eOrganic, the Organic Agriculture Community of eXtension, has conducted webinars on organic farming research for over a decade. I examined questions asked by farmers and university researchers or educators during 52 webinars presented 2015-2017. A higher proportion of questions asked by farmers than questions asked by researchers/educators were…

Needs assessment in Extension is typically a quantitative process whereby the highest number of votes is deemed to indicate the greatest need. However, this process does not help specialists and county agents know the best response to carry out. A different process is needed to ensure that we in Extension are executing the right responses. In…

Using information from precision farmer surveys conducted in the southern United States in 2005 and 2013, we evaluated changes in the use of precision farming information sources among cotton producers. Although Extension remains an important source for producers interested in precision farming information, the percentage of cotton producers using…

Although there have been calls for many years for Extension professionals to use secondary data in their work, finding appropriate data online can still be a challenge. With the multitude of data sources available online, it can be helpful to use the concept of developing a community portrait as the context for becoming proficient at locating…

Using web-based applications is an innovative approach for delivery of Extension resources. For example, myFields.info is a mobile-friendly application focused on directing stakeholders to information at the field level. Acceptance and diffusion of such applications depends on initial experiences resulting from traditional face-to-face…

Describes a demonstration program in which information needed to respond to questions is based on secondary data that comes from databases of agencies such as the Census Bureau and Dun and Bradstreet. (JOW)

The author suggests that the business of extension is getting people to apply knowledge and use information. He makes observations concerning people and their use of information and knowledge. He presents five characteristics upon which future extension programs should be built. (CT)

Effectiveness of 2 extension publications on pesticide usage and safety (offered through stores and nurseries) was tested through surveys of 800 pamphlet users (415 responses) and focus group interviews with 20-30 respondents. Results showed, if marketed correctly, written information has large audience, safety information needs to be presented…

Sixty farmers were interviewed to identify their principal sources of agricultural information, their perceptions of Cooperative Extension credibility, and the socioeconomic characteristics affecting their relationship with Extension. Among the presented findings is that extension agents and commercial dealers were used as secondary information…

A Missouri study conducted to determine agricultural extension usage patterns found that heavy users of extension publications tended to be younger farmers, those with a relatively large amount of land, and pork producers. Extension meetings were a less frequent source of information than either publications or county extension office visits. (LRA)

Presents examples from the University of Wisconsin-Extension of ways in which the computer can help extension personnel to better organize and use data in developing programs and in analyzing survey results and other data. (MF)