Preparing Traditional Providers for Delivery of Sustainable Agriculture Information

Preparing Traditional Providers for Delivery of Sustainable Agriculture Information

Summary

This project is a planning proposal. The product of this project will be a second (implementation) proposal that outlines strategies for assisting traditional information providers — CES, NRCS field agents — in becoming better sources for sustainable agriculture information.

This project is a participatory process. Stakeholders will be identified and representatives of stakeholder groups (CES, NRCS, farmers, NGOs) will work together toward the common goal of the implementation proposal.

The focus of this process will center on three themes: 1) improving collaboration among stakeholders — especially among traditional information providers (CES, NRCS) and non-traditional sources of sustainable agriculture information, 2) identifying ways to familiarize agents with the depth and breadth of sustainable agriculture materials available, and 3) identifying the means for making those materials more readily accessible through creative use of web-based electronic resources.

Behavior-based Objectives
The primary objective of this project is an implementation proposal. In addition, the process of planning this proposal is intended to bring about the following behavior-based objectives:
1.) Increased collaboration and information exchange among representatives of stakeholder groups (e.g. CES & NRCS staff, farmers and non-government organizations (NGOs)).
2.) Establishment of belief (“buy-in”) by stakeholders, through information exchange with their representatives in the planning process, in the objectives of the implementation proposal. The objectives of the implementation proposal are tentatively identified as:
3.)That traditional information providers — CES, NRCS field agents — become a primary delivery system for sustainable agriculture information.
4.) That traditional information providers and non-traditional sources of sustainable agriculture information interact more effectively and make more frequent and effective use of each other’s published materials.
5.) CES agents in particular, consider out-of-state educational materials as usable resources to support their educational work in sustainable agriculture.

Collaborators: