A financial training program designed by Cooperative Extension specialists was provided to over 2,000 USDA/FSA borrowers from the Northeast during the period 1994-1999. Key to the success of the workshops was an in-depth, user-friendly curriculum that evolved over time, eventually replacing...

In order to test whether farmer training and farmer health risks determine adoption of Integrated Pest and Production Management (IPPM) in Zimbabwe, a Poisson regression model was developed. The empirical analysis uses measures of farmer awareness of IPPM practices, pesticide health risks, labor...

A Cal Poly introductory agribusiness class is taught via distance education to a Southern California junior college as part of a pilot project of a USDA grant to increase diversity in agribusiness education. Live, interactive video presents new challenges to on-campus students, distant students...

Extension educators have explored different methods for collecting stakeholder input, but a suitable methodology has not been agreed on. The Michigan State University Extension dairy team works with an advisory board and also collected formal stakeholder input through ten regional partner group...

A risky business environment for agricultural producers coupled with human risk elements unique to family businesses, points to the need for extension programs that integrate traditional risk management concepts into curriculums focused on the potentially unique educational needs of family farm...

In this paper, we use content analysis to examine the use of sources by US and UK newspaper reporters from 1990 to 1999. Positive (benefit) or negative (risk) messages are correlated with the "source" type in order to determine the degree of source-message heterogeneity in media reporting of...

In this paper we use content analysis to show trend in public opinion of agrobiotechnology in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US). We test for the degree of positive and negative content in mass media reporting over the period 1995-1998. Specifically, we test whether there are...

This paper draws on empirical evidence to measure the impact of using corporate-like outdoor-based team training to enhance the effectiveness of student groups and teach team player skills. Results indicate that outdoor team activities had greater effects and impacts on student behaviors and...

The purpose of this paper is to use Cal Poly's example of the design and assessment of a new agribusiness concentration as a means to develop a process by which subsequent change can be managed within the context of coordinating change with the ongoing curriculum and employment needs of a...

Many yield modeling approaches have been developed in attempts to provide accurate characterizations of farm-level yield distributions due to the importance of yield uncertainty in crop insurance design and rating, and for managing farm-level risk. Competing existing models of crop yields...