The current study was conducted to analyse the sources of information utilized by dairy farmers of rural Punjab for obtaining information on organic waste management. A total of 80 farmers (40 each, small and large) were selected for the study. Results revealed that small farmers had a low level of information source utilization whereas, large…

Achieving a deep understanding of the many topics covered in middle school biology classes is difficult for many students. One way to help students learn these topics is through scenario-based learning, which enhances students' performance. The scenario-based problem-solving module presented here, "The Strawberry Caper," not only…

A research project in the San Luis Valley of Colorado sought to isolate a few unique farm types that could become target groups for the design and implementation of agricultural research and extension programs. Questionnaires were completed by 44 of 65 farmers in one watershed area of Conejos County. Analysis revealed a complex pattern of…

In 1987-88 large farms (annual sales over $40,000) had loan default and insolvency rates 2.5-3 times greater than small farms. Small farm solvency was related to income stability associated with off-farm employment, and decreased in areas with fewer off-farm employment opportunities. (SV)

Develops a lesson explaining the farm tenancy system in which displaced farmers work on large landowners' farms. Describes various forms of tenancy: small farmer, cash tenant, share tenant, sharecropper, and migrant worker. Provides lyrics from eight folk songs and lists questions to help students retrieve information about farm tenancy in the…

The major purpose of this study was to identify the instructional needs in agriculture for small farmers in Kansas. Secondary purposes of the study included the identification of individual characteristics of small and part-time farmers for various educational methods, program schedules, and program length. A survey instrument was developed and…

THE MOST FREQUENT METHOD OF GROUP FORMATION FOR INTENSIVE FARM MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS IN NEW YORK STATE HAS BEEN TO COMBINE ALL INTERESTED FARMERS IN LARGE GROUPS AT THE COUNTY EXTENSION HEADQUARTERS. THIS EXPERIMENT WAS SET UP TO STUDY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TWO METHODS OF FORMING SMALL GROUPS--BY SOCIOMETRIC CHOICE OR SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS. ALL…

Possible economic and social trends in world agriculture by year 2000 will include increased energy costs; larger, fewer and more specialized farms; decreasing agricultural population; closer ties between farmers and large agribusinesses; more emphasis on consumer and environmental protection; and an increased importance of agriculture in…

As part of a series prepared to acquaint small community officials with information on the latest community related research findings at the University of California at Davis, this monograph explicates the way in which tax structure, rural development assumptions, and even rural development policies and subsidies contribute to the inequities found…

This overview is composed of four major sections. Part I is a map of agricultural extension's "territory," that is, the definitions and systems. It discusses extension functions in agricultural production institutions and varying institutional settings, describes types of extension systems, and considers farmers' degree of influence on extension…

Little of the profits produced by American agriculture stays in rural America. During 1973, the farmer received less than 46 cents of every food dollar spent at the supermarket even though food prices continued to soar. Farm subsidy payments, originally designed to protect the small farmer's income, were diverted to corporate giants, large…

The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) has proposed a set of social studies guidelines to direct the manner in which teachers function within classrooms. This paper questions not whether there should be standards, but which standards. The paper first discusses the quest for certitude, noting that a teacher is not a farmer who tends…

A telephone survey of a random sample of operators of mid-to large-size farms in Virginia was used to identify informational needs of the Virginia farm operator, to evaluate farmer perception of Virginia Cooperative Extension Service programs, and to gather data on the publications read and other media used by farmers. A total of 334 20-question…

In 1970, many Americans are examining anew the costs of achieving efficiency in agriculture through bigness. The exodus of small farmers continues--more than 2.7 million farmers have abandoned farming or sold out to bigger competitors since 1950--while Government agricultural policy remains attuned to the interests of large farmers. All small…

Certification within organic agriculture exhibits flexibility with respect to practices used to demonstrate that a product meets published quality standards. This case study of Mexican certified-organic agriculture finds two forms. Indigenous smallholders of southern Mexico undertake a low-input, process-oriented organic farming in which…