Nutrient Management Farmer Education Curriculum
Nutrient Management Farmer Education Curriculum
Since its original release in 1999, the Nutrient Management Farmer Education Curriculum has been an evolving collection of instructional tools for educating farmers (and others) on improved nutrient management practices. The goal is to involve farmers in the design of their own nutrient management plans.
Access and Download Curriculum
Nutrient Management Farmer Education Curriculum Guidelines
Full Course (required once every 4 years)
Generally, Nutrient Management Farmer Education (NMFE) is a three-day event. The first day’s curriculum lasts from 10:00 a.m. — 3:00 pm. The following two days are workdays for developing/updating their SnapPlus nutrient management plan (NMP). If NMP is completed after the second day, the third day is not required.
It is helpful if there are more participants than SnapPlus assistants to break up the plan-writing day into a morning and an afternoon session. Divide the participants into each section, so staff can help without getting overwhelmed. County LCD staff are highly encouraged to participate in presentations. Whether they talk about local ordinances and requirements or mention other programs and opportunities, it is a great way to get in front of the audience.
Required Topics for Full Course
- Intro to NMP and NM Basics
- USDA NRCS 590 Standard
- Soils Overview and Fertility Basics
- Soil pH
- Soil Sampling and Soil Test Interpretation
- Soil Property Influences on Nutrient Recommendations
- Nitrogen Management
- Phosphorus Management
- Potassium Management
- Manure Management
- Precision Agriculture and Nutrient Management
- Nutrient Management for Graziers/Pastures
- Soil Health
- SnapPlus Demo
Example Agenda
An example agenda with topics is below. Topics can be modified to fit the audience.
Day 1 Morning Agenda
| 10:00 – 10:15 a.m. | Intro to NMP & NM Basics (NM1-NM2 modules) |
| 10:15 – 10:30 a.m. | USDA NRCS 590 Standard (NM3 module) |
| 10:30 – 10:50 a.m. | Soils Overview & Soil Fertility Basics (S1-S4 modules) |
| 10:50 – 11:00 a.m. | Soil pH (S5 Module) |
| 11:00 – 11:15 a.m. | 15-minute break |
| 11:15 – 11:35 a.m. | Soil Sampling & Soil Test Interpretation (S6-S7) |
| 11:35 – 11:50 a.m. | Soil Property Influences on Nutrient Recommendations (S9) |
| 11:50 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | *Lunch |
Day 1: Afternoon Agenda
| 12:30 – 1:10 p.m. | Nitrogen Management (N1-N4) |
| 1:10 – 1:35 p.m. | Phosphorus Management (P1-P3) |
| 1:25 – 1:50 p.m. | Potassium Management (K1) |
| 1:50 – 2:10 p.m. | Manure Management (M1-M2) |
| 2:10 – 2:25 p.m. | 15-minute break |
| 2:25 – 2:40 p.m. | Precision Agriculture & Nutrient Management (NM4) |
| 2:40 – 2:55 p.m. | Nutrient Management for Graziers/Pastures (G1) |
| 2:55 – 3:15 p.m. | Soil Health (SH1) |
Day 2: Preface to SnapPlus Work Time
| 10:00 – 10:15 a.m. | Announcements from county LCD staff or other partners |
| 10:15 – 10:30 a.m. | SnapPlus Overview |
Refresher Course (can be taken every year full course not needed)
If participants have attended a full course in the past 3 years, they do not have to attend the curriculum portion of the course. For example, if the NMFE class structure is three days from 10am-3pm, the update/refresher students would not need to come on the first day of class (during the curriculum presentations) and would then come on the second and, if needed, third days of class to work on updating their plans.
Depending on the audience, some of the topics from the curriculum day can be saved for the second day of class. For example, the SnapPlus walk-through can be moved from the first to the second day of class. Additionally, if there are individuals who mechanically spread manure, saving the manure application precautions presentation for the second day of class could work as well. If the audience has some additional interests such as precision agriculture and or cover crops.
Review Note Template
Download a notetaking template to collect your thoughts and deliver organized feedback after delivering NMFE training.
Related Resources
2024 SnapPlus Guide
Using SnapPlus to create a nutrient management plan for your farm? Look no further for a helpful guide from the Nutrient and Pest Management Program that walks through developing a nutrient management plan. Full of resources, this guide includes how-to videos, explanations, tips and more to make your nutrient management planning smooth.
2024 Nutrient Management Fast Facts Magazine
The Nutrient and Pest Management (NPM) Program has produced many standalone publications to help learn the basics of what is involved in writing and implementing a nutrient management plan. This new format combines many existing publications with new materials to provide a comprehensive reference guide!
