UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Extension equine team recently received a Search for Excellence Award in Environmental Quality, Forestry, and Natural Resources for its program, “Improving Environmental Stewardship on Equine Farms,” from the National Association of County Agriculture Agents (NACAA) during a ceremony in Des Moines, Iowa.

Extension educator and equine team member Laura Kenny also won a Distinguished Service Award.

“Our team has focused on horse pasture management as a key educational area for many years in Pennsylvania,” said Danielle Smarsh, equine extension specialist and assistant professor of equine science in the College of Agricultural Sciences. “We’re proud to receive national recognition for the hard work our team has put into this area.”

The NACAA is a professional extension organization that connects peers and encourages professional development. The organization includes extension educators working in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and natural resources, 4-H youth development, community development, aquaculture, and related disciplines.

“This program has been a team effort since its inception,” Kenny said. “All of the educators and conservation professionals who have contributed their expertise over the years have made it a very effective course. Follow-ups show that participants change their farm management because of the course, and pasture quality has improved on these farms.”

Along with Kenny, who submitted the application, and Smarsh, the award-winning program team included Penn State Extension educators who have contributed to the program within the past three years: Brittani Kirkland, former equine educator; Heidi Reed, agronomy educator; Justin Brackenrich, field and forage crops educator; Nicole Thompson, agronomy educator; and Leanna Duppstadt, field and forage crops educator.

In its program, the team used several methods to educate landowners on proper pasture management. According to their findings, Pennsylvania horse farms often need assistance with pasture management and frequently face issues such as soil erosion and nutrient loss to surface water.

In many instances, equine farm owners have limited backgrounds in agronomy and environmental issues. The program’s main objectives are to help horse farm managers learn more about pasture management techniques and increase the use of environmentally beneficial practices on their farms. Improving the overall condition of pastures to reduce erosion and nutrient runoff risk is also a program goal.

The program activities include the flagship “Environmental Stewardship Short Course,” which has been offered annually, both virtually and in person, for many years, with Kenny leading the program since 2018. The course is taught through lectures, question-and-answer sessions and practice activities.

The course covers topics such as forage biology, grazing management, soil fertility, weed management, toxic plants, pasture renovation, manure management and solving farm drainage problems. A workbook that was developed in 2021 to guide participants includes reflection questions, record-keeping forms and on-farm activities.

The second program activity is the Equine Pasture Walks, which are evening workshops developed to introduce landowners to pasture management concepts with hands-on activities. Each workshop generally covers soil fertility, pasture evaluation and plant identification.

In addition to these activities, the team fields individual phone calls and emails and provides on-farm pasture consultations to horse farm owners and managers.

The team estimates that the ongoing program has positively impacted more than 1,500 acres and 700 horses since 2018.

Aside from her work with the equine extension team, Kenny received an individual award from the NACAA. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes excellence in the field of professional extension for members with more than 10 years of service.

Kenny has served in extension roles in New Jersey and Pennsylvania since 2008. She has worked as an equine educator at Penn State for the past seven years. Her primary focus is on improving environmental stewardship on horse farms. She also contributes to programs on horse health, forage quality and training conservationists to successfully work with horse farms.

Kenny is active in the Pennsylvania Association of County Agricultural Agents and serves as membership secretary. Within NACAA, she serves as the northeast vice chair of the leadership and administrative skills committee.

“I am honored to be selected for this award,” Kenny said. “It is a privilege to serve the Pennsylvania equine community in this role. I’m very grateful to all the mentors I’ve had over the years and for the strong support from my team.”

Smarsh said Kenny is a vital member of the team who is very deserving of this award.

“She routinely goes above and beyond when assisting horse owners with their pasture and horse issues,” Smarsh said. “We are very grateful to have her on the team.”