One Ohio Extension agent created a Web site to help Extension Agents, Agriculture, quickly find research-based information to answer the questions of people with new and/or small farms. The site currently contains over 1,300 links to .edu, .gov, and .org sites. Readers with a rural clientele should find the site useful. Others may find inspiration, motivation, and instruction from reading how the site evolved from a group of agents discussing a lack of available resources to a state-of-the-art means to access up-to-date resources. Small Farm/New Farm http://newfarm.osu.edu officially debuted in December 2000 and is being well received by agents, specialists, and administrators

Gastier, Ted

Polson, Jim

English

Clemson University: TigerPrints

The Journal of Extension Volume 39 Number 4 Article 21 8-1-2001 Small Farm/New Farm: One Agent Meeting Other Agents' Needs for Research-Based Information Through the WWW Jim Polson Ohio State University Extension, polson.1@osu.edu Ted Gastier Ohio State University Extension, gastier.1@osu.edi This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Polson, J., & Gastier, T. (2001). Small Farm/New Farm: One Agent Meeting Other Agents' Needs for Research-Based Information Through the WWW. The Journal of Extension, 39(4), Article 21. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol39/iss4/21 This Tools of the Trade is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Journal of Extension by an authorized editor of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact kokeefe@clemson.edu. 	 JOEHOME JOURNAL GUIDELINES ABOUT	JOE CONTACT NATIONAL	JOB	BANKCurrent	Issues Back	IssuesAugust	2001	//	Volume	39	//	Number	4	//	Tools	of	the	Trade	//	4TOT1Small	Farm/New	Farm:	One	Agent	Meeting	Other	Agents'	Needsfor	Research-Based	Information	Through	the	WWWAbstractOne	Ohio	Extension	agent	created	a	Web	site	to	help	Extension	Agents,	Agriculture,	quickly	findresearch-based	information	to	answer	the	questions	of	people	with	new	and/or	small	farms.	Thesite	currently	contains	over	1,300	links	to	.edu,	.gov,	and	.org	sites.	Readers	with	a	ruralclientele	should	find	the	site	useful.	Others	may	find	inspiration,	motivation,	and	instruction	fromreading	how	the	site	evolved	from	a	group	of	agents	discussing	a	lack	of	available	resources	to	astate-of-the-art	means	to	access	up-to-date	resources.	Small	Farm/New	Farmhttp://newfarm.osu.edu	officially	debuted	in	December	2000	and	is	being	well	received	byagents,	specialists,	and	administrators.	BackgroundRural	Northeast	Ohio	is	experiencing	a	transition	from	a	rural-farm	to	a	rural-nonfarm	population.In	October	1998,	agriculture	and	natural	resource	(ANR)	agents	and	specialists	in	NortheastDistrict	Extension	(Ohio)	met	to	discuss	"Farming	on	the	Urban	Fringe."	Our	meeting	had	nospeaker	and	no	agenda.	We	had	agreed	to	meet	because	everyone	was	concerned	with	how	bestto	provide	ANR	educational	programming	and	resources	in	an	area	that	was	rapidly	urbanizing.The	15	agents	and	specialists	in	attendance	began	by	sharing	the	most	difficult	problems	theyfaced	in	meeting	the	educational	needs	of	the	people	in	their	counties.	Three	hours	into	thesharing,	it	was	clear	that	the	most	pressing	problem	of	most	of	the	ANR	agents	was	a	need	forresearch-based	information	to	answer	the	questions	of	a	growing	"small-farm/new-farm"	audience.The	majority	of	the	questions	coming	into	their	offices	weren't	from	full-time	or	even	traditionalpart-time	farmers,	but	were	from	homeowners	and	rural	landowners	who	had	bought	a	smallacreage	and	wanted	a	"farm/rural	experience."	The	agents'	biggest	frustration	was	findingresearch-based	information	to	give	them.What	Is	"Research-Based"	Information?There	are	numerous	magazines	and	newsletters	aimed	at	the	"small-farm/new-farm"	audience,	butthey	frequently	include	anecdotal	information,	"sales	pitches,"	and	stories	about	individuals	whoare	advocating	their	way	of	doing	things.	It	can	be	quite	time-consuming	to	sort	through	the	many"hits"	of	a	World	Wide	Web	(WWW)	search	engine	and	quickly	find	research-based	information	onsmall-	farm/new-farm	topics	such	as:	agri-tourism;	starting	a	greenhouse	business;	hydroponics;home	laying	flocks;	llamas;	earthworms,	etc.At	subsequent	meetings	agents	and	specialists	began	discussing	what	kinds	of	information	it	wasappropriate	to	give	their	clientele.	