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Journal of Extension

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Farm Production Analysis Training For Small Farmers, Gregory D. Hanson, Robert L. Parsons, William J. Chess, Kenneth L. Balliet Aug 2002

Farm Production Analysis Training For Small Farmers, Gregory D. Hanson, Robert L. Parsons, William J. Chess, Kenneth L. Balliet

Journal of Extension

A partnership between Penn State Cooperative Extension and the Farm Service Agency has developed a successful production training program for more than 367 farmers. Farmers received training in producing planning and budgets, partial budgeting, and livestock and agronomic basics. Significant gains in knowledge occurred in multi-year planning, enterprise budgeting, and use of the Penn State Agronomy Guide. Designing workshop material for low-producing farmers proved difficult because most participants, while finding the topics helpful, also found the material too advanced. Future focus will encourage greater involvement with private-sector institutions and coordination between production and management Extension specialists.

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Helping Families Transition From Welfare To Work, Carol E. Thayer, Marilyn Fox, Wanda Koszewski Jun 2002

Helping Families Transition From Welfare To Work, Carol E. Thayer, Marilyn Fox, Wanda Koszewski

Journal of Extension

Families remaining on the welfare rolls often face multiple barriers to move successfully into the work force. Cooperative Extension, in partnership with the Nebraska Health and Human Services System, implemented an educational developmental program, Building Nebraska Families. Building Nebraska Families works one-on-one with Employment First families, Nebraska's welfare reform program, teaching family management and life skills using an individualized, flexible curriculum to help families more successfully transition from welfare to work. The authors share a description of the program, its status, and the strategies for evaluation.

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Forages For Horses Workshop Meets The Needs Of A Growing Clientele, Christopher T. Zoller, Troy Cooper, Gary Wilson Jun 2002

Forages For Horses Workshop Meets The Needs Of A Growing Clientele, Christopher T. Zoller, Troy Cooper, Gary Wilson

Journal of Extension

A growing number of people are purchasing horses for pleasure riding but have very limited knowledge about basic forage production practices. The Ohio State University Extension Forages for Horses workshop was developed by agents and specialists to teach horse owners and stable managers basic forage management concepts. Topics taught in this 2-evening workshop included: anatomy and physiology; plant growth; soil fertility; species selection; pasture renovation; hay storage; and poisonous plant identification. Evaluation of the program was positive, and participants indicated they gained new knowledge as evidenced by pre and post-test scores.

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Pyramid Pizzazz: An Educational Tool For Tracking Food Intake, Rose Fisher Merkowitz, Mary F. Longo, Elizabeth Flynn, Sharon Gattshall Jun 2002

Pyramid Pizzazz: An Educational Tool For Tracking Food Intake, Rose Fisher Merkowitz, Mary F. Longo, Elizabeth Flynn, Sharon Gattshall

Journal of Extension

Do your nutrition class participants need to pizzazz up their lives? If so, we have the teaching tool for you--Pyramid Pizzazz. Pyramid Pizzazz is a teaching tool designed to assist in tracking the daily intake of food. The teaching packet includes a lesson plan, food guide fact sheets, an erasable magnetic board, and a notepad to track daily food consumption. Pyramid Pizzazz helps clients take steps to a healthy way of eating.

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Rousing The People On The Land: The Roots Of The Educational Organizing Tradition In Extension Work, Scott J. Peters Jun 2002

Rousing The People On The Land: The Roots Of The Educational Organizing Tradition In Extension Work, Scott J. Peters

Journal of Extension

Recent calls for "engagement" have land-grant institutions searching for ways to develop "two-way" partnerships between universities and communities for broad civic purposes. The renewal of a powerful but little understood tradition of educational organizing in Cooperative Extension work can help place Extension on the front lines of this important work. In this article, the author traces and discusses the roots of the tradition of educational organizing, shedding light on one of the most inspiring forgotten chapters of cooperative Extension history.

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Be "Logical" About Program Evaluation: Begin With Learning Assessment, Mary E. Arnold Jun 2002

Be "Logical" About Program Evaluation: Begin With Learning Assessment, Mary E. Arnold

Journal of Extension

In an effort to build program planning and evaluation capacity in Extension faculty, this article focuses on assessing the learning that takes place in an educational program. Using logic modeling as the basis for meaningful evaluation, specific steps are outlined for measuring learning outcomes. These steps include articulating outcomes, turning outcomes into knowledge statements, and constructing a tool to measure perceived changes in knowledge. Although Extension educators are concerned not just with learning, but with action and social change that also occur, focusing on learning assessment provides a perfect opportunity to build skills in program planning and evaluation.

