Methods, Collaboration and Communication in On-Farm Research and Demonstrations

Commodities

Practices

• Education and Training: demonstration, extension, farmer to farmer, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research

An opportunity exists to conduct on-farm research and
demonstration with a primary goal of serving the farm community
over advancing agricultural technologies. Recognizing that today,
farmers have equal part in learning together with the university
and other non-profit agricultural research institutions including
but not limited to creating their own research project,
conducting data collection, assisting in the data analysis and
determining the goals of the on-farm research projects.

There is a need for researchers to create space for farmers to
learn alongside trained researchers to help remove "black box"
systems. By democratizing science, we can reduce language and
social barriers when farmers participate in research. Working
together could provide more valuable services to farm communities
and result in better science communication skills for
researchers.

The educational approach will be a train-the-trainer where 40
agriculture service providers (ASPs) explore new ways
institutions and non-profits are conducting on-farm research and
demonstrations with and for farmers. 30 participating ASPs will
work together to practice a new on-farm research strategy with
local farmers. Farmers will indicate a higher desire to change
practices as a result of the new participatory methods. Farmers
will indicate they better understand research methods and feel
more comfortable conducting their own research. ASPs will be more
confident that farmers will accept the research findings.

30 Agriculture Service Providers will work together to implement
new on-farm research and demonstration strategies on 15 farms
that result in 50 new farmer-to-farmer interaction.

2 Key Individuals and ASPs will discover and implement
participatory learning techniques in programs offered in Spanish
for 40 farmers. 20 will pass an exam and obtain professional
credentials.