Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. in domestic cattle and wild Roosevelt elk: fecal pathogens at the wildlife-domestic interface

Direct or indirect contact between domestic populations of animals and wildlife carries an inherent risk for transmission of pathogens that cause infectious disease. In Humboldt and Del Norte counties of northern California, ongoing conflict between ranchers and Roosevelt elk groups results from elk use of ranching pastures and pastures on private land. Fecal samples from elk in association with cattle, cattle, and from elk not in known association with cattle were assessed for the presence of bacteria Salmonella enterica and pathogenic Escherichia coli to assess whether association with cattle increases risk of infection for elk. Group identity (one of the elk groups or cattle group) was the leading parameter in infection likelihood models, and elk in association with cattle were over nine times more likely to have pathogenic non-O157:H7 E. coli isolated from their feces than elk that were not in association with cattle

Are We There Yet? Toward an Agricultural Communications Academic Organization

As agricultural communications has grown and evolved since its origins more than 100 years ago, the future directions of the discipline related to teaching, research, and as a professional organization are discussed with a challenge to the members of the profession to be engaged in future discussions and decisions

Agricultural Issues on the Ballot: A Case Study of the 2009 Ohio Issue 2 Campaign

This in-depth case study explored the marketing of the November 2009 ballot initiative that created the Ohio Livestock Care Standards board. Key individuals who were involved in communications campaigns dealing with the ballot initiative were interviewed and media coverage was closely analyzed. The interviews examined questions dealing with the origin of the initiative, the types of media used to promote it, the budget for the media campaign and which types of media were viewed as the most valuable and successful. The information obtained reveals which types of media are most effective in reaching consumers about agricultural issues according to campaign organizers. By examining a successful agricultural communications campaign, insight can be gained about how other groups can best reach the public and persuade them to support legislation benefiting the agricultural industry

Advertising Agrarian Unreality: College Students\u27 Preferences for Agricultural Commodity Advertising Content

Critics of agricultural commodity groups claim the advertising strategies used by those groups promote unrealistic perceptions of modern agricultural practices. To answer this question, the researchers sought to investigate young consumers’ preferences for realistic versus unrealistic agricultural video content. Using an online survey questionnaire, the researchers compared undergraduate students’ affective responses to content from the “Happy Cows” advertising campaign to those elicited from viewing educational video content pertaining to modern dairy husbandry practices. Subjects reported similar levels of liking for both video sets, while the informational videos scored higher for realism and perceived quality of animal care. Students with less familiarity with agriculture reported greater liking for the educational content. The researchers recommend a movement away from purely entertaining advertising content for agricultural products in favor of more realistic, fact-based promotions

“I Believe This is What You Were Trying to Get Across Here”: The Effectiveness of Asynchronous eTutoring Comments

This article discusses our work examining asynchronous eTutoring comments and how we determined whether tutor comments on papers submitted to our writing center were effective. Drawing from the fields of writing center theory, education, and rhetoric and composition, we define effectiveness as a combination of revision and improvement factors (Faigley and Witte; Stay; Bowden). Data collected consisted of initial and subsequent drafts of student papers submitted for eTutoring sessions, including the comments a tutor made on each paper. We categorized the comments and corresponding revisions to answer the following questions: which types of comments result in the greatest number of revision changes? And, do those comments, according to our definition, align with the types of comments we find to be the most effective? We found that frequency and effectiveness were not the only factors in determining a comment’s importance. We emphasize the necessity of instruction and scaffolding in tutor comments to potentially increase their effectiveness and student understanding.University Writing Cente

Exploring the Relationship Between Pre-School-aged Animated Television and Agriculture: A Content Analysis of Disney Junior\u27s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Understanding how modern preschool television series are framing agriculture can help agricultural communicators and educators gain insight into what schemata preschoolers have developed about agriculture prior to participation in formal education and non-formal youth programming (such as 4-H). Framing theory and schema theory play a role in a developing child’s absorption and interpretation of television programming content. Considering the potential implications of television consumption by preschoolers, this study aims to use summative content analysis methods to examine how agriculture is framed in current preschool-aged animated television programming. This analysis reviewed two iTunes collections of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, each of which contained five episodes of the show. The two iTunes collections selected — “Mickey and Donald Have a Farm” and “Mickey’s Farm Fun-Fair!” — were chosen because of their farm-centric themes. While content analysis revealed Mickey Mouse Clubhouse does frame agriculture in a positive context, it also uncovered a lack of depth in regard to educational lessons related to production agriculture. Additionally, several inaccuracies and improbable scenarios regarding production livestock, farm machinery and crops were discovered

