Growing concern that the Cooperative Extension Service was failing to adequately reach small farmers with education materials through regular extension channels led to the implementation of Missouri's Small Farm Family Program. In this program, education assistants, many of whom are small farmers themselves, link the educational resources of the…

A 1977 study of education assistants' linking role in the University of Missouri's Small Farm Family Program (intended to favor small farmers in providing extension information) focused on conditions influencing ability of education assistants to serve as University information-user system linkers on behalf of small farmers. All Missouri education…