Awards Highlight Impact of Lincoln University Extension Programs Across Missouri

Attendees discuss fencing techniques from a summer workshop that they plan to use on their own farms.

Lincoln University Cooperative Extension (LUCE) leads multiple Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) projects aimed at boosting knowledge, resources and production efficiency among Missouri’s sheep and goat producers.

One such project, led by Dr. Mohan Acharya, is a three-year SARE-funded initiative titled Sheep and Goats Master Training Programs in Missouri, with a total award of $91,926. The project, which began in October 2023 and will run through October 2026, focuses on equipping trainers with expertise in parasite management, forage production, soil nutrition and marketing strategies.

Since launching, the program has facilitated 96 consultations, 12 webinars, four on-farm demonstrations, four farm visits, one field day, four fact or guide sheets and other educational activities.

Acharya also leads Fencing in Silvopasture for Sheep and Goat Production Across Missouri, a separate but related project awarded $49,896 through October 2025. The project aims to train producers in installing and managing fencing and water systems in silvopasture environments — an approach integrating trees, forage and livestock.

Through this initiative, farmers learn to work with both permanent and portable fencing options, various energizer types such as solar and battery-powered units, as well as grazing paddock design. Educational resources include printed guides, fact sheets and equipment supplier contacts.

Acharya recalled a successful training event for the project, held in March 2025, bringing in 37 attendees.

“The participants increased their understanding on corner posts and bracing, line posts, gates, offset wires and other minor details about electric fences,” Acharya said.

Dr. Mohan Acharya demonstrates fencing techniques during a fencing field day in Fair Grove, Missouri.

To date, the project has facilitated 140 consultations, eight on-farm demonstrations, one field day, one on-farm tour and lectures at four cooperative extension events. Presentations have also been delivered through talks and webinars. So far, 105 of the target 150 farmers have been reached.

The Midwest Small Ruminant Educational Program Initiative (Midwest-SREPI), another ongoing project, is led by Dr. Homero Salinas-Gonzalez. With a $249,285 grant, this program runs from January 2024 through January 2027 and focuses on enhancing regional collaboration and producer education.

Midwest-SREPI partners with groups such as Midwest Buck Sale LLC. The initiative works to support not only farmers, but also processors, vendors and county agents.

The program’s goals include increasing farmer knowledge of tools critical to profitable and eco-friendly livestock production, such as fecal egg-count testing, the FAMACHA system for anemia detection and sustainable pasture management techniques.

The Midwest-SREPI project is unique in that Salinas is the only person in Missouri licensed in FAMACHA, a system used to assess anemia in sheep and goats by examining the color of their mucous membranes. The system utilizes a color chart with five categories to match the color of the lower eyelid with each category corresponding to a level of anemia.

"While organic production remains a piece of the project, the main focus now and in the future is really on helping farmers succeed in sheep and goat production through better health, reproduction, pasture management, nutrition and marketing,” Salinas said. “And what excites me the most is that these skills don’t just help individual farmers —  they create stronger, more resilient farm families and communities that will carry these benefits well beyond the life of the project.”

All three programs reflect LUCE’s continued commitment to supporting underserved and small-scale producers throughout the region by providing accessible, research-based training and technical assistance.

For more information on these projects, contact Dr. Homero Salinas at Salinas-GonzalezH@lincolnu.edu or Dr. Mohan Acharya at AcharyaM@lincolnu.edu.