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The Train-the-Trainer approach is widely used in Cooperative Extension education to efficiently disseminate research-based information to many clientele groups, including farmers. This paper compares the traditional Train-the-Trainer model to a comprehensive Collaborative Train-the-Trainer model and discusses weaknesses of the traditional model that are addressed in the Collaborative model. Sources of information used by farmers (growers) and overall effectiveness were measured through a survey instrument created and distributed to farmers in South and North Carolina. The Collaborative Train-the-Trainer model, which emphasizes peer-to-peer interaction and feedback loops, represents an enhanced approach for conceptualizing and implementing Extension educational programs.

A sustainable transdisciplinary research network was established through a research practice partnership (RPP) between an urban farm, faculty and staff from a Historically Black College (HBC), and researchers at a medium-sized private university. We investigate student-worker resilience at this urban farm situated on the HBC campus, drawing on literature that explores tensions between informal learning environments and formal spaces, equitable food systems and farming systems, as well as the resilience of farm work, and which is grounded critical food systems education theory. Utilizing a participatory design approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews and deductively analyzed the data. The research questions guiding this paper are: (1) What topics of discussion are most important to the student-workers and staff working on an urban farm, (2) How do student-workers and college staff members perceive and experience resilience on an urban farm? We found that what participants on an urban farm discuss, relating to their experiences, include (1) how participants were eager to "engage" with the local community, (2) how participants demonstrated "resilience" while working on the urban farm, (3) how "power dynamics" played a pivotal role informing the direction of the urban farm, (4) how participants consider community "access" to healthy foods an important mission for the farm, (5) how the college acted as a power wielding entity, perpetuating its "privilege" over the farmers and the farm operations. These findings have the potential to enable community organizing spaces to promote resilience for their volunteers and workers, and for urban farms top partner with their community to promote the mission of increasing access to healthy and affordable food options.

The article explores the key role sustainability plays in the agricultural sector and its impact on local communities. With climate change and economic challenges on the rise, it is vital to focus on sustainable agricultural practices to ensure food security and well-functioning ecosystems. Throughout the article we highlight global and local initiatives that encourage sustainable agriculture, as well as the benefits to the environment and society, highlighting our shared responsibility to future generations, highlighting collaboration between farmers, communities, governments and international organizations. For the representativeness of what will be presented we use the creative platform Canva, the basic statistical information comes from the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) and FAOSTAT, the descriptive analysis is performed using the advanced tools offered by Microsoft Excel 365 and in addition to standard reference sources, we have also consulted recognized specialized websites, thus strengthening our perspective and providing readers with up-to-date and verified information. The purpose of this review is to examine the depth and breadth of the implications of sustainability in the context of agricultural work, highlighting the complex interconnections between agricultural practices, the environment and society. In conclusion, this article highlights the need for a collective and integrated approach to achieving sustainability goals in agriculture and building a more resilient and balanced future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This agricultural development methods paper presents the Virtual Reality Facilitation, Application, Reflection, and Measurement (VRFARM) framework, an approach for integrating and evaluating Virtual Reality (VR) in agricultural education to enhance agricultural literacy. The VRFARM framework is adapted from Biggs' three key components-- - presage, process, and product. It draws upon the principles of student and teacher characteristics, teaching environments, instructional methods, and reflective and measurement-based evaluations. The framework proposes a mixed-methods approach for evaluation, examining qualitative and quantitative data from teachers and students engaged with VR in the classroom. VR, when appropriately integrated using the VRFARM framework, is designed to improve students' agricultural literacy, engagement, and awareness. Major recommendations include using the VRFARM framework to implement and evaluate professional development programs for educators on VR use and agricultural literacy, along with fostering further research exploring the long-term impacts, diversity of educational settings and geographical locations, and inclusivity of VR in agricultural classrooms. This study establishes the VRFARM framework as a practical and research-based framework for educators, evaluators, and researchers, marking a significant step towards more innovative and effective VR agricultural education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to conduct an empirical investigation of the theoretical and literature-based constructs related to the adoption of precision agriculture (PA) practices by young farmers. For this research, primary and secondary data are used. The sample includes 220 young farmers. Among the results of this research, farmers are aware of the positive effects of technology systems in agriculture. Also, young farmers seem to be familiar with precision agriculture and have already adopted some of its methods, but the high cost of investment prevents farmers from adopting such technology. Innovative technologies and production methods can help young farmers to be competitive in the worldwide market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary trends defining the paths toward sustainable development in rural areas of Bulgaria underscore the significant influence of human resources., and the priorities are oriented towards stimulation of the vocational training and science based skills, obtained through appropriate education and specialized training, and leading to success in the development and management of the local economy. The tendency, related to the problem is highlighted as the shortage of adequately educated and skilled entrepreneurs capable of harnessing technological advantages in agricultural production and implementing innovative technologies. The goal of our study is related to investigation and summarization of basic tendencies in this aspect, within Bulgarian agricultural enterprises, the emphasis lies on the crucial connection between theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience, particularly highlighting the importance of educating and training agricultural producers. The education and practical application of scientific knowledge by those engaged in agriculture are vital components for achieving success and ensuring the sustainability of economic endeavours at the local level. By promoting education and training for individuals involved in agricultural activities in the agrarian sector, the agriculture guarantees its sustainable and efficient development, which without doubt reflects on the increase of the sustainability of the rural territories, as a whole. The results of the study formulate guidelines, conclusions and recommendations related to recognition of the need of ensuring the proper education and training of agricultural producers, especially in the realm of environmentally friendly practices and innovative technologies. In conclusion, the synthesized research findings provide insight into the tendencies in basic strategic documents supporting knowledge, as well as data for the educational status in the Bulgarian agrarian sector regarding the potential and significance of the human factor. Future guidelines for the study in the sphere of human resources are outlined in the modern agriculture and the Bulgarian rural territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing public interest in understanding the origins and production methods of dairy products, driven by concerns related to environmental impact, local sourcing, and ethics, highlights an important trend. Nevertheless, a knowledge-trust gap persists between consumers and the dairy industry. Addressing this gap, in this paper, we developed an immersive virtual farm simulation to provide realistic on-farm experiences to the public. Within the virtual farm, users can explore various sites where dairy cows are raised and gain insights into dairy production processes using a head-mounted display (HMD). This simulation was demonstrated at local libraries, involving 48 public participants. We collected and analyzed participants' feedback on various aspects, including usability and their overall perceptions, to assess the simulation's effectiveness as an agricultural education tool. We investigated the impact of the virtual experience on participants' perceived knowledge gain and their awareness of the dairy industry. The results indicate that our dairy farm simulation was positively received as an effective tool for public education. Emphasizing the potential of virtual reality (VR) simulations in agricultural education and the industry, we discuss our key findings and future plans. [Display omitted] • Development process to build a realistic immersive simulation of a dairy farm for public education purposes. • Findings on the usability and user perception of the immersive experience for education purposes. • The system is an effective and useful tool for learning and the provision of information about the dairy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines child labor response to parental education. Prior studies present anecdotal evidence with a causal interpretation of this relationship rarely explored. Hence, conditional on a range of parental characteristics and multigenerational co-residence, I use as a set of instruments grandparents' educational attainment to exploit plausibly exogenous variation in parents' schooling. I generally find evidence of a negative parental education impact on child labor outcomes. The effect of maternal education on household farm work, however, is not significant. With respect to potential mechanisms, the results suggest that engagement in nonfarm employment pursuits among educated parents may mediate these effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Morrill Act of 1862 established agricultural and mechanical arts colleges by granting public lands to states to promote the liberal and practical education of (white, male, Christian) U.S. citizens of average means. In this paper, I use Charles Mills’ (1997) Racial Contract framework and Patrick Wolfe’s (2007) concept of corpus nullius to situate the Morrill Act in a white supremacist political system that intimately entwined settler-colonial expansion, agricultural knowledge production, and the founding of U.S. public higher education through creation of the land-grant universities.

