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152. Stakeholders' mental models of soil food value chain in the Everglades
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Friedrichsen, Claire N. (author), Daroub, Samira H. (author), Monroe, Martha C. (author), Stepp, John R. (author), and Gerber, Stefan (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- unknown
- Published:
- Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10497
- Journal Title:
- Geoderma
- Journal Title Details:
- 343: 166-175
- Notes:
- 10 pages., via online journal., Peri-urban environments, where agriculture and urbanization interact, pose unique challenges for soil management. In Miami-Dade County, Florida USA, this interaction is especially important; a population of 2.7 million lives in an urban county with only 6% of the area zoned agriculture. Miami-Dade County is a major producer of tropical fruit and winter vegetables for the U.S., and is located within the Everglades ecosystem. Relatively little information is known about research and extension within peri-urban environments concerning soil health and management. Ethnopedological work has contributed to ethno-scientific knowledge by bridging the communication gap between scientists and locals concerning soil taxonomies, soil health, and soil fertility management. This study explores mental models of farmers and experts, examining the communication gap concerning soil health and food security. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from farmers (n = 19) and experts (n = 13). All stakeholders perceived pressures from urbanization as the main barrier to farmers' ability to continue to produce food, maintain their soil health, and contribute to national food security. The mental models of farmers reveal their ability to continue farming depends on their ability to construct and sustain a system—the soil food value chain. In this system, the farmer generates farm capital from a combination of high quality products, lower quality produce, and culls. This farm capital includes value-added products or soil amendments. However, experts did not perceive their responsibility to include maintaining a system, rather, only improving production. Experts' research and extension focused on improving product quality, increasing yield, decreasing cost of production, and minimizing the environmental impact of production. The mental models of farmers suggest research and extension related to building and maintaining the entire soil food value chain would increase the likelihood the farmers would better care for their soil and be profitable. This research contributes to the literature by recognizing the importance of examining the barriers to soil communication between stakeholders, as well as the importance to include examining soil within the larger food system.
153. State agriculture officials call for investment in apprenticeship programs and agricultural literacy to ensure a future agricultural workforce
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (author)
- Format:
- Press release
- Publication Date:
- 2023-09-13
- Published:
- USA: National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 206 Document Number: D12957
- Notes:
- 3 pages
154. Strengthening research-extension linkages through the use of flow system analysis
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Peterson, Warren E. (author) and Swanson, Burton E. (author)
- Format:
- Abstract
- Publication Date:
- unknown
- Published:
- INTERPAKS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 136 Document Number: C20746
- Notes:
- Burton Swanson Collection, 24 pages
155. Successful collaborations between extension and nonprofits: factors contributing to effective alliances
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Carnes, Chelsea (author), Jones, Jennifer A. (author), Pracht, Dale (author), and Simonne, Eric (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-04
- Published:
- USA: Extension Journal, Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 15 Document Number: D10423
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 57(2)
- Notes:
- 10 pages., Article # 2FEA3, Via online journal., There are many potential advantages to collaborations between Extension and nonprofit organizations; however, it is unclear what factors contribute to a successful collaboration. We used an exploratory cross-comparative case study design to analyze four cases of highly successful Extension/nonprofit collaborations in one area in Florida. Using both deductive and inductive analysis processes, we identified several factors that contributed to the success of these partnerships: alignment of goals, longevity, informal adaptable partnering, relevant Extension agent background, delegation of tasks, marketability and fun, and relationship building. Exploration of these factors can inform future studies and has immediate, practical implications for Extension agents.
156. Supporting advisory services for smart farming: digitalising extension
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Cline, Tiane (author)
- Format:
- Article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Ethiopia: Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation, ACP-EU Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 153 Document Number: D11609
- Journal Title:
- Spore
- Journal Title Details:
- 194 : 18-22
- Notes:
- 5 pages., September-November issue via online., Digitalisation is improving the agricultural extension system by providing services at the right time, and facilitating adoption of new agronomic practices, resulting in yield improvements and higher incomes for farming households.
