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    2. Improving the viability of new farmers' operations through the use of profit teams

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Rangarajan, Anusuya (author), McCarthy, Kathleen (author), and Welch, Daniel (author)
    Format:
    Journal article
    Publication Date:
    2019-10
    Published:
    United States: Extension Journal, Inc.
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 203 Document Number: D12322
    Journal Title:
    Journal of Extension
    Journal Title Details:
    v. 57,n. 5
    Notes:
    6 pages, Profit teams comprise multiple consultants engaged to support farmer decision making by holistically analyzing farm challenges. We tested the idea of using profit teams to help advanced beginning farmers, those who are beyond start-up but have been in business less than 10 years, address constraints to growing their businesses. These new entrepreneurs often have entered agriculture without a family farming history or a connection to Extension. We describe the processes of selecting farmers and administering teams, and we highlight significant improvements in quality of life, production, and profitability reported by 35 farmers. Our lessons learned may guide other educators and funders in developing profit teams for their beginning farmer clients.

    3. Learning by doing: Applying the concept of pollen viability in a horticulture classroom

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Perez, Kauahi (author) and University of Hawaii and Manoa
    Format:
    Journal article
    Publication Date:
    2017-08
    Published:
    United States: American Society for Horticultural Science
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 12 Document Number: D10362
    Journal Title:
    HortTechnology
    Journal Title Details:
    27(4) : 461-464
    Notes:
    4 pages., Via journal article., Learning by doing plays a critical role in a learner’s conceptual understanding. By actively engaging with a concept, students gain experience and develop an enduring understanding of the concept. The concept of pollen viability is a critical component in the field of plant breeding and can be used to explain various aspects of pollen quality. An inquiry activity was designed to expose undergraduate students in a horticulture course to the concept of pollen viability and its application. The entire class was tasked with collaborating to identify an in vitro germination medium optimized to germinate plumeria (Plumeria rubra) pollen. To determine optimum sucrose and pH concentrations of the medium, student groups were assigned treatments of pollen from two plumeria cultivars that were germinated in Brewbaker and Kwack media of differing sucrose and pH concentrations. Students calculated the percentage of germinated pollen and assessed pollen tube integrity and used these variables as evidence of an optimized medium. Although undergraduates were engaged in authentic research practices during the inquiry activity, lack of time and resources impeded completion of the activity. However, students were exposed to methods and instrumentation directly related to evaluating pollen viability. Moreover, they were exposed to the basic practice of pollen quality assessment that they can use to carry out investigations on pollen fertility. In addition, insight was gained to improve the inquiry activity in the future. Now, well-informed modifications to the inquiry activity can be made to pilot this activity in a formal horticulture laboratory section.