Small farms and small farmers are a growing sector of the agricultural economy nationwide. Notably, small farms are influenced by similar antagonists to the success of their business as large, concentrated operations, but they experience it differently. The purpose of this study was to describe small farms and farmers in North Dakota to assist…

Purpose: This article examines the reach, the amount, the content and the quality of agricultural extension in County Laois in Ireland as reported by farmers. It seeks to better understand extension interaction in an Irish county case. Design/Methodology/Approach: A structured questionnaire on personal, farm and farming practices was administered…

Purpose: The need to increase women's access to extension has been extensively discussed. This paper assesses women's access to extension services through the Plantwise extension approach as a baseline for future comparison of women's access through other extension approaches. It also assesses whether crops that men and women farmers seek plant…

Purpose: As part of the institutional reforms and agricultural restructuring in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this paper provides an assessment of the performance of the agricultural extension system as well as factors explaining it. Method: This paper involves key informants' interviews and surveys of 107 extension organizations and 162…

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to analyse the attitude of Italian farms in gaining access to agricultural extension services (AES). Design/methodology/approach: The ways Italian farms use AES are described through the AKAP (Awareness, Knowledge, Adoption, Product) sequence. This article investigated the AKAP sequence by submitting a…

This paper analyses the organizational, financial and technological incentives that service organizations used to motivate farmers to finance agricultural research and extension in Benin. Understanding the foundations and implications of these motivation systems is important for improving farmer financial participation in agricultural research and…

Purpose: New approaches to extension service delivery are needed that stimulate increased agricultural production, contribute to collective action and which also foster the emergence of agricultural innovation systems. Research in Peru and Mexico explores some of these new approaches. Design/methodology/approach: In both countries, a qualitative…

Describes major elements of an extension system for education based on those essential for one in agriculture, as exemplified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service. Like the agricultural system, an educational extension service would be driven by customer needs, employ county agents to facilitate client/service…

Describes an energy education project aimed at limited-resource families in Oklahoma. Program delivery was accomplished through mailed flyers, public meetings, and individualized instruction. Educational materials covered housing structure modification and behavior change. The "Choctaw Project" was judged to be a success. (CT)

Examines a rural field-based inservice delivery system that enhanced intellectual growth, self-concept, and staff communication. Cites problems arising when format changed from workshops to a new M.Ed. program. Notes problems of funding, distance, resources, and university/state requirements. Gives recommendations for making graduate courses…

Underscores the importance of extension education, particularly agricultural extension, in developing countries. Addresses extension education's place within a university, using Nigeria as a point of reference. Considers the nonformal role of a university extension department. Presents a typology of university extension courses (e.g., intramural,…

Presents a marketing decision model and other methods that extension agents may use in presenting extension programs dealing with the problems of marketing agricultural commodities. (MF)

Describes an instructional telephone network at Kirkwood Community College (Iowa) which involves a four-wire telephone system allowing two-way conversations between the instructor and an unlimited number of outlying class meeting sites. Discusses the advantages and successes of the program. (AYC)

Discusses forces promoting privatization of agricultural extension. Discusses experiences of privatization and commercialization of extension and related problems in various countries, particularly developing countries. Suggests that the state will continue to play an important role in agricultural extension in many countries and that…

This article aims to study the design and the organization of auditing systems to develop environmental or quality assurance schemes at the farm level and the role that extension services could play in these processes. It starts by discussing the issue of combining auditing and advisory activities and developing auditing competences. Empirical…