7 pages, Use of cover cropping systems has multiple benefits for agriculture. To convince vegetable growers to adopt such systems, we applied a field demonstration in which we grew selected cover crops during the off-season and then tomatoes. We focused on implementation of a science-based demonstration design and attended to the usefulness of the demonstration and audience timing preferences. As a result, growers grasped the advantages of growing cover crops and, consequently, have extensively adopted cover cropping systems, thereby applying a critically important practice for crop management and agricultural sustainability. Our method and findings can help Extension educators better implement programs to convince agricultural producers to adopt desirable farming practices that improve sustainable agriculture.
Gwynn, Douglas (author), Thompson, Orville E. (author), and Thompson: Professor Emeritus, Department of Applied Behavioral Sciences, University of California-Davis; Gwynn: Research sociologist,
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1989
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 81 Document Number: C04803
6 pages, Profit teams comprise multiple consultants engaged to support farmer decision making by holistically analyzing farm challenges. We tested the idea of using profit teams to help advanced beginning farmers, those who are beyond start-up but have been in business less than 10 years, address constraints to growing their businesses. These new entrepreneurs often have entered agriculture without a family farming history or a connection to Extension. We describe the processes of selecting farmers and administering teams, and we highlight significant improvements in quality of life, production, and profitability reported by 35 farmers. Our lessons learned may guide other educators and funders in developing profit teams for their beginning farmer clients.
10 pages, With a focus on the Commonwealth of Virginia, we reviewed literature and data associated with the prevalence and persistence of women's engagement in agriculture from youth-focused programs through to college and employment in order to learn which models of outreach may best attract women to and retain women in agricultural careers. We found that girls in Virginia have strong participation in early agriculture-related activities but that women constitute the minority of primary farm owners. Our systematic literature review shows that using science, technology, engineering, and math models of outreach and reframing agriculture as a career that builds communities and cares for the planet can engage more women in agriculture.
Decker, Daniel J. (author), Merrill, William G. (author), and Decker: Assistant Professor and Extension Leader, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; Merrill: Professor of Dairy Management, Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1990
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 76 Document Number: C04123
James F. Evans Collection; See C04120 for original; AGRICOLA IND 90027729, Despite its increased use in recent years, evaluation of videotape application to non-formal adult education has been limited. Dairy specialists at Cornell University believing that a videotape might work well, produced a 25 minute videotape as part of an educational program on proper milking procedures. Although a workshop setting was the intended format for viewing the videotape, it was clear the videotape might be used in less-structured settings, such as a farmer's home. Therefore, it was developed to be self-explanatory, with a supplemental bulletin. Dairy farmers liked having a videotape as part of the workshop. Furthermore, the videotaped-based program lead to improvement in knowledge and change in attitude among farmers. The value of follow-up contact to understand the extent of actual impact was also demonstrated.
