5pgs, At a central Illinois feed mill, electricity from its rural electric co-op was exceeding grain costs as its biggest operating expense. With a new 3-megawatt solar array, the facility expects to reduce energy costs by about 50%.
17 pages, via online journal, In disaster crises, communication among stakeholders and response organizations are important. In Florida, the role of the County Extension Director (CED) is threefold – educational programming, leadership of a county extension program, and county office administrative responsibilities. However, their primary role in disaster emergencies is to facilitate collaborations with state and federal partners. During Hurricane Irma in 2017, UF/IFAS CEDs assisted in response efforts. However, communication efforts can become challenging in such chaotic and stressful situations. This research explored communication challenges among CEDs, clients, and statewide partners in hurricane events. Insights into the communication role of CEDs could enhance UF/IFAS Extension’s communication plan for effective information dissemination post-disaster. The Uses and Gratifications Theory guided this qualitative study. Interviews occurred with nine CEDs from various counties across Florida. Results showed CEDs used numerous communication channels to connect with clients, staff, and statewide partners, mainly for the purposes of information dissemination. The main reasons for selecting these communication channels depended on its accessibility, reliability, and whether it was a usual form of communication. Some participants were unaware of available resources which resulted in duplicate efforts. Thus, they required additional information from statewide partners. Some participants also had difficulty connecting clients with people who could assist them with insurance information and aid. As such, this study recommended a central communication system to avoid redundant efforts, strengthening relationships with disaster agencies to promote information-sharing and avoid miscommunication, and developing a list of resources and contacts for CEDs’ first engagement in disaster response.
19 pages, via online journal, Science communication and informal science education collide in the context of Extension state fair exhibits for engaging public audiences in critical agricultural and natural resource issues impacting people’s daily lives. A need exists to employ systematic communication and education theory and techniques to effectively deliver scientific information in informal learning spaces. In an effort to apply and expand systematic instructional design thinking and research in informal science learning, this study piloted a touchscreen iPad survey evaluation (n= 93; ages 19-66) of adult state fairgoers’ demographics, experiences, attitudes, and learning during their visit to a 25,000 square-foot facility featuring an Extension museum-quality exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair in 2016. The exhibit included content such as farmers’ and ranchers’ stories, food security, soil quality, and water flow via natural landscapes and irrigation. Survey results included fairgoers’ demographics and backgrounds, as well as insights into favorite exhibit features, attitudes toward agricultural and environmental issues, and exhibit experience and attitude differences between visitors with agricultural backgrounds versus non-agricultural backgrounds. Results showed respondents were predominantly Caucasian with ties to agriculture, preferred physical and electronic engagement pieces of the exhibit compared to static text panels, and expressed slight changes in attitudes about agriculture with larger shifts in attitudes about the role of science in agriculture. Recommendations include systematically developing Extension informal learning efforts and exhibits such as the one in this study by conducting needs assessments and evaluations, as well as expanding exhibit locations, access, and topics to reach more diverse demographics.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 84 Document Number: D10845
Notes:
178 pages., OCLC No. 950952213, Via UI Library Catalog., America has a perplexing, multifaceted problem that combines hunger, obesity, and unhealthy food. This book examines how this situation was created and shows how people working together can resolve this longstanding issue. The United States--one of the world's wealthiest and resource-richest nations--has multiple food-related problems: declining food quality due to industrialization of its production, obesity across all age groups, and a surprisingly large number of households suffering from food insecurity. These issues threaten to shorten the lives of many and significantly reduce the quality of life for millions of others. This book explores the root causes of food-related problems in the 20th and 21st centuries and explains why collective impact--the social form of working together for a common goal--is the method that needs to be employed to reach a successful resolution to hunger, obesity, and the challenges of the industrial food system. Authored by Mark Winne, a 45-year food activist, the book begins with background information about the evolution of the U.S. food movement since the 1960s that documents its incredible growth and variety of interests, organizations, and sectors. The subsequent sections demonstrate how these divergent interests have created a lack of unity and constitute a deterrent to achieving real change and improvement. Through examples from specific cities and states as well as a discussion of group dynamics and coalition-building methods, readers will come away with an understanding of a complicated topic and grasp the potential of a number of strategies for creating more cohesion within the food movement--and realizing meaningful improvements in our food system for current and future generations
Wu, Helen W. (author), Backman, Desiree (author), Kizer, Kenneth W. (author), and Institute for Population Health Improvement, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, United States
California Department of Health Care Services, Institute for Population Health Improvement, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, United States
UC Davis School of Medicine, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, Sacramento, CA, United States
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2017
Published:
USA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Inc
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08139
Miller, Ryan (author / Homeland Security and Technology Division, National Governors Association) and National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Washington, D.C.
Format:
Report
Publication Date:
2008-05-20
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 170 Document Number: C28678
Govindasamy, Ramu (author), Schilling, Brian (author), Sullivan, Kevin (author), Puduri, Venkata S. (author), Brown, Logan (author), and Rutgers State University
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2005-07
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C27427
Notes:
Posted at http://dafre.rutgers.edu/documents/ramu/jerseyfreshsurvey.pdf
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 143 Document Number: C22259
Notes:
Presented at the conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE), San Antonio, Texas, June 1, 2005. 4 pages.
Govindasamy, Ramu (author), Schilling, Brian (author), Puduri, Venkata (author), Sullivan, Kevin (author), Brown, Logan (author), Turvey, Calum (author), and Rutgers State University
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2004-03
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C27428
Notes:
Posted at http://dafre.rutgers.edu/documents/ramu/jerseyfreshreturnsstudyfinal2004report.pdf
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 142 Document Number: C21965
Notes:
16 pages., A guide to instituting the use of collaborative processes for preventing and resolving disputes. Describes approaches used in various states.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 146 Document Number: C23317
Notes:
Survey Research Center, University of Kentucky. 1 page., Response to a statewide survey question about whether or not respondents favor spending public dollars to keep farmland in agricultural use.