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Brown Bag Lunch Programs: Another Avenue To Access?, Michael Johnson Jun 2002

Brown Bag Lunch Programs: Another Avenue To Access?, Michael Johnson

Journal of Extension

Finding ways to "get the word out" is always a challenge for Extension. Developing brown bag lunch programs is a way to reach a new Extension audience. Determining how best to do this in each community can give the Extension educator an opportunity to provide another resource and more opportunities for programming, teaching, and educating. Brown bag lunch programs have been a success for our office in that we have had an audience for all the sessions, and, most important, we have seen new faces, people new to Extension who are becoming more involved with us and our programs.

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Service-Learning: Going Beyond Traditional Extension Activities, Pamala V. Morris, John Pomery, Kate E. Murray Apr 2002

Service-Learning: Going Beyond Traditional Extension Activities, Pamala V. Morris, John Pomery, Kate E. Murray

Journal of Extension

This article advocates service-learning as an integrative strategy for Cooperative Extension Educators to advance the concept of a truly engaged institution through the use of college students. The authors, having designed and implemented a service-learning course, discuss the advantages of experiential education and its positive impact on the university, students, communities, and the Cooperative Extension Service.

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Building Local Knowledge For Developing Health Policy Through Key Informant Interviews, Lois Wright Morton Apr 2002

Building Local Knowledge For Developing Health Policy Through Key Informant Interviews, Lois Wright Morton

Journal of Extension

Key informant surveys offer Extension educators a way to build knowledge about their local health systems and provide a catalyst for developing health policies. Key informant surveys of 138 leaders in 14 rural counties revealed the top 10 health goals across these counties. These goals are a starting point for public dialogues to develop a local health agenda and engage Extension in strengthening local partnerships around health education, intervention, and policy development.

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The Nutrition Information And Resource Center At Penn State University, Katherine L. Carson, Julie A. Haines Apr 2002

The Nutrition Information And Resource Center At Penn State University, Katherine L. Carson, Julie A. Haines

Journal of Extension

Consumers are barraged with nutrition and health information. This presents a challenge for educators to keep abreast of the latest information. In order to help address this need, a Nutrition Information and Resource Center (NIRC) was developed. NIRC has an informational Web site (http://nirc.cas.psu.edu/) with online fact sheets, links to credible Web sites, an email question and answer system ([email protected]), and a lending library. The NIRC provides resources for educators that they can use to help children, youth, and families to acquire knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to improve their health.

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A Method For Evaluating Storm-Damaged Cotton For Extension County Agents And Specialists, C Dale Monks, Dennis P. Delaney, Malcom Pegues, Michael G. Patterson Apr 2002

A Method For Evaluating Storm-Damaged Cotton For Extension County Agents And Specialists, C Dale Monks, Dennis P. Delaney, Malcom Pegues, Michael G. Patterson

Journal of Extension

Extension county agents and specialists are often asked to provide unbiased crop damage assessments when storms occur. There is generally no published methodology on which to base damage assessments. The objectives of the project described here were to (a) provide an unbiased database to producers and crop insurance representatives and (b) develop an unbiased, in-field method for damage evaluations for cotton. This method proved to be effective in allowing Extension personnel to monitor crop damage over time as a result of the storm. It provided an unbiased database for use by Extension and USDA workers, producers, and crop insurance personnel.

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Biological Training For Poultry Flock Advisors: Training The Trainer, Joseph B. Hess, Michael K. Eckman Apr 2002

Biological Training For Poultry Flock Advisors: Training The Trainer, Joseph B. Hess, Michael K. Eckman

Journal of Extension

Continuing training of poultry flock advisors is an important effort of many Extension specialists and agents in areas having significant poultry industries. The programs discussed in this article describe unique efforts to deliver training on a company-by-company basis. Collaborative efforts by industry, allied industry, and Extension personnel produced programs that were well received by the broiler industry nationally.

