The 21st century has brought with it unforeseen challenges and influential trends that will have significant impact of the livelihood and wellbeing of Georgia residents. Extension personnel within Georgia can extend their mandate by identifying issues that represent present and near-present threats and use these issues to inform programming and…

The 4-H Youth Development program prohibits all forms of discrimination which includes disability. 4- H Extension professionals provide the essential interface between Extension and the local community to create an inclusive environment for all youth, including those with disabilities, that is welcoming and accessible. Attitudes and self-efficacy…

As interest in local food development and urban agriculture increases, the Cooperative Extension Service is challenged to serve local and urban food communities in Arkansas. Urban farmers in Arkansas have differing motivations for operation than those in production agriculture, so understanding agricultural county agents' perceptions of urban…

This study examined factors that shape how nursery growers perceive automated nursery technologies and evaluate how these perceptions relate to growers' adoption. We applied Rogers' (2003) Diffusion of Innovations to understand growers' perceptions of automated technologies to inform Extension programming serving niche audiences in the nursery and…

This study sought to provide insight into whether Georgia Extension meets the needs of its clients farming in rural areas, specifically row-crop farmers in rural Southeast Georgia. This qualitative study utilized a semi-structured interview of four purposively selected Southeast Georgia row-crop farmers. Three themes and seven sub-themes emerged…

The purpose of this study was to examine factors that affect youth value of mindful living, namely, selected demographic variables, awareness of mental events, awareness of physical sensations, and nonjudgment of emotional experience. This quantitative study utilized a paper and pencil survey method to address the study objective. Study…

This study sought to identify what messages are important to share regarding innovations of new turfgrass cultivars, and to determine the current, preferred, and emerging channels of communication as perceived by Extension/Outreach and Communications professionals in ANR for sending information. This study utilized a focus group consisting of…

Cooperative Extension plays a vital role in supporting rural communities during crises and in building community resilience. Studies report that during the COVID-19 lockdown, producers in the USA reported concern about the demand for their fresh produce and needed information on marketing, digital marketing, community engagement, and collective…

Online learning is one form of distance education mediated through information and communications technology. We used a descriptive research design to develop and validate a multidimensional instrument to assess readiness and motivations for online learning. We provided a theoretical framework to better understand the concept of readiness for…

In Uganda, limited agricultural extensionists have always hampered the capacity development efforts of farmers, necessitating partnerships with local and international organizations. This study assessed the progress made by the Iowa State University Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL) toward ending hunger in Uganda. The CSRL partners…

Extension professionals help important agricultural sectors across the country resolve challenges using science-based practices that enhance environmental and social wellbeing while supporting businesses. Nursery and greenhouse growers comprise one of the largest sectors of U.S. agriculture, and this group is challenged to conserve water without…

Land Grant Institutions (LGIs) and Cooperative Extension were founded to bring educational access to the states they serve. In contrast to this mission and the ubiquitous nature of Extension services in US counties, Extension offices can only be found in a small number of indigenous communities. Despite these inequities, there are Extension…

Extension's ability to purposively develop the capacity of its agents to effectively work with and lead people is limited by a lack of data that identifies for which competencies agents need training. Interpersonal leadership competencies are widely recognized as important for Extension professionals and the literature indicates they are linked…

Studying the functionality and dynamism of long-term research networks makes it possible to discover underlying collaborative strategies and outcomes, including research productivity. Using a mixed methods approach, we employed social network analysis (SNA) technique, original network indices, and qualitative interviews to operationalize the…

The benefits to the environment associated with farmer adoption of Best Management Practices (BMPs) is well documented, yet the agricultural industry has resisted widespread acceptance and implementation. Network support, level of education/knowledge, and financial concerns have all been found as contributing factors impacting adoption. Extension…