Disengaged farmers: The land grant system’s overlooked clientele. Journal of Southern Agricultural Education Research, 53(1). Retrieved October 26

Abstract

The land–grant university was founded to promote equality in American society by educating the common man, developing knowledge to solve problems, and by disseminating that knowledge to all who need it. The Cooperative Extension Service (CES) offers research based information and non-formal education to the public, and serves as a link between the universities ’ researchers and the citizen: However, some in the population are not benefiting from the land-grant system. The focus of this study was to describe the differences between Oklahoma wheat producers who knew about extension programs and those who did not know about extension programs. The theoretical framework for the study was Rogers ' model for the diffusion of innovation. The hypothesis was that those who did not know about extension programs would fit the profile of laggards/late adopters described in the literature. The findings of the study strongly supported the hypothesis and implied that the university must become more proactive in reaching this group. The findings also illustrate a need for more research in this area to better understand and serve all of the land-grant university's stakeholders