157. Supporting farmer wellbeing: exploring a potential role for advisors
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Hammersley, Conor (author), Richardson, Noel (author), Meredith, David (author), Carroll, Paula (author), and McNamara, John G. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-06-14
- Published:
- USA: Taylor and Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12610
- Journal Title:
- The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Notes:
- 29pgs, Farmers experience poor health outcomes and are considered ‘hard to reach’. Agricultural advisors (‘advisors’) are uniquely positioned to support and signpost farmers on health issues. This paper explores the acceptability and terms of reference of a potential health role for advisors, and offers key recommendations for developing a bespoke farmers’ health training programme.
158. Switching up climate-smart agriculture adoption: Do "green" subsidies, insurance, risk aversion and impatience matter?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Ngoma, Hambulo (author), Mason-Wardell, Nichole M. (author), Samboko, Paul C. (author), and Hangoma, Peter (author)
- Format:
- Research summary
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Zambia: Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Michigan State University, East Lansing.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 166 Document Number: D11674
- Notes:
- 4 pages., Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy, Research Paper 164., Using games, researchers tested the hypothesis that innate behavioral traits such as risk and time preferences play a role in Zambia farmers' decisions about adoption of Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices. "Given our findings that more risk-averse individuals are less likely to adopt CSA, a practice that is intended to be risk-reducing, a key policy implication is the need for a retooling of both public and private extension services to better demonstrate and educate farmers on the risk-reducing effect of CSA practices such as conservation agriculture. Moreover, if insurance and subsidies are to be used successfully to nudge adoption, extension will need to educate farmers on the structure of and mechanisms of payouts. This is important to build trust in the incentive systems.
159. Talking Plants: Examining the Role of Podcasts in Communicating Plant Pathology Knowledge
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Lim, Melissa (author) and Swenson, Rebecca (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-05
- Published:
- United States: New Prairie Press
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 203 Document Number: D12198
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Applied Communications
- Journal Title Details:
- Volume 105 - Issue 2
- Notes:
- 27 pages, Extension programs must constantly evaluate communication plans and platforms to determine if they are worth the investment of time, money, and resources. Podcasts are growing in popularity as a communication platform for education and entertainment. With the VARK model of learning styles and core plant pathology concepts as a guide, researchers evaluated the prevalence and type of plant pathology information in podcasts to better understand how podcasts could benefit Extension plant pathology programs. Using keywords related to plant pathology, researchers searched popular mobile podcast listening applications and evaluated relevant podcast episodes using content analysis methods. Results indicated few podcast shows discuss plant pathology topics. The podcast shows identified, however, covered eight fundamental units of plant pathology knowledge: basics of plant pathology, plant pathology techniques, biology of plant diseases, biology of plant pathogens, management of plant diseases, influence of the environment, other causes of plant disease symptoms, and importance of fungi. Results suggested that podcasts can effectively communicate different types of plant pathology information to audiences. Plant pathology Extension programs can utilize the findings of this study to create new plant pathology podcasts that meet the changing needs of plant pathology Extension clientele. It is worthwhile to further explore the use of podcasts in plant pathology Extension programs.
160. Tank systems on shrimp farms are effective for extension demonstrations in aquaculture
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Roy, Luke A. (author) and Davis, D. Allen (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-12
- Published:
- United States: Clemson University Press
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 203 Document Number: D12295
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- v. 58, n. 6
- Notes:
- 6 pages, Numerous approaches can be implemented to carry out on-farm Extension demonstrations in aquaculture. The design and approach used are often governed by the problem or question that needs to be addressed as well as budgetary constraints within Extension programs. West Alabama is home to a unique inland marine shrimp industry that uses a low-salinity artesian groundwater source to raise shrimp. Demonstration and technology transfer have been carried out on commercial shrimp farms for nearly 20 years using low-budget on-levee tank systems operated by Extension personnel using this unique water source. On-farm tank demonstrations can be an effective tool for Extension professionals working in aquaculture, especially where unique circumstances exist.