Farmers involved in local food systems are seeking opportunities to expand operations and diversify their sources of income through value-added operations and access to new markets. To be successful, producers need further food safety training and business skills acquisition to mitigate potential risks. We outline and discuss a multidisciplinary…

This article describes a novel grain marketing simulation game called "Marketing in a New Era" (MINE) that was developed for use in Extension producer meetings and other educational settings. Key benefits of MINE are that users can personalize the game's marketing simulation environment by incorporating information specific to their…

We explored rural older adults perceptions of health to inform health promotion program development, using social marketing as our framework. Participants in seven focus groups viewed independence and holistic health as indicators of health and identified healthful eating and physical activity as actions to promote health. Barriers to these…

Educational commodity marketing clubs have been an effective tool for producers to develop their grain and livestock marketing skills. These groups are further enhanced when the participants engage in "actual trading" versus "paper trading" techniques. When a club chooses to try actual trading, it becomes more complicated than pooling monies…

The author lists four goals in teaching marketing to farmers: Change the farmers' attitudes about marketing; encourage them to plan their marketing and integrate it with the production, financing, and risk-bearing aspects of their business; get their marketing into a decision-making context; and help them monitor their progress. (CT)

Elements of the "Balancing Act--Home and Work" program, developed by the Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service and designed to help employees develop skills and insights for balancing home and work responsibilities, are presented. Discusses needs assessment, pilot testing, program marketing, and program effectiveness.…