8 pages., Extension materials that are sensitive to changing demographics and culture increase relevance and compliance with food safety practices. Produce safety extension materials were developed for U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) produce growers to help with compliance with a new food safety rule. We developed employee training materials based on a needs assessment and behavioral change was evaluated six months after dissemination. The original materials were not seen as culturally appropriate but after modifications, improvements in food safety practices and behavior changes were observed. These results suggest that extension educators should seek feedback from target populations about potential interventions before implementation.
5 pages., The Annual Conference for Mississippi State University Extension is the sole event at which the majority of Extension personnel gather for networking, organizational updates, recognition of efforts, and professional development. Extension leaders plan this conference with intended outcomes but without ever evaluating those outcomes beyond attendee satisfaction. We developed an evaluation instrument to determine how certain conference events influence participants’ critical psychological states and ultimately, their perceived motivation, professional enrichment, opportunities for networking, professional accountability, and organizational awareness. Rather than simply assessing attendee satisfaction, this instrument may help inform planning for successive Extension conferences and other professional development events.
10 pages, This study looks at the role of Extension in helping local officials reduce plastic bag use at farmers markets in three Lake County, OH communities. We distributed free reusable bags to shoppers and conducted an education and outreach program. We then took observations to determine if the free reusable bags were being used. We also invited shoppers to take a voluntary survey about their environmental attitudes, why or why not they use the reusable bags, and how best to reduce plastic bag use moving forward. Results from the study suggest that supplying free reusable bags at farmer markets is not an effective strategy for Extension professionals attempting to reduce plastic bag use. Instead, we recommend working with local officials to develop financial incentives and disincentives tied to the type of bag option shoppers use, implement plastic bag bans at markets, and conduct locally-focused education and outreach. Although shoppers’ environmental literacy and desire for sustainability is high, it is shown that behavior change is unlikely to occur without financial or policy incentives.
Moreno-Ortiz, Carlos Alberto (author), Peterson, Dr. Donna J. (author), Collart, Alba J. (author), Downey, Laura (author), Seal, Susan (author), and Gallardo, Roberto (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2021-12-10
Published:
United States: Clemson University Press
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D12409
8 pages, We examined small farmers’ use of and preference for different channels for marketing agricultural products and explored differences by gender, age group, and education level. Farmers markets and social media were preferred channels, with participants under age 55 being more likely than those 55 and over to prefer and use social media and agree that social media would be useful for promoting products and increasing sales. While selling via social media could provide a larger market, one challenge is that the average age of Mississippi farm operators is 59. Therefore, Extension must consider multiple approaches for delivering training on marketing.
8 pages, Effectively communicating with diverse groups involved in environmental management is critical to facilitating successful projects. This five-step communication plan is designed to enable resource managers and extension professionals to successfully engage their stakeholders. This plan, which uses oyster reef management as an example, was informed by two primary sources: an expert meeting with stakeholder leaders and coastal residents and a review of relevant literature. By incorporating stakeholder input throughout the planning and implementation of natural resource management projects, new and innovative ideas emerge, and relationships between stakeholders, managers, and extension agents are strengthened.
11 pages, Planning for farm succession is vital to the longevity of the farm business. To understand the challenges with succession planning, the University of Wisconsin - Division of Extension facilitated focus group meetings across the state. These authors classified the information from the focus groups into eight codes, and each code was further subdivided into themes. The codes included Financial, Communication, Control, Change, Fair vs. Equal, Delivery, and Support, Strategies, and Educational Needs. University of Wisconsin Division of Extension Agriculture Educators utilized the information obtained from the focus groups to create a workbook that provides practical assistance when working with families planning a farm succession.
6 pages, Understanding relationships between demographic and economic factors and equestrian participation could improve horse program design. We implemented an online survey that characterized associations of participation in equine activities, socioeconomic factors, and economic factors with age. Seventy-five percent of respondents ride, and 34% are recreational, non-competitive participants. Respondents were mostly female, and many participate in the sport throughout life. Many respondents indicated they overspent on equestrian activities. Horse programs should incorporate information and activities that address issues unique to females, should develop skills required by amateur or recreational riders, and should incorporate information on financial wellness.
3 pages, This article provides a brief overview of Farm Dinner Theater (FDT), a novel intervention that positively influences the health and safety behaviors of senior family farmers and their family. The FDT uses principles of adult learning and engages the audience in conversations about their health and safety experiences. The FDT was developed through interdisciplinary community-engaged research and tested using a repeated measures design with 553 intervention and 317 comparison participants. Significant changes were reported and the FDT is now being used by Extension through the use of a toolkit developed by the project.
3 pages, The University of Missouri Integrated STEM Internship Program (MU-ISIP) is a 9-week internship experience that helps prepare undergraduates for the workforce or graduate school in four AFRI areas: (a) plant health and production, (b) animal health and production, (c) food safety, nutrition and health, and (d) agricultural economics and rural communities. This program helps address the need for the next generation of agriculturalists and food scientists through experiential learning. Additionally, it exposes undergraduates to Extension as a career option. This article outlines our approach to MU-ISIP and lessons learned during the program’s inception.
8 pages, Small-scale farmers face unique challenges. In this review, we conceptualize small farm success by aggregating and categorizing results from recent (post-2000) literature on small farm success factors and producer needs assessments. Our findings suggest that small farm success is multifaceted and not limited to profitability. We find that small farms have a diverse range of needs, though little has been done to rank their importance. We conclude that future research would benefit from increased methodological transparency and a systematic approach to needs evaluation. We consider the role of Extension professionals regarding the continued success of small farms.
