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Iowa State University Extension and Outreach swine program specialist Terry Steinhart received one of the highest honors available to members of the National Association of County Agriculture Agents this summer. The Distinguished Service Award is presented to the top two percent of the NACAA membership as selected by their peers and the director of extension at their respective state university.
During Steinhart’s 34-year career with ISU Extension and Outreach, he led the way in livestock programming in southeast and south central Iowa. First as county extension director and then as swine field program specialist, he helped enhance the visibility and reputation of extension through a diverse portfolio of educational efforts.
His commitment to meeting needs of clients at the individual, community, state, national, and world levels is a major reason for this honor.
For example, Steinhart said he tries to offer a wide range of learning opportunities to swine producers in southeast and central Iowa through a variety of methods. From one-to-one consultations, small group meetings, large group meetings, and newsletters to email, radio, and television, he offers programming and education to meet specific needs.
When a home study course in marketing did not generate many participants, he demonstrated innovation, creativity and originality by changing the delivery method to a small group study. Instead of the expected one group, 35 producers formed three study groups. Based on their learning and how they changed their production approach, they reported an average increased profit of 75 cents per pig, which represents a $40,000 increase in profits over past marketing efforts.
Steinhart also has prepared and presented workshops on swine handling, pork quality and food safety at the Iowa State 4-H and Youth Conference for more than a decade, and frequently provides leadership to area and state committees and organizations.
As part of a cooperative program among four land grant universities, Steinhart implemented an innovative program to improve teaching skills of young Pakistani and Afghan extension workers, He also co-authored the National Pork Board’s (NPB) Pork Production Safety System that’s currently used by 10 of the nationals largest swine producers, developed worksheets for use in the NPB’s Pork Quality Assurance site assessment program, and just recently developed four curriculum outlines for the NPB Professional Swine Managers online course.
He helped develop the Iowa manure applicator certification program and recorded videos for use in the program; he’s written peer-reviewed swine nutrition factsheets for the National Program of Swine Feed Efficiency; he worked cooperatively with other specialists and Kirkwood Community College on farrowing crate and piglet survival demonstration and a biofilter research project; and has presented findings at various swine conferences.
September 12, 2014 - IPIC
