Containerized Table-Top Christmas Trees: Interest Among Pennsylvania Consumers and Attitudes Concerning Care and Handling

Sixty-one percent of 392 consumer-survey participants were aware that containerized table-top Christmas trees were available for purchase. Eighty-seven percent of participants responded that they were likely to actually plant a containerized table-top Christmas tree in their yard after the holidays. In response to post-planting care, 24% felt that they wouldn\u27t be able to properly care for the tree and that it wouldn\u27t survive. Extension personnel need to work with growers to ensure that only cold hardy trees are sold for this purpose and that educational materials are offered that will provide consumers with proper planting guideline and care instructions

Small Farm Resource Centers as Informal Extension Hubs in Underserved Areas: Case Studies from Southeast Asia

A Small Farm Resource Center (SFRC) is an informal in-situ extension model used for testing promising agricultural and rural livelihoods options on a physical central site, with some measure of extension methodology. There is a need to evaluate SFRCs as research-extension models operating outside of formal government extension and advisory services. Seven SFRCs located in Southeast Asia were studied to classify extension methodologies adopted by those centers, evaluate extension efficacy, and to provide recommendations for amplifying their services. On average in 2013, SFRCs were 21.1 years old, covered 24.2 ha, cost 242,000 USD to establish and had a yearly operating cost of 28,500 USD. The work of the seven SFRCs could be classified into five predominant extension methodologies: on-site and off-site demonstrations, on-site and off-site trainings, and off-site extension outreach. Most of the SFRCs utilized combinations of these and tailored their methods to the particular context. Besides agricultural production, SFRCs also offered socio-cultural and socio-economic assistance, owing to a cycle of extension knowledge refinement. SFRCS were re-engaged in 2021 and all 7 were still operational, and the majority provided the same number or more services (57%) as in 2013, utilized the same amount of space (71%), and were perceived to have the same or more efficacy (71%) even in the face of decreasing or stagnating funding (71%) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, SFRCs continue to be used successfully throughout Southeast Asia and provide cost-effective and needs-based extension and advisory services to underserved populations outside of formal extension services

Improving Soil Health of Commercial Vegetable Home Gardens through Conservation Agriculture in Cambodia

Tillage systems are components of broad agricultural practices that affect soil properties and soil health. These changes include soil respiration, density, moisture, and pH. Conservation agriculture practices have the potential to improve soil health by reducing tillage. In agricultural production, there can be numerous approaches to achieving consistently high yields annually; however, this study specifically looked at conventional tillage and conservation agriculture systems. This study aimed to determine soil fauna biodiversity and soil health under conservation agriculture (CA) and conventional tillage (CT) management practices of vegetable production in Cambodia. Five CA and five CT plots were selected and included in this study. Fifty soil samples were collected from CA and CT plots for soil fauna measurement, and in-situ tests were made using Biofunctool© for soil health assessment. The results showed that the abundance of soil fauna and aggregation stability were greater in CA than in CT. Soil fauna biodiversity enhancement may provide better soil health for soil improvement by adapting farming management practices

Jumpstart Your International Extension Experience with Farmer-To-Farmer

Extension is increasingly being called upon to internationalize. But how can Extension personnel gain valuable overseas experience given the constraints of time, finances, and the language barrier? The USAID Farmer-To-Farmer (FTF) program offers a practical first step. This article provides an overview of the FTF program and includes links to the eight implementing agencies