AGRICOLA IND 92004221, County agents receive cost of production information primarily from state extension services and then disseminate it to agricultural producers. A survey gathered data on agent usage of this information. A Poisson regression analysis using count data was performed to determine the factors influencing the number of times county agents directly referred to published cost of production (enterprise budget) information in a year. The agent's understanding of budget information use in management decisions, the availability of budgets, and his/her receiving the budgets in multiple forms (e.g., sheets, booklets, or software) had significant positive impacts on the use of budgets by the agent. (original)
AGRICOLA IND 91034172, Ethical activity cannot be mandated, since ethics are an individual value system hat interacts with, and is supported or inhibited by, the moral values of society and any restrictive legislation. However, discussion of ethical topic areas assist in the establishment of individual and societal ethical standards. Extension specialists are characterized as being dedicated professionals; advocates of the industry and of consumers; and persons interested in the long-term success of the poultry system, which results in benefits to society. Too often, they also are characterized as accepting of situations that must be changed if the poultry system is to survive and to progress. Administrators have the power and, therefore, the responsibility to ensure policy decisions are ethical and to examine the long-term effects of those policy decisions. Many administrators have the respect of their agricultural industries and of Extension personnel because of the attempt to create an ethical environment. The objective of Extension personnel should not be ethical perfection, which is unattainable, but rather recognition of imperfections in themselves and the system with attempts to correct deficiencies. Basic questions of ethics or fairness should be discussed before attempting to create changes in individual behavior or in a system. There is little value to great philosophical debates or protestations of unethical behavior if there is no concurrent attempt to modify situations that led to initial ethical concerns. (original)