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Student Wellness Needs In Rural Appalachia, Sally Summers, Paul Leary Feb 2002

Student Wellness Needs In Rural Appalachia, Sally Summers, Paul Leary

Journal of Extension

The study reported here determined the youth risk behaviors of students in a rural high school. A 44-item questionnaire adapted from the Youth Risk Survey developed at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention was administered. Findings indicate that some issues of national concern were not confirmed in this West Virginia sample. Tobacco and steroid use were not significant issues in this study. The areas of suicide ideation and food choices, however, highlighted areas of concern. Implications for practice are proposed.

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Evaluating A Diversity Educational Resource In Cooperative Extension, Patreese D. Ingram, Rama Radhakrishna Feb 2002

Evaluating A Diversity Educational Resource In Cooperative Extension, Patreese D. Ingram, Rama Radhakrishna

Journal of Extension

A variety of efforts are under way to help build the capacity of Cooperative Extension to effectively serve culturally diverse communities. In Pennsylvania, one such effort was the development of Diverse Issues, a quarterly newsletter. The newsletter is mailed to Extension professionals across the state. This article describes this "idea at work" and the feedback received from those who read it. Extension professionals generally consider Diverse Issues as a valued diversity educational resource.

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The Role Of Extension In Controversial Studies: The Case Of Interstate Dairy Compacts, Kenneth W. Bailey Feb 2002

The Role Of Extension In Controversial Studies: The Case Of Interstate Dairy Compacts, Kenneth W. Bailey

Journal of Extension

This article reviews the steps taken at the University of Missouri in dealing with a very controversial study on dairy compacts. More and more, Extension is being asked to conduct applied economic studies on controversial public policy issues. However, care must be taken to conduct these studies in an objective and scholarly manner without unnecessarily alienating affected stakeholders. Academic freedom and integrity must be maintained, and faculty cannot allow themselves to be placed in a position to be influenced by affected stakeholders. At the same time, Extension cannot operate effectively without these important stakeholders. This study outlines an acceptable balance.

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Building Local Knowledge For Developing Health Policy Through Key Informant Interviews, Lois Wright Morton Feb 2002

Building Local Knowledge For Developing Health Policy Through Key Informant Interviews, Lois Wright Morton

Journal of Extension

Key informant surveys offer Extension educators a way to build knowledge about their local health systems and provide a catalyst for developing health policies. Key informant surveys of 138 leaders in 14 rural counties revealed the top 10 health goals across these counties. These goals are a starting point for public dialogues to develop a local health agenda and engage Extension in strengthening local partnerships around health education, intervention, and policy development.

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Measuring And Benchmarking Customer Satisfaction: Implications For Organizational And Stakeholder Accountability, Rama Radhakrishna Feb 2002

Measuring And Benchmarking Customer Satisfaction: Implications For Organizational And Stakeholder Accountability, Rama Radhakrishna

Journal of Extension

Customer satisfaction has become an important performance measurement tool for many organizations, and Cooperative Extension is no exception. Clemson Extension Service conducted a customer satisfaction survey (CSS). A total of 1,068 clients responded to a 14-item survey that elicited data on Extension information use, satisfaction with services, and demographic information. Overall, findings indicated that customers were very satisfied with the service from Clemson Extension, and a majority indicated that the programs were up-to-date, accurate, and relevant to their situations. The CSS findings were benchmarked with two other states in the Southern Region as standards of measurement.

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Farmers' Markets: Consumer Trends, Preferences, And Characteristics, Ramu Govindasamy, John Italia, Adesoji Adelaja Feb 2002

Farmers' Markets: Consumer Trends, Preferences, And Characteristics, Ramu Govindasamy, John Italia, Adesoji Adelaja

Journal of Extension

The study reported here provides an overview of attitudes, preferences, and characteristics of consumers who shop at farmers' markets. The results, based on a consumer survey of 336 patrons of New Jersey farmers' markets, revealed that absence of a market in customers' vicinity, lack of knowledge, and inconvenience in terms of time and location were the main reasons for not patronizing these markets. On average, consumers spent $16 per visit, and the majority had attended between two to four different farmers' markets. The majority visited these facilities once a week, once every 2 weeks, or once a month.

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Development Of A Dairy Management Information Web Site, Am Chapa, Jw Smith, Lo Ely, Wd Gilson Feb 2002

Development Of A Dairy Management Information Web Site, Am Chapa, Jw Smith, Lo Ely, Wd Gilson

Journal of Extension

"The Dairy Manager" Web site was developed to provide producers access to current, reliable management information. The site is designed for efficient use by the producer or county Extension educator and contains compiled, reviewed, specific, and current dairy management information. The site is updated frequently and a panel of experts in various fields related to dairy production and management review the material prior to posting to the Web site.

