On the assumption that agricultural extension professionals can do a better job when they know how people feel about their programs, an attitude scale with statements selected to represent degrees of attitude from favorable to unfavorable was administered to 60 farmers in Clinton County, Missouri. Findings indicated an overall positive image…

A SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED BY MAIL QUESTIONNAIRE TO GATHER DATA ON THE FARM POPULATION OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, TO GET NAMES OF COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND PROVIDE MOTIVATION FOR EXTENSION PROGRAM PLANNING. THE MEAN AGE OF RESPONDENTS WAS 50, THE LARGE MAJORITY WITH CHILDREN AT HOME, THREE-FOURTHS NATIVE TO CALIFORNIA, ONE-HALF BEING BORN IN…

This document is an English-language abstract (approximately 1,500 words) of a comprehensive survey of education and training for agriculture in Australia. The present facilities are described, and then set against estimates of present and future needs. Constructive proposals are made as to how these needs can best be met by agricultural…

By random selection, 74 farm families in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, were interviewed to determine the use of recommended practices, interests of the farmers and their wives, and sources of information. Dairy farming was the major enterprise for 3/4 of the farmers. No Extension recommendations were used by 15% but 20% used seven or more of the…

Agricultural extension sometimes fails to relate itself to the total socio-economic picture of the community as it establishes policies and programs for the future; this research attempts to explain some concerns of farmers related to this problem, particularly the hiring of regional specialists. Data were gathered by a questionnaire given to over…

A study was conducted to determine whether a relationship exists between several selected socioeconomic characteristics and the adoption or non-adoption of soil testing as a farm management tool and to establish whether or not a statistically significant relationship exists between adopters and imperfect adopters (discontinuers). Data were…

The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) it presents some empirical findings of the relative importance of both "economic" and "communication" variables in the diffusion of an innovation (dwarf wheats) in an unirrigated region of Pakistan which is densely populated by smallholders. The sample of farmers reported are…

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…

An analysis of the use of a survey on a state-level conservation tillage program was conducted to assess the effects of personal influences. Personal factors influenced timeliness, user's desire for and ownership of information, interaction among decision makers and the evaluator, methodological appropriateness and quality, and use planning. (TJH)

Selected findings from a number of communication research projects conducted by, or in collaboration with, the Economic Studies and Research Institute (IEPE), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, are reported. Communication research in IEPE during the past 4 years has concentrated on mass media performance and use, because extension…