How	could	one	determine	which	information	was	"research-Jim	PolsonAssociate	Professor	&	District	Specialist,	Farm	ManagementWooster,	OhioInternet	Address:	polson.1@osu.eduTed	GastierExtension	Agent,	Agriculture	&	Natural	ResourcesNorwalk,	OhioInternet	Address:	gastier.1@osu.eduOhio	State	University	Extensionbased"	and	appropriate	to	distribute?	Was	it	better	to	give	someone	10-year-old	research-basedinformation	or	up-to-date	information	posted	on	a	company's	Web-site?	Was	it	better	to	giveclientele	anecdotal	or	industry-based	information	or	nothing	at	all?	Most	concluded	the	informationhad	to	come	from	a	university,	government,	or	similar	institution.	But	then	they	wondered,	"Was	itavailable?"Searching	for	Research-Based	LinksOne	agent	had	recently	taken	a	class	on	designing	a	Web	page	and	could	see	that	if	useful"research	based"	sites	existed	and	could	be	located,	it	would	be	possible	to	put	together	a	Webpage	for	Extension	agents	that	linked	directly	to	pre-identified,	research-based	information.	Thisagent	became	increasingly	intrigued	with	the	challenge	and	started	searching	the	Web	forinformation	to	meet	his	colleagues'	needs.He	found	that	with	patience,	resourcefulness,	organization,	tenacity,	and	a	variety	of	searchengines,	it	was	possible	to	find	university	and	other	research-based	information	on	many	of	thesubjects	of	interest	to	agents	on	the	Web.	He	began	assembling	a	notebook	of	Web	addresses	with".edu"	suffixes	that	contained	useful	information.In	subsequent	meetings,	the	other	agents	were	impressed	with	the	agent's	information	andnumber	of	Web	sites,	but	they	still	did	not	have	an	easy	way	to	access	the	information.	The	agentdistributed	hard	copies	of	his	lists	of	Web	sites,	but	also	started	designing	a	Web	site	to	organizethe	information	for	easier	access	by	agents	and	others.	He	modeled	it	after	sites	at	the	Universityof	Missouri	and	British	Columbia,	Ministry	of	Agriculture,	Fisheries	and	Food.	He	applied	for	andreceived	a	small	grant	to	increase	the	hours	of	a	part-time	assistant	to	help	enter	information,confirm	links,	and	perform	other	tasks.	Thus	was	Small	Farm/New	Farm	http://newfarm.osu.eduborn.What	Do	Agents	and	Their	Associates	Need?The	constant	guiding	principle	behind	deciding	what	links	are	included	on	the	Web	site	is:	"Whatdo	the	agents	and	their	associates	need?	The	agent	behind	the	site	wants	to	make	it	easier	forother	agents	to	put	out	their	bonfires	by	answering	their	questions.	The	ideal	is	for	agents	andtheir	assistants	to	quickly	find	useful	information	on	the	Web,	print	it	out,	explain	it	as	necessary,and	give	it	to	satisfied	clientele.	The	Web	site	also	deals	with	current	issues	like	Hoof	and	Mouthand,	in	Ohio,	the	West	Nile	Virus	and	Gypsy	Moth.Criteria	for	Including	SitesThe	agent	uses	following	criteria	were	used	to	determine	whether	to	link	to	a	site.1.	 Edu,	Gov,	and	Org:	Initially	only	sites	that	ended	with	".edu"	or	".gov"	were	included.Recently,	Arkansas	Extension	publications	started	being	listed	under	sites	ending	with	".org,"so	additional	sites	in	that	category	are	expected.	No	sites	ending	in	".com"	are	currentlyaccessible	through	the	site,	and	there	are	no	plans	to	add	them.2.	 Best	Sites,	Not	All	Sites:	No	attempt	is	made	to	include	all	sites	under	a	particularclassification.	The	focus	is	on	having	the	best	sites	in	each	category,	with	particular	attentionpaid	to	information	that	is	geographically	and	climatologically	related	to	Ohio.3.	 Economics	and	Budgets:	Sites	that	include	costs,	budgets,	and	other	seemingly	usefuleconomic	information	are	preferred.	Economic	information	is	lacking	in	many	publications.4.	 Ohio	Origin:	When	considering	listing,	Ohio	sites	are	favored	if	the	content	is	equal	to	orexceeds	other	out-of-state	sites.Site	OrganizationThe	site	is	continually	evolving,	but	at	this	writing	the	"home	page"	of	this	site	contained	thefollowing	seven	main	headings	and	subheadings:Enterprise	BudgetsAgri-TourismCropsBerriesFlowersForagesForestryGrains	&	Oil	SeedsGrapesGreenhouseHydroponicsNursery	CropsOrnamentals	Specialty	CropsTree	FruitVegetablesLivestockAquaticsBirdsLarge	AnimalsOther	AnimalsManagementValue	AddedWater	ResourcesThe	site	is	organized	for	agents	to	quickly	access	information	with	few	clicks	and	little	downloadtime.	