Plank Stewardship Initiative

“The board reviewed a draft of the form 990 for accuracy and completeness prior to filing.”

“The organization makes its governing documents available upon request.”

“We work to enhance the capabilities and livelihoods of those who manage and care for land and water in the northern great plains. Psi connects people and communities to resources, information, and expertise to help improve hands-on natural resource stewardship. We will accomplish our mission through 4 primary initiatives: on-the-ground conservation, education, establishment of peer groups, and the administration of small grants.”

“On the ground conservation plank stewardship initiative (psi) believes that farming and ranching and good environmental stewardship are symbiotic. We are confident that most operators recognize the value in good environmental stewardship. Our resources are intended to provide assistance to landowners and land managers interested in implementing practices that conserve soil and water. Increasing streambank stability through plantings, and enhancing native cottonwood galleries along prairie streams are examples of projects we intend to grow over time. Our small size requires us to be cost-effective, but also allows flexibility in our choice of projects. We are looking to utilize assets to help individual or groups of properties. Please contact us with ideas or opportunities. Education series financial analysis workshops: we are actively seeking partners with whom to conduct financial training workshops. The goal of the workshops is to introduce the concept of enterprise accounting and demonstrate the methodology of calculating production costs. The material will be tailored for agriculture operations and presented by experienced instructors with a long history of working with wyoming and montana producers. Our goal is to have at least 10 and no more than 15 participants at each of these workshops. Estate planning workshops: as a complement to the financial analysis workshop, we will host a series of estate planning workshops. The target audience for these sessions are ranchers trying to keep the ground in the family. The workshops will emphasize continuity and stability in estate planning. Large and small educational forum: in the northern great plains, few opportunities exist for ranchers to convene with industry experts and researchers. Perhaps more important are opportunities to meet and share experiences and with other ranches who have a common desire to increase their knowledge and improve their stewardship practices. Psi regularly sponsors speakers for producer groups. We have a history of partnering with other organizations and agencies to bring speakers that would otherwise not be available to communities in the northern great plains. Internships: psi believes strongly in hands-on learning. We are interested in finding ways to compliment students classroom training with practical experience on real-world projects. We will help match students with opportunities appropriate for their interest ability. Establishment of peer groups practitioner networks: peer-to-peer networks are often quite small and tightly focused groups that gather to share both technical information as well as the fellowship based in their passion for land stewardship. Beginning with those individuals who have participated in workshops, psi will lead efforts to create regional practitioner networks tailored for specific groups such as young and returning ranchers and producers of locally marketed livestock and produce. Psi will plan and facilitate these groups. We will be successful in this endeavor if those who participate continue to attend and express their belief that the peer-to-peer learning has been valuable to their operation. Please contact with with any potential names of individuals or organizations interested in learning more or possibly beginning a peer group. Small grants although we are not primarily a granting organization we recognize that there may be opportunities for psi to support an innovative demonstration project or to leverage a groups effort by making a small grant. As psi programs evolve and our relationships with ranchers and farmers extend we will continue to look for ways to encourage novel ideas that support conservation within production agriculture.”

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