Led by Froelich and Jaelyn Whaley, SDSU Extension Sheep Field Specialist, the first cohort finished in August 2023 with 17 participants. The year-long program combines in-person workshops, presentations, networking and hands-on training in a mix of in-person and virtual settings.

“There’s so much going on in the agricultural industry – you have to know so many different things,” said Froehlich. “Having those connections and being able to reach out to other people when you have an issue or need advice is critical,” Froehlich said the program fosters networking by taking participants to different farms and ranches across the state, where they meet established producers, hear from industry experts and ask questions.

Froehlich and Whaley said sheep are an attractive option for people with smaller acreages because they require less land and feed than larger livestock, like cattle, and are less expensive to start. Open to people over the age of 18 with 10 or fewer years of experience working in sheep production, participants range from those interested in starting to producers looking to further develop established operations.

Trust takes time

Perhaps the most important element of building a support network is trust.

“The trust piece is really important,” said Ken Olson, professor and SDSU Extension Beef Specialist, who helped launch the beefSD cohort in 2010. “Rural people in general tend to be fairly private, so opening up and talking about this kind of stuff except among your closest family and friends is not something you naturally do.”

SDSU Extension Community Vitality Program Manager Kari O’Neill, one of the South Dakota Change Network leaders, agreed. For participants to gain the most benefit, they must be willing to share about themselves and contribute to discussions.

It takes time to build trust, and the cohort system provides that: each SDSU Extension cohort program lasts at least one year. To set the stage early on, O’Neill said the South Dakota Change Network establishes a shared agreement where participants agree to show respect for each other’s questions and answers.

The South Dakota Change Network is a year-long cohort study program designed to teach individuals how to make their communities accessible and welcoming for everyone. It is led by a partnership of SDSU Extension, National Arts Strategies Inc., 3E Productions, CommonSense Consulting@Work, and filmmaker Charles “Boots” Kennedye. Participation is free thanks to funding from the Bush Foundation.

Servant leadership and inclusion are foundational principles for the South Dakota Change Network program, from its workshops to its networking. The content emphasizes helping people build their own leadership skills and confidence, while learning how to be inclusive, how to manage conflict and how to build trust.

“What has been huge is that people bond and get really close to each other in that one-year time span,” O’Neill said.

The program is finalizing the participants for its seventh cohort, which starts in September and averages about 15 participants per group. As more people graduate from the program, it creates pockets of alumni around the state – further enlarging a support network for community leaders.

“It’s really fun to see them gain confidence from each other and work together,” O’Neill said. “As you make bigger changes, it takes that group of people working together in a community.”

Another unique feature of the South Dakota Change Network is its project focus. Participants will have access to a small grant to assist a project they choose, which impacts their organization in positive and significant ways. Previous projects include community murals or youth involvement; Centerville, in the southeastern part of the state, created a welcome program for new employees at the Dakota Plains Dairy plant. A cancer survivor worked with a health care provider to write a book that includes journal pages for current cancer patients.

The types of projects vary, but O’Neill said they’re all working toward a common goal.

“They’re all about making changes in their communities or organizations that allow the world or their surroundings to be more inclusive of other people’s voices,” O’Neill said.

Another benefit of the one- to two-year time span is that it gives participants time to implement what they’re learning while still part of the program. Emerging Sheep Producers and beefSD also provide one-on-one mentoring for producers. In beefSD, Olson said the mentors work with participants early on to establish clear, achievable goals they can work toward during the cohort.

“Once we understand what their goals are, we can help them overcome whatever challenges or hurdles they’re dealing with to help them meet their goals,” he said.

Being part of a group offers a deep level of accountability, said SDSU Extension Community Vitality Field Specialist Peggy Schlechter, one of AgritourismSD’s leaders. People commit to attending, and as they build relationships, they don’t want to miss time together.

“That connectedness keeps people coming. Even if they have too much to do, or it’s inconvenient, they figure out a way to make it work,” she said. “They develop some very close relationships. That’s important because as they grow their enterprise, they’ve always got someone to talk to.”

“Agritourism” links the agricultural lifestyle with tourism to attract visitors to a farm or ranch for the purpose of entertainment and/or education while generating additional income for the farm or ranch. That can include everything from hunting lodges to corn mazes to pick-your-own produce spots to educational classes or work experiences.

A two-year cohort supported by a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant and a partnership with the South Dakota Department of Tourism, AgritourismSD started its second class in May and will continue through 2025. The mix of virtual and in-person sessions, combined with site visits and in-depth case studies, allows the participants plenty of time to ask questions.

Learning Communities

Olson worked with a graduate student from Chile who introduced him to their cohort-based programming. The model fit perfectly with SDSU Extension’s efforts to support learning communities, and Olson witnessed first-hand how effective the Chilean program was in developing long-term, trust-based relationships between Extension specialists and producers.

“A learning community is a group of people with common educational goals or needs, and a cohort-based program is a really nice way to facilitate that,” Olson said. “I came away from that thinking, ‘this is a fantastic way to do Extension.’ ”

He and Stacy Hadrick, SDSU Extension Associate, worked together to launch beefSD in 2010. Class 6 of beefSD started in the fall of 2022 and has 13 participants. Like Emerging Sheep Producers, participants range from beginners looking to get established to legacy ranchers. The program is supported by grants from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and registration fees.

A two-year program, beefSD alternates face-to-face and virtual events every other month to maintain continuity and allow program leaders to develop a hearty curriculum.

One of the unique components of the beefSD program is its out-of-state travel opportunities. Olson and Hadrick want beef producers to have a chance to experience different aspects of beef production, not only cow/calf operations.

“We realized most producers only know the part of the industry they’re working in,” Olson said. By touring different cow/calf operations, feedlot operations and packing plants, Olson said it helps beef cattle operators have a more holistic understanding of the industry and the role they play. It also makes it more immersive and interactive for participants.

Another key component of the beefSD program is its case studies, where participants get a close look at an active cattle operation. Typically held over two days, the first day starts with classroom instruction and then moves to a tour of the operation. The next day, the owner or manager of that operation visits with participants and they have two to three hours to ask questions.

“The neat thing about this pattern is they get to look at things, they get to talk about it at dinner, and by the next morning they’ve thought about it quite a bit and they have lots of questions,” Olson said. “We find case studies who are willing to share all of their knowledge.”

Like the other cohort programs, beefSD surveys previous participants to measure impact. Most operations report improved profitability and growth in their operation. Olson said he can go to any part of South Dakota and connect with a friendly face who has participated in the program, and see how it has impacted their operation.

“It’s really rewarding to do this kind of programming because you know exactly what benefit you’ve provided,” Olson said.

For more information on SDSU Extension’s cohort programs, visit the SDSU Extension website or contact one of our featured experts:

• Emerging Sheep Producers: Kelly Froehlich, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Sheep and Goat Specialist, or Jaelyn Whaley, SDSU Extension Sheep Field Specialist
• South Dakota Change Network: Kari O’Neill, SDSU Extension Community Vitality Program Manager
• AgritourismSD: Peggy Schlechter, SDSU Extension Community Vitality Field Specialist, or Stacy Hadrick, SDSU Extension Associate
• beefSD: Ken Olson, professor and SDSU Extension Beef Specialist, or Stacy Hadrick, SDSU Extension Associate

— SDSU Extension