Noble Research Institute Llc

THE INSTITUTE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE IS TO RESEARCH, DEMONSTRATE, AND TEACH PRINCIPLES (SEE SCHEDULE O)AND PRACTICES OF REGENERATIVE LAND STEWARDSHIP TO SAVE OUR NATION'S GRAZING LANDS BY PROMOTING LAND STEWARDSHIP THROUGH MANAGEMENT, BUILDING SOIL HEALTH AND KEEPING FARMERS AND RANCHERS ON THE LAND.

GRAZING LANDS RESEARCHTHE INSTITUTE'S GRAZING LAND-FOCUSED RESEARCH ENCOMPASSES DIFFERING ENVIRONMENTS (E.G., SILVOPASTURE, INTRODUCED PASTURE, NATIVE RANGE), PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, AND GEOGRAPHIES, BUT THEY COLLECTIVELY REPRESENT A COMMON APPROACH OF PRACTICAL, GRAZING LAND RESEARCH TO OBSERVE, MEASURE, STUDY, AND ASSESS THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICE RESPONSES TO LAND MANAGEMENT ACCORDINGLY TO THE SIX SOIL HEALTH PRINCIPLES. THIS RESEARCH SEEKS TO APPLY SCIENCE TO VALIDATE REPORTED RESEARCH, OFFER NEW PUBLISHABLE INSIGHTS INTO SOIL HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY, AND ADDRESS U.S. FARMER AND RANCHER CHALLENGES.(SEE SCHEDULE O)THE INSTITUTE CONDUCTS THIS RESEARCH, IN PART, IN CONJUNCTION WITH BOTH LAND GRANT UNIVERSITIES AND NON-LAND GRANT COLLEGES OF AGRICULTURE.A KEY RESEARCH EMPHASIS CONCERNS SOIL HEALTH-FOCUSED MANAGEMENT IN SILVOPASTURE ENVRIONMENTS. RESEARCH MEASUREMENT AND OBSERVATION INCLUDES SOIL HEALTH, OVERALL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES RESPONSE AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY. THE INSTITUTE IS PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON ASSESSMENT IN PECAN ORCHARD ENVIRONMENTS. THIS RESEARCH IS FUNDED THROUGH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SOURCES.THE RESEARCH ENTERED ITS SECOND YEAR OF MONITORING CHANGES IN SOIL HEALTH IN THE PECAN ORCHARDS AT THE INSTITUTE, WHICH ARE UNDER REGENERATIVE MANAGEMENT WITH GRAZING LIVESTOCK USING ADAPTIVE MULTI-PADDOCK GRAZING, USE OF COVER CROPS, AND LIMITED-TO-NO INPUT APPLICATIONS. THE PROJECT ENCOMPASSES PRODUCER ORCHARDS ACROSS OKLAHOMA (TULSA-AREA AND SOUTH CENTRAL) AND TEXAS (NORTH CENTRAL, AUSTIN-AREA AND SOUTH CENTRAL) REPRESENTING DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO IDENTIFY ORCHARD PRACTICES THAT LEAD TO IMPROVED LEVELS OF SOIL HEALTH, ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCY, AND INCREASED ECONOMIC MEASURES PER ACRE. PRIMARY MEASUREMENTS WILL CONCERN THE IMPACT OF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON COMMODITY TREE SYSTEMS AND PRODUCTS TO ACCOUNT FOR (A) SOIL HEALTH, (B) ORCHARD HEALTH, (C) FSMA-ASSOCIATED RECOMMENDED GRAZING RESTRICTIONS, AND (D) NUT NUTRIENT VALUE.ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THIS RESEARCH INVOLVES THE COLLECTION, MEASUREMENT AND QUANTIFICATION OF E. COLI FROM THE ORCHARD FLOOR IN CONJUNCTION WITH OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, A LAND GRANT UNIVERSITY.ANOTHER KEY RESEARCH EMPHASIS ASSESSES THE IMPACT OF GRAZING MANAGEMENT ON SOIL HEALTH AND ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS IN GRAZING LANDS LOCATED IN OKLAHOMA, TEXAS, MICHIGAN, COLORADO, AND WYOMING. FUNDED, IN PART, BY PUBLIC FUNDING ADMINISTERED BY THE FOUNDATION FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE RESEARCH, THE INSTITUTE LEADS A RESEARCH COLLABORATION INVOLVING, AND OPERATING IN CONJUNCTION WITH, THE FOLLOWING LAND GRANT UNIVERSITIES: MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERISTY, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, AND OREGON STATE UNIVESITY. THE RESEARCH IDENTIFIES ECOLOGICAL METRICS, INFLUENCING MANAGEMENT AND RELATED SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS, INCLUDING FARMER AND RANCHER WELL-BEING. THE RESEARCH TEAM IS INTENSIVELY MEASURING WATER AND MINERAL CYCLES, ENERGY FLOW AND COMMUNITY DYNAMICS IN CONTRASTING GRAZING MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES (ADAPTIVE VS PRESCRIPTIVE) IN TWO OF THE INSTITUTE'S RANCHES (NATIVE RANGELAND AND BERMUDAGRASS BASED PASTURE) AND THE OTHER UNIVERSITY HUBS (MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY AND UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING). METRICS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, VEGETATION DIVERSITY, WATER INFILTRATION, SOIL CARBON AND NITROGEN STOCKS, CO2 EXCHANGE, SOIL MICROBES, NUTRIENT CYCLING PROCESSES. THE PROJECT FURTHER INVOLVES SIMILAR DATA COLLECTION AT ABOUT 60 VOLUNTEER FARM AND RANCH SITES CONCENTRATED IN THESE SAME STATES. THESE MEASURES WILL BE MONITORED OVER AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. THE PROJECT CHARACTERIZES DRIVERS AND BARRIERS TO RANCHERS' ADOPTION OF REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE PRINCIPLES. PROJECT RESULTS WILL BE LONG-TERM AND COMPREHENSIVE SOIL HEALTH MONITORING OF DIFFERENT GRAZING MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ACROSS UNIVERSITY AND WORKING LAND SITES WITH PUBLISHED RESULTS. THE INTENT IS TO UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SOIL HEALTH INDICATORS AND GRAZING MANAGEMENT AS WELL AS TO INFORM GRAZING MANAGEMENT DECISIONS WITH SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL OUTCOMES.ANOTHER KEY RESEARCH EMPHASIS INVOLVES THE MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING OF INSTITUTE RANCHES UNDER REGENERATIVE MANAGEMENT AS IT RELATES TO SOIL HEALTH, GRAZING LAND PRODUCTIVITY, AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY. THE PROJECT INCLUDED TAKING BASELINE MEASUREMENTS AT 144 SITES ACROSS SIX RANCHES AND 1,400 ACRES. THE TEAM CONTINUED ITS MONITORING OF SOILS, VEGETATION, WATER, AND WILDLIFE. MEASUREMENTS ARE TAKEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, FROM WATERFOWL MONITORING IN THE WINTER, SMALL MAMMAL SURVEY, SURFACE WATER QUALITY, AND SOIL AND VEGETATION IN THE SPRING; WATER INFILTRATION, EARTHWORMS, AVIAN ACOUSTIC MONITORING, AND TERRESTRIAL MAMMAL SURVEY IN THE SUMMER; AND SURFACE WATER QUALITY, VEGETATION, POLLINATOR SURVEY, AND THE NATIONWIDE SNAPSHOT CAMERA MAMMAL SURVEY IN THE FALL.ONE COMPONENT OF THIS RESEARCH FURTHER INVOLVES THE MEASUREMENT AND QUANTIFICATION OF SOIL BIOLOGICAL POPULATIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH AT LEAST THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, A NON-LAND GRANT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE.PROJECT OUTCOMES WILL BE PUBLISHED AND BROADLY DISSEMINATED.REGARDING THE RESEARCH DESCRIBED ABOVE INVOLVING INSTITUTE RANCHES, THE INSTITUTE OPERATES AND REGENERATIVELY MANAGES SEVEN OKLAHOMA RANCHES TOTALING ALMOST 14,000 ACRES. THE RANCHES PRODUCE CATTLE, GOATS, AND SHEEP AND, ON SOME, NATIVE AND INTRODUCED PECANS. IN ADDITION TO SERVING AS WORKING RANCHES, THESE RANCHES DEMONSTRATE REGENERATIVE MANAGEMENT FOR VISITING FARMERS AND RANCHERS, AND, AS EXTENSIVELY NOTED ABOVE, SERVE AS LIVING LABORATORIES FOR OBSERVATION, MEASUREMENT, RESEARCH, AND STUDY.

