13 pages, Agricultural fairs provide one of the last frontiers, and largest stages, for showcasing livestock agriculture to the public. However, public funding, attendance revenue, animal biosecurity, and public health concerns are all aspects worthy of conversation and increased research attention given the interaction between livestock animals and the general public in fair and festival settings. A prominent social media listening and data analytics platform was used to quantify online and social media chatter concerning agricultural fairs during a 27-mo period. A general search for online media referencing agricultural fair keywords was designed; social and online media mentions of agricultural fairs (n = 2,091,350 mentions) were further queried according to their reference to livestock, fair food, or the major agricultural product producing species of dairy and beef cattle (n = 68,900), poultry (n = 39,600), and swine (n = 31,250). Numbers of search results were found to be seasonal and Twitter was the single largest domain for all fair-related results; in contrast, the majority of livestock-related media was generated by news sources rather than from Twitter. On a weekly basis, the percentage of fair livestock mentions with species-specific reference was highly variable ranging from 0% to 86.8% for cattle, 0% to 85.7% for poultry, and 0% to 76.9% for swine. In addition to quantifying total search hits or mentions, the positivity/negativity of the search results was analyzed using natural language processing capabilities. The net sentiment quantified is the total percentage of positive posts minus the percentage of negative posts, which results in a necessarily bounded net sentiment between −100% and +100%. Overall net sentiment associated with mentions of agricultural fairs was positive; the topics garnering the highest positive sentiments were fair food and cattle (both 98% positive). Online discussion pertaining to agricultural fairs and swine was overall positive despite references to swine flu outbreaks. In conclusion, livestock and animal products had positive net sentiment over the time period studied, but there are multiple aspects of agricultural fairs worthy of further investigation and continued vigilance, including zoonotic disease risk and public perceptions of livestock industries.
USA: Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08960
Notes:
Page 21 in Lucinda Crile, Findings from studies of bulletins, news stories, and circular letters. Extension Service Circular 488. Revision of Extension Service Circular 461, which it supersedes. May 1953. 24 pages. Summary of Bulletin 12 (and master's thesis), Department of Agricultural Journalism, University of Wisconsin, Madison. 1942. 16 pages.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 197 Document Number: D09533
Notes:
Eugene A. Kroupa Collection, 263 pages., Detailed resource for teaching agricultural journalism. Includes discussion topics,sample writing exercises, assignments, copy reading marks, media terms, reference shelf, and other teaching aids.
20 pages., Via online., Historical analysis of butter sculpture within the context of food as art, and as a way to promote butter as the natural, healthy alternative to oleomargarine.
USA: August House Publishers, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C23665
Notes:
416 pages., Focuses on the often under-rated role of the country correspondents and the unique difficulties of the rural newspaper's role as both critic and member of a small community.
Brooker, J.R. (author / University of Tennesse. P.O.Box 1071. Knoxville, TN 37901-1071 USA), Eastwood, D.B. (author / University of Tennesse. P.O.Box 1071. Knoxville, TN 37901-1071 USA), and Gary, M.D. (author / University of Tennesse. P.O.Box 1071. Knoxville, TN 37901-1071 USA)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1993
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 105 Document Number: C09139
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C26483
Notes:
Pages 437-447 in Zachary Michael Jack (ed.), Love of the land: essential farm and conservation readings from an American Golden Age, 1880-1920. Cambria Press, Youngstown, New York. 463 pages., From a 1918 book by Galpin, Rural life. (pages 261-276)
Brooker, John R. (author / University of Tennesse. ), Eastwood, David B. (author / University of Tennesse. ), and Gray, M.D. (author / University of Tennesse. )
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1993-02
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 105 Document Number: C09238
Ruiz Corzo, Martha Isabel "Pati" (author) and World Conservation Union (IUCN), International Union for Conservation and Natural Resources.
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2003-09-08
Published:
Mexico
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 155 Document Number: C25112
Notes:
Chapter 17 in Denise Hamu, Elisabeth Auchincloss and Wendy Goldstein (eds.), Communicating protected areas. Compilation of papers on education and communication presented to the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress, Durban, South Africa, September 8-17, 2003.
13 pages., Via online journal., Developing public and policy maker understanding of agriculture and natural resources is a national research priority of the American Association for Agricultural Education. Because of cultural and geographic distancing from agriculture, consumers' ability to obtain firsthand knowledge of agriculture may be limited to a handful of experiences including local, county, and state fairs. As such, agriculturalists' opportunities to communicate with the public about production agriculture may be limited to these experiences. Youth livestock exhibitors fill a gap in the agricultural education system. While a body of research exists about agricultural literacy among youth and adult groups, few studies exist concerning the impact of youth livestock show exhibits upon fairgoers. This study employed a survey research method using semantic differential scales with a then-now approach. Fairgoers, who had been through the youth livestock exhibits at the California State Fair, were asked about their attitudes toward the exhibits. Findings led to the conclusion viewing livestock exhibits and interacting with youth exhibitors resulted in fairgoers having more positive attitudes toward animal agriculture. Interaction between fairgoers and livestock exhibits should be encouraged and exhibitors should be prepared to view interactions with fairgoers as opportunities to educate about agriculture.