One	click	on	a	heading	or	subheading	will	take	agents	to	research-based	links	to	informationabout	the	subject.	With	many	agents	using	modems,	at	least	part	of	the	time,	pictures	andgraphics	were	kept	to	a	minimum	to	help	pages	load	more	quickly.	As	the	Web	site	developed,	theagent	got	support	to	add	a	search	engine	to	help	users	find	some	types	of	information	moreefficiently.	The	search	engine	searches	only	".edu"	sites.Evaluating	and	adding	links	as	well	as	maintenance	of	existing	lists	is	ongoing.	It	is	a	continuingchallenge	to	organize	the	site	and	know	where	best	to	list	new	sites.	A	link	checker	developed	atOhio	State	is	utilized	for	link	maintenance.MarketingThe	Northeast	District	Extension	office	prepared	notebooks	containing	color	hard	copies	of	theWeb	page	resources.	These	notebooks	have	been	distributed	to	Extension	offices	and	to	districtand	state	Extension	personnel.	The	purpose	has	been	to	familiarize	potential	users	with	what	theymight	find	when	viewing	the	Web	site.	The	Extension	agent	has	included	the	Web	address	in	his	e-mail	signature,	as	well	as	providing	links	to	the	address	on	his	county	and	the	NE	DistrictExtension's	Web	page.Some	Unexpected	Benefits	for	the	AgentAt	age	57,	the	Extension	agent	was	not	looking	for	a	reward	or	notoriety	when	he	began	thisproject.	He	simply	saw	a	challenge	and	an	opportunity	to	provide	resources	for	himself	and	somecolleagues	who	needed	it.	Initially	he	enjoyed	the	challenge	and	reward	of	continually	finding	moreuseful	information.	As	he	says,	"I	was	having	too	much	fun	and	never	looked	back."Now	that	the	Web	site	is	running	and	many	are	finding	it	useful,	the	agent	is	finding	someadditional,	unexpected	benefits.	One,	he	is	experiencing	more	collegial	treatment	from	people	atall	levels	in	and	out	of	the	university.	People	at	all	levels	in	the	university	tend	to	treat	him	more	astheir	equal.	Two,	colleagues	regularly	provide	him	with	new	links,	tips,	or	additional	information	toimprove	the	site.	Three,	his	county	peers	are	finding	his	Web	site	useful	and	are	telling	him	so.Four,	he	has	had	the	opportunity	to	share	his	work	with	colleagues	at	a	major	conference	outsideOhio.	Five,	he	has	an	increased	knowledge	of	HTML	programming	language.	Six,	this	project	hasallowed	him	to	work	closely	with	a	water	quality	specialist	who	was	looking	for	greater	exposure	ofhis	own	Web-based	resources.How	Do	You	Measure	Success?Success	will	be	measured	by	whether	or	not	people	use	the	site	and	find	it	useful.	Or	as	the	agentsays,	"When	I	can	walk	into	most	Extension	offices	in	the	Midwest,	walk	up	to	a	computer	used	byan	agricultural	agent	or	assistant,	and	there	is	a	little	icon	I	can	click	that	takes	me	to	the	SmallFarm/New	Farm	Web	site,	I	will	know	we	have	done	our	job.	Until	then	we	will	just	keep	enhancingand	improving	the	Web	site."	Efforts	are	also	being	made	to	more	formally	evaluate	who	is	usingthe	Web	site,	how	they	are	using	it,	and	whether	it	was	useful	and	to	gather	suggestions	forimprovement.AcknowledgmentsThe	authors	wish	to	thank	the	following	individuals	for	their	expertise	and	assistance:	SteveBaertsche,	Keith	Smith,	Nathan	Watermeier,	Cathy	Weilnau,	Helen	Deeble,	Tim	Murawski,	CharleneMargetiak,	and	Northeast	District	Agents.Copyright	©	by	Extension	Journal,	Inc.	ISSN	1077-5315.	Articles	appearing	in	the	Journal	become	the	property	of	theJournal.	 Single	 copies	 of	 articles	 may	 be	 reproduced	 in	 electronic	 or	 print	 form	 for	 use	 in	 educational	 or	 trainingactivities.	Inclusion	of	articles	in	other	publications,	electronic	sources,	or	systematic	large-scale	distribution	may	bedone	only	with	prior	electronic	or	written	permission	of	the	Journal	Editorial	Office,	joe-ed@joe.org.If	you	have	difficulties	viewing	or	printing	this	page,	please	contact	JOE	Technical	Support©	Copyright	by	Extension	Journal,	Inc.	ISSN	1077-5315.	Copyright	Policy

Small Farm/New Farm: One Agent Meeting Other Agents\u27 Needs for Research-Based Information Through the WWW

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Small Farm/New Farm: One Agent Meeting Other Agents\u27 Needs for Research-Based Information Through the WWW

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