EDUCATION, MENTORSHIP, AND LEARNER SUPPORTTHE INSTITUTE DESIGNS, DEVELOPS, AND DELIVERS TOOLS, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES TO OWNERS, MANAGERS, AND STEWARDS OF U.S. GRAZING LANDS TO BUILD KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND CONFIDENCE IN APPLICATION OF REGENERATIVE PRINCIPLES. THE INSTITUTE SEEKS TO IMPACT U.S. GRAZING LANDS ON A NATIONWIDE SCALE.LARGE-SCALE ADOPTION AND REGENERATION OF U.S. GRAZING LANDS THROUGH THE WORK OF INTENTIONAL FARMERS AND RANCHERS YIELDS IMPORTANT ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS TO THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE. THE INSTITUTE EMPHASIZES AND OFFERS DATA THAT ILLUSTRATES THE IMPACTS OF REGENERATIVE LAND MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING: (SEE SCHEDULE O) -IMPROVED SOIL HEALTH AND ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION, -IMPROVED AIR QUALITY, -IMPROVED WATER AVAILABILITY AND QUALITY, -INCREASED BIODIVERSITY (SOIL, PLANT AND ANIMAL), -ENHANCED WILDLIFE AND THEIR HABITATS, AND -SEQUESTRATION AND STORAGE OF ATMOSPHERIC CARBON. BEYOND THESE IMPORTANT ECOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATIONS, A STRONG DOMESTIC RANCHING COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTES DIRECTLY TO AVAILABILITY OF NUTRIENT-DENSE ANIMAL PROTEIN FOR HUMAN NUTRITION AND DOMESTIC FOOD SECURITY, VIABLE RURAL ECONOMIES, AND CONTINUES THE RICH WESTERN HERITAGE OF THIS NATION.THE INSTITUTE'S PRODUCER-CENTRIC EDUCATIONAL PORTFOLIO WILL ADDRESS RANCH OPERATONS AND MANAGEMENT HOLISTICALLY, INCLUDING LAND, LIVESTOCK, BUSINESS AND FINANCE, PEOPLE AND MANAGEMENT, AND COMMUNITY.THIS EDUCATIONAL PORTFOLIO IS IN CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT AND WILL CONTINUE TO GROW TO OFFER PROGRAMMING FOR DIFFERING SKILL LEVELS AND DIFFERING PRACTICE/SKILL DEVELOPMENT.THIS PORTFOLIO WILL GUIDE LEARNERS THROUGH EVERY STEP OF THEIR REGENERATIVE JOURNEY FROM AN INTRODUCTION TO SOIL HEALTH TO IMPROVING ECONOMIC VIABILITY TO HERD DEVELOPMENT AND GRAZING MANAGEMENT TO ADVANCED LAND AND OPERATIONAL STEWARDSHIP. THE INSTITUTE WILL DELIVER LEARNING, MENTORSHIP AND SUPPORT THROUGH DIFFERING MODALITIES, INCUDING IN-PERSON INTERACTION, ONLINE (LIVE AND ASYNCHRONOUS) LEARNING, PEER NETWORKING AND DECISION TOOLS AND RESOURCES. CRITICIALLY, THE PORTFOLIO WILL BE FOUNDED ON SCIENCE AND THE INSTITUTE'S LAND-BASED RESEARCH, WHICH ENSURES THAT SUCH EDUCATIONAL PORTFOLIO REMAINS DYNAMIC, PIONEERING AND SCIENTIFICALLY SOUND. THE INSTITUTE'S EDUCATIONAL PORTFOLIO IS BEING DESIGNED FOR THE ADULT LEARNER AND EMPHASIZES CHANGE MANAGEMENT TO BETTER SERVE THE PRODUCER AND PROACTIVELY ADDRESS THE CHANGE IN MINDSET REQUIRED TO EMBRACE A NEW APPROACH TO LAND MANAGEMENT. THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES WILL FACILITATE LONG-TERM TRANSFORMATION THROUGH PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKING, VIRTUAL SUPPORT, AND COMPLEMENTARY TOOLS FOR KNOWLEDGE APPLICATION AND LEARNING REINFORCEMENT. INITIAL PROGRAMS INCLUDE COURSES SUCH AS LAND ESSENTIALS AND GRAZING ESSENTIALS. A THREE-YEAR CURRICULM DEVELOPMENT PLAN WILL OFFER A FORWARD-LOOKING ROADMAP OF PROGRAMMING DEVELOPMENT FOR FARMER, RANCHER AND LANDOWNER ENGAGEMENT.IN ADDITION, THE INSTITUTE WILL FACILITATE AN INITIAL LEARNING PEER NETWORK TO INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE PRODUCERS THROUGH BUILDING A SUSTAINED LEARNING COMMUNITY. INITIAL IN-PERSON COURSE DELIVERY LOCATIONS INCLUDED MULTIPLE SITES IN BOTH TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA. SITES FOR DELIVERY OF IN-PERSON EDUCATION WILL BE EXPANDED IN 2024 TO FURTHER INCLUDE AT LEAST ONE OR MORE EDUCATIONAL DELIVERY LOCATIONS WITHIN NEBRASKA, KANSAS, MISSOURI, ARKANSAS, NEW MEXICO, AND MONTANA.

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