Argues farming can teach the populace that human existence has purpose and dimension beyond material acquisition. Emphasizes the proper balance between nature and culture, word and deed, tragedy and therapy, shame and guilt which leads to the formation of an informed, humane, and stable citizen. Includes response on the relationship of this…

A literature review revealed the following: (1) there are no standard criteria to measure the quality of supervised agricultural experience (SAE) programs; (2) teacher attitudes and past SAE experiences strongly influence quality; (3) the number of teachers with SAE experience is declining; and (4) school laboratory facilities are essential for…

Responses from 71% of 150 Tennessee agriculture teachers surveyed indicated that those teaching in multiple departments, subscribing to "Agricultural Education Magazine," and including supervised agricultural experiences (SAE) in grading were more positive about planning. Those not having agricultural education in high school, including…

Describes the Food Systems Professions Education Initiative, which involves 12 clusters of land-grant universities in collaborations with other colleges and communities. The projects include stakeholders who were previously marginal in a visioning process about world food production. Five projects are presented in detail. (SK)

Incubators in the Classroom is an extension program designed to teach fourth-graders about egg hatching. More than 15,000 Indiana students have used the learning materials, which include incubators, lesson guides, and CD-ROM learning guides. The Purdue extension service is in the process of conducting critical evaluation of the program. (SK)

Changes to agri-environmental policy, with an emphasis on encouraging more environmentally friendly farming practices, have been paralleled in the last two decades by a body of research into agri-environment scheme adoption. To date much of this research has considered conservation behaviour as a static issue across whole farms, and viewed…

The Mexican Farm Labor Program brought in an unprecedented number of Mexican workers to perform harvesting jobs in U.S. agriculture between 1942 and 1964. A political economy perspective is used to examine the process by which U.S. agriculture has come to depend on Mexican workers.

This study examines the inconsistency between the unequal allocation of family labor and a lack of perceived unfairness among spouses of male-outmigrant couples in rural Guangxi, China. It explores relational (versus transactional) exchange processes conditioned by husband-wife mutual dependence. Using both qualitative and quantitative data…

Quite a few papers in the two journals, The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension and The Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, deal with ideas for future education towards sustainability and extension and advisory service as facilitation. Both subjects include participatory learning and/or farming systems approaches based on systems…

Survey evidence from three Central European Countries (Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland) is analysed to identify the degree of non-agricultural farm diversification and the factors facilitating or impeding it in individual and corporate farms. The effect of diversification on rural job creation and household incomes is investigated. The results…

This paper discusses the use of geometry and proportional reasoning techniques used at the United States Department of Agriculture by two of its branches: the Farm Service Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. This paper discusses the agricultural agency and two branches involved, details a seven-lesson geometry module for high…

Several years ago a senior APS colleague challenged the leaders of academic programs to critically think about a preferred future for ensuring that there is not only the capability, but also the willingness to recognize and reform and/or reframe higher education programs within FANRRS to meet the challenges of "preparing society ready…

Genetically modified (GM) crops such as maize (Zea mays L.), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Moench], and canola (Brassica rapa L.) have been widely adopted by American farmers. In spite of their use in the United States, the European Union (EU) imposed a 6-year de facto moratorium (1998-2004) on the cultivation/import of…

This article argues that food issues are an appropriate, if not necessary, topic for education for sustainable development (ESD) both in terms of teaching and institutional practice. The first section summarises critical topics for a school or university course on food. The second section cites two examples of university efforts--at the University…

The majority of the population of Vietnam lives in rural areas and depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Consistent growth of the agriculture sector over the past two decades has contributed to a remarkable reduction in the poverty rate and the virtual elimination of hunger in the rural areas of Vietnam. In order to continue the growth…