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Differences Between Parent And School Personnel Observations Of Extension Service Literacy Program's Impact With Children, Margaret W. Miltenberger Dec 2001

Differences Between Parent And School Personnel Observations Of Extension Service Literacy Program's Impact With Children, Margaret W. Miltenberger

Journal of Extension

The purpose of the qualitative research study reported here was to learn if parents and school personnel observed changes in children's reading as a result of participation in the Energy Express summer reading program. Results of interviews revealed that both parents and teachers observed a positive program impact. Parents noticed improvements in their children's reading, where as teachers emphasized socialization gains. There were significant differences between school personnel's connections with children in larger schools as compared to smaller school communities. The qualitative research is consistent with the quantitative data; both demonstrate the Energy Express program's positive impact on children's reading.

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The Department Of Housing And Urban Development And Cooperative Extension: A Case For Urban Collaboration, Timothy O. Borich Dec 2001

The Department Of Housing And Urban Development And Cooperative Extension: A Case For Urban Collaboration, Timothy O. Borich

Journal of Extension

USDA-sponsored Cooperative Extension systems and university programs offered through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) may find themselves in collaboration or conflict as both expand urban outreach activities. This article draws attention to some of the potential issues of concern, examines a case where collaboration has occurred, and details points of future collaboration. Based upon a pilot in Des Moines, Iowa, recommendations are given to foster further cooperation and forgo redundancy between the two systems.

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Cracking The Concrete Ceiling: Inquiry Into The Aspirations, Values, Motives, And Actions Of African American Female 1890 Cooperative Extension Administrators, Marjorie Moore, Jo Jones Dec 2001

Cracking The Concrete Ceiling: Inquiry Into The Aspirations, Values, Motives, And Actions Of African American Female 1890 Cooperative Extension Administrators, Marjorie Moore, Jo Jones

Journal of Extension

The potential population Extension serves continues to become more ethnically diverse. Does Extension administrative leadership reflect diversity in both ethnicity and gender? In most states the answer is "no". It is the authors' premise that if the numbers of minority administrators increases, so will the number of minorities in county program positions, and thus, the number of minority clientele. This article provides research findings related to challenges current African American women administrators face, what they believe contributed to their success in breaking the concrete ceiling within the 1890 Cooperative Extension System, and professional development suggestions for African American females aspiring …

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The Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program's (Fsnep) Impact On Selected Food And Nutrition Behaviors Among Texans, Jenna Anding, Rickie D. Fletcher, Peggy Van Laanen, Cheryl Supak Dec 2001

The Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program's (Fsnep) Impact On Selected Food And Nutrition Behaviors Among Texans, Jenna Anding, Rickie D. Fletcher, Peggy Van Laanen, Cheryl Supak

Journal of Extension

The Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program (FSNEP) focuses on improving the dietary intakes and food safety and food resource management skills among limited resource individuals. To assess its impact, a telephone survey was administered to participants to assess changes in 20 food and nutrition behaviors. Subjects (n=459) reported improvements in all identified behaviors upon completion of the FSNEP program (p < .0001). Results suggest that the FSNEP is improving food and nutrition behaviors among limited-resource individuals.

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Teaching Nutrition To Hispanics At An English As A Second Language (Esl) Center: Overcoming Barriers, Gloria Fidalgo, Karen Chapman-Novakofski Dec 2001

Teaching Nutrition To Hispanics At An English As A Second Language (Esl) Center: Overcoming Barriers, Gloria Fidalgo, Karen Chapman-Novakofski

Journal of Extension

Reaching minorities in their communities is a challenging goal for Extension educators. Informal programs of English as a Second Language (ESL) may be an avenue through which nutrition education can be provided to Hispanics. To test this process, a nutrition education program was pilot-tested to a group of Hispanic participants of informal ESL classes. This article discusses the barriers that were encountered during this pilot program. Barriers were related to the dynamics of working with volunteer organizations, to the Hispanics' characteristics, and to the pilot program's goals.

