Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

From Resistance To Receptiveness: Farmer Willingness To Participate In Extension Discussions About Climate Variability And Climate Change, David C. Diehl, Elder P. Garcia, Nicole L. Sloan, Daniel R. Dourte, Sebastian Galindo-Gonzalez, Clyde W. Fraisse

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Identifying what Extension professionals believe are the critical elements of a communication strategy that is most likely to encourage agricultural producers to participate in discussions of climate variability and climate change is pivotal to providing timely solutions to issues facing farmers. The current study involved interviews with 50 Extension professionals from four southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina) who were engaged in ongoing work related to climate and agriculture. Respondents were asked to assess how best to engage farmers in conversations related to climate variability and climate change. Qualitative analysis showed that Extension professionals recommended avoiding content related …