Technology Transfer and Outreach

Technology transfer workshops provide participants with initial training and “hands on” use of tools and, more importantly, builds networks and connections between scientific research, technology development and stakeholders interested in environmentally and economically sustainable agriculture. To demonstrate the utility of AGS decision support tools, a series of workshops are held in each of the study sites to give an overview of the decision support system and its uses in assessing and contrasting the impact of management practices on the air and watershed. The purposes of these workshops are fourfold:

• Disseminate the benefits and potential of the decision support system to a new audience of potential users
• Gain feedback on local management issues, strengths of our product and areas of improvement from a wide variety of local experts
• Encourage interaction and communication amongst local stakeholders (many of whom have different approaches to the issue) regarding environmental impacts
• Provide the tool to all participants.

Topics addressed in technology transfer workshops included an overview of decision support system models and functionality, demonstrations of case studies for assessing best management practices, a discussion of local management issues and using models to assess alternative management scenarios. Very positive feedback has been received from attendees of our workshop series held at the Elkhorn Slough watershed