Purpose: This study explores the use of advisory services by farm managers and its linkages with the economic, environmental and social performance of farms. Design/methodology/approach: Using cluster analysis we determined groups of farms according to their sustainability performance and explored the correlations between contacts with advisory…

Research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has garnered a great deal of attention and is increasingly used to demonstrate the negative impact of stressful and traumatic childhood experiences on psychological and physical health. ACEs have become a focus of local and state organizations and coalitions concerned about the well-being of…

As a modern epidemic, burnout is the leading reason educators leave the profession. Guided by the job demands-resources theory, this study empirically examines the underlying processes associated with burnout and the direct relationships between job characteristics (i.e., job demands and job resources), turnover intention, and work engagement…

The strength of Cooperative Extension lies in the breadth of knowledge and experience of its faculty and staff. Yet those working in Extension can get so bogged down by the weight of this knowledge and become so focused on details, ownership, and process that it can be hard to respond to emerging needs or work effectively as a group. "Shark…

Citizen science is quickly becoming a valuable tool in the Extension professional's tool kit. This is the case whether you are a 4-H agent looking to involve youth in agriscience and agriculture-related science, technology, engineering, and math experiential learning activities or an agriculture and natural resources agent seeking to help…

The Cooperative Extension Service has performed the role of educator and change agent for more than a century. Changes occurring during this period caused Extension to extend its influence beyond the farm and traditional roles. Today, Extension faces controversial public issues and unparalleled levels of policy and regulation impacting agriculture…

The University of New Hampshire (UNH), Virginia Tech (VT), and Texas A&M University collaborated to envision and plan (all) and then create (UNH and VT) the National Extension Web-mapping Tool (NEWT) to increase the use of spatial data in planning and programming decision making throughout Extension. With NEWT, Extension professionals can…

Although Extension educators have harnessed the power of technology as an important vehicle for conveying research-based content, it is important that the power of traditional educational methods not be overlooked. These traditional methods remain ideas that work, have worked, and continue to work even today. In this article, we spotlight these…

Purpose: Numerous factors currently challenge food production in the United States, and these are likely to intensify. We sought to understand what challenges US agriculturalists find to be most salient as well as the responses they recommend. Methodology: We gained insights primarily through the analysis of transcripts from the qualitative…

Agricultural extension agents are highly credited for their roles of providing advice to farmers and supporting their learning and decision-making to improve livelihoods. The use of appropriate methods to promote learning in developing countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, has often been highlighted as a development priority. Nevertheless,…

How does an educator ensure that an audience is receiving an intended message? Further complicating this matter, what happens if the audience members' primary language differs from that of the presenter and the use of an interpreter is not feasible? We explore these questions through a case study based on our experience as three Extension…

County Extension Directors (CED) are tasked with a myriad of responsibilities, many of which are directly related to leadership skills. Despite the identification of competencies and skills needed by CEDs in order to maintain successful programs, little research has been conducted on actual Extension leadership programming. Even more uncommon in…

Having the ability to assess pest problems in schools is essential for a successful integrated pest management (IPM) program. However, such expertise can be costly and is not available to all school districts across the United States. The web-based IPM Calculator was developed to address this problem. By answering questions about the condition of…

Responding to reduced funding and organizational restructuring, many state Extension programs have reorganized counties into regional-based entities and limited family and consumer sciences (FCS) to specialized programs in areas such as foods and nutrition (Braverman, Franz, & Rennekamp, 2012; Franz & Cox, 2012; White & Teuteberg,…

Purpose: Women farmers have less access to extension services than male farmers, even though they make up almost half of the global agricultural workforce. Gender-focused international development programmes have focused on how ensuring women receive better access to advice. However, the quality of the technical advice and the service women…