As markets are changing in the beef industry, producers are seeking new opportunities for value-added beef production. A select group of beef industry experts and experienced beef producers have come to consensus regarding challenges that producers face in the current marketplace. They identified competencies that would be a positive addition to a…

While strategies may differ across geographical regions, FACS Extension professionals work to enhance nutrition education and increase food security in their communities. The four dimensions of food security developed by The Food and Agricultural Organization were reconceptualized to understand food security on an individual or at a community…

This article explores the challenges of reporting outcomes of the Extension educational programs at land-grant universities and presents a model highlighting the focus and expectations of reporting in Cooperative Extension. This model provides a rationale for recognizing the relationship between program planning, evaluation, reporting, and…

Extension professionals face challenges in quantifying the impact of their efforts in advancing the decision-making process inherent in setting natural resources policy. We developed a flexible tool that measures the impact of improving decision makers' planning efforts. The tool consists of two sets of survey questions that can be modified to fit…

Logic models have garnered acclaim for their usefulness and disdain for the time required to create good ones. We argue that the orderly, analytical nature of logic models is opposed to many Extension programs, and we explain developmental evaluation, an approach that highlights ongoing development, adaptations, and rapid response. We use our…