ERIC Number: EJ1067031
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Jun
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1077-5315
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Grower Communication Networks: Information Sources for Organic Farmers
Crawford, Chelsi; Grossman, Julie; Warren, Sarah T.; Cubbage, Fred
Journal of Extension, v53 n3 Article 3FEA9 Jun 2015
This article reports on a study to determine which information sources organic growers use to inform farming practices by conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with 23 organic farmers across 17 North Carolina counties. Effective information sources included: networking, agricultural organizations, universities, conferences, Extension, Web resources, personal experience, books, organic buyers/certifiers, and consultants. Results suggest that grower-to-grower networking is a highly effective information-seeking behavior for organic growers. Recommendations for Extension personnel include reshaping educational programing for organic growers to include peer-to-peer information sharing, as well as increased investment to graduate and undergraduate programs that train future Extension agents in organic production approaches.
Descriptors: Information Sources, Farm Management, Agricultural Education, Semi Structured Interviews, Extension Education, Agricultural Occupations, Community Surveys, Social Networks, Organizations (Groups), Universities, Conferences (Gatherings), Extension Agents, Internet, Experience, Grounded Theory
Extension Journal, Inc. e-mail: joe-ed@joe.org; Web site: http://www.joe.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: North Carolina
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A