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Seniors Can: Enhancing Independence For Older Adults, Claudia Collins Dec 2001

Seniors Can: Enhancing Independence For Older Adults, Claudia Collins

Journal of Extension

Seniors CAN is an Extension wellness program for older adults that works! With the growth of the aging population, Extension is trying to provide useful programming for seniors. Seniors CAN models the crucial step of incorporating wellness behavior changes into everyday life. The program's main purpose is to enhance older adults' independent living skills by increasing their ability to decipher the overwhelming body of wellness information and increasing their sense of control over their lives. Preliminary data analysis suggests that this interactive educational program for seniors can positively affect their sense of control and produce some immediate behavior changes that …

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Raleigh County, West Virginia Student Transition From Elementary To Middle School Extension Program, R Dewayne Mcgrady, Patrick Nestor Dec 2001

Raleigh County, West Virginia Student Transition From Elementary To Middle School Extension Program, R Dewayne Mcgrady, Patrick Nestor

Journal of Extension

The transition to middle school brings apprehension to both students and parents. The Raleigh County Transition Camp offers students a 1-week camping experience to help prepare them for junior high school. The evaluation for the 1999 program revealed that students who attended the program increased their levels of excitement and enthusiasm toward attending junior high school. Conversely, camping program attendees experienced decreased levels of anxiety toward attending a new school.

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Interactive Distance Learning Effectively Provides Winning Sports Nutrition Workshops, Jennifer Ricketts, Sharon Hoelscher-Day, Gale Begeman, Linda Houtkooper Oct 2001

Interactive Distance Learning Effectively Provides Winning Sports Nutrition Workshops, Jennifer Ricketts, Sharon Hoelscher-Day, Gale Begeman, Linda Houtkooper

Journal of Extension

This study compared an interactive distance-education format and a face-to-face format for providing sports nutrition continuing education workshops for health care and education professionals. A collaborative team of state and county Cooperative Extension and a County Health Department faculty and staff conducted the study using The Winning Edge: Nutrition for Fitness and Sport curriculum. The results indicated that a well-designed distance-education format is as effective and acceptable as a face-to-face format for providing workshops. In addition, responses to 6-month follow-up evaluations indicated that the workshop contents were useful for providing sports nutrition education programs in workshop participants' communities.

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Content Analysis Of Media Coverage Of The 1995 Dietary Guidelines For Americans, Debra Palmer Keenan, Rayane Abusabha, Natalie G. Robinson Oct 2001

Content Analysis Of Media Coverage Of The 1995 Dietary Guidelines For Americans, Debra Palmer Keenan, Rayane Abusabha, Natalie G. Robinson

Journal of Extension

The study reported here examined the nature of the nutrition messages communicated by the media about the 1995 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Upon the release of the 1995 Guidelines, a mass media content analysis was conducted to determine the nature of the media messages communicated to the public. Media channels included were national and local newspapers, national television news and news type programs, magazines, and National Public Radio (NPR). Findings indicate that the Dietary Guidelines are not covered adequately by the media. Nutrition educators are encouraged to take a more active role in making their expertise available to the various …

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Consumer Understanding Of The Food Guide Pyramid And Dietary Guidelines, Cynthia Reeves Tuttle Aug 2001

Consumer Understanding Of The Food Guide Pyramid And Dietary Guidelines, Cynthia Reeves Tuttle

Journal of Extension

The Food Guide Pyramid and the Dietary Guidelines are tools commonly used in nutrition education. The Pyramid has become a highly visible marketing tool, and related consumer awareness is quite high. The study reported here compared perceived consumer awareness of these tools with consumers' ability to relate the information they impart. The results indicate that, although awareness and perceived knowledge of the content of the tools is high (100%), the ability to identify food groups, appropriate number of servings, and dietary guidelines is surprisingly low and not consistent with their perceptions. These findings indicate important areas of emphasis for Extension …

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Extension And Health Promotion: An Adult Learning Approach, Doris E. Gillis, Leona M. English Jun 2001

Extension And Health Promotion: An Adult Learning Approach, Doris E. Gillis, Leona M. English

Journal of Extension

In order to strengthen the health of three communities in Nova Scotia, a group of community-based agencies, including a university Extension department, a local women's association, and a regional public health department, initiated a health promotion project called PATH (People Assessing Their Health). This article examines the use of intentional adult learning approaches to enable the participants to examine their experiences of health and factors that are determinants of health in their communities. Community members designed community impact assessment tools, unique to each of their communities, that can be used to determine the impact of policies, programs, and services on …

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