Narrowing the Farm-to-Plate Knowledge Gap through Semiotics and the Study of Consumer Responses Regarding Livestock Images

It has been suggested that a farm-to-plate knowledge gap exists between farmers and consumers. In addition, previous studies have concluded that U.S. citizens do not have accurate knowledge or perceptions about agriculture. It is thought that this absence of knowledge and existing misconceptions may be due to the images consumers see regularly through the media. In this research study, researchers used a directly administered questionnaire to evaluate consumers’ responses regarding the comparison of two livestock images. The study was conducted at the 2009 Ohio State Fair. Through voluntary participation, research participants answered questions regarding their perceptions of traditional and conventional livestock housing methods by viewing two images. In addition, participants were asked to justify each of their responses through oral reasoning. Questionnaires were completed by 508 participants, of which 502 were deemed usable. Results indicate participants are somewhat knowledgeable about livestock housing methods, but the perceptions and justifications of the respondents are not always accurate. The results also indicate agricultural images, as well as images regularly seen in the media, may influence such perceptions. In order to narrow the farm-to-plate knowledge gap, it is important for the agriculture industry to effectively improve the knowledge and perceptions of agriculture amongst consumers

Crowdsourcing Change: An Analysis of Twitter Discourse on Food Waste and Reduction Strategies

Food waste has emerged as a major issue in the United States as the nation collectively sends more than 133 billion pounds of food to its landfills every year. In September 2015, the USDA and EPA announced an initiative to cut U.S. food waste in half by 2030. Between 2015 and 2016, nearly 100,000 posts about food waste have been published on Twitter, a microblogging platform that has been a hub of “slacktivism” since its inception in 2006. Using a conceptual framework of social cognitive theory, online activism, and crowdsourcing, we analyzed food waste conversation participants’ demographics, online communities, and proposed solutions. Data analysis was conducted with listening software Sysomos MAP and a qualitative content analysis of conversation content. The analysis revealed that more than 2,000 U.S. users engaged in the conversation, forming four discrete conversation communities led by influencers from government, news media, and environmental organizations. Proposed solutions to the food waste crisis included domestic or household behavior change, food-waste diversion and donation, recycling and upcycling, consumer education, and governmental action and policy. We recommend using Twitter to mine, test, and deploy solutions for combating food waste; engage with influential users; and disseminate materials for further research into the behavioral implications of online activism related to food waste

Exploring the Impact of Ohio Agricultural Organizations’ Social Media Use on Traditional Media Coverage of Agriculture

One of the nation’s most important industries, agriculture, has adopted social media to communicate with consumers and the public. At the same time, traditional news media remains important to the agriculture industry because many consumers still receive information about agriculture from sources such as newspapers and television. Little literature at the time of this study explored how social media is used specifically as a media relations tool. The purpose of this study is to examine how agricultural organizations in Ohio communicate via social media and how the messages could impact central Ohio traditional media outlets’ coverage of agricultural issues. The study is grounded in uses and gratifications theory, and previous social media studies. Data were collected from seven Ohio agricultural organizations’ Facebook pages and four central Ohio news outlets. Researchers found that Ohio agricultural commodity organizations use social media, but not necessarily to communicate with the news media. The industry received limited news coverage during the time studied, and we were unable to discern a relationship between social media and news media coverage beyond a commonality of stories. By communicating the results of this study with agricultural organizations and researchers, effective social media strategies can be developed to guide the future of social media as a media relations tool

Agricultural Communications: A National Portrait of Undergraduate Courses

Considerable research has been conducted regarding competencies needed by agricultural communication program graduates during the past four decades. However, no studies have considered actual program offerings. This study used a qualitative approach to analyze courses offered in agricultural communication programs in the United States. Using content analysis methods, researchers analyzed published course descriptions and discovered 21 categories among 172 courses. Most popular were writing courses, followed by courses introducing students to the major, internship courses, and writing for publication and graphic design courses. Categories with the fewest offerings included research, study abroad, and international focused courses. Findings from this analysis are consistent with previous literature noting the variety existing in agricultural communication programs at the national level. With the current growth of agricultural communication as an academic discipline and the fundamental role agricultural communicators play in sharing information about key societal issues at a time when agriculture has never been under greater pressure, this study is a first step in creating a national portrait of curricular offerings in agricultural communication programs