The underperformance of agricultural education systems in Africa is evident through various indicators such as increased unemployment among recent agricultural graduates, inefficiencies in agricultural product value chains, and a decline in enrollment in agricultural schools. The AgriENGAGE project, which included eight African universities, was supported through the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education program funded by the European Commission to address these challenges. The project aimed to contribute toward revitalizing agricultural education systems to stimulate agricultural transformation and enhance the sector's competitiveness while meeting the labor market's demands. This article draws on lessons learned at eight universities to provide a perspective on agri-entrepreneurship education integration in African universities. We provide descriptions, experiences, and insights on agrientrepreneurship education integration in partner universities in Kenya, Benin, Morocco, and Uganda. Based on these experiences, we provide perspectives on reducing youth unemployment and improving the effectiveness of agricultural education in contributing to the development of sustainable food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Securing a consistent food supply remains a pressing global challenge, particularly for small-scale farmers grappling with obstacles in enhancing agricultural yields, especially in tropical soils. Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) techniques, employing organic manures like vermicompost and bioenriched rock phosphate, emerge as recommended solutions. Vermicompost is lauded for its nutrient richness and positive soil health impacts. At the same time, bio-enriched rock phosphate serves as a sustainable alternative to conventional phosphorus fertilisers, specifically tailored for tropical soil conditions. Despite individual studies assessing the effects of vermicompost, bio-enriched rock phosphate, and soluble fertilisers on plant growth, a comprehensive overview of their combined application is noticeably lacking. To fill this gap, this study employs the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) method to explore the synergies of combining these elements and their impacts on crop production and the environment. This review is among the first to comprehensively summarize the complexities of combining vermicompost, bio-enriched rock phosphate, and chemical fertilisers on various crops. It thoroughly examines potential advantages, disadvantages, effects on agricultural systems, socio-economic implications, and existing policies governing their usage. Our findings reveal that the combined application of vermicompost, bio-enriched rock phosphate, and soluble fertilisers leads to significant improvements in plant growth, yield, and soil properties. The optimal impact is observed when vermicompost constitutes 25% and soluble fertiliser comprises 75 or 100% of the recommended fertiliser dosage. Moreover, incorporating a mixture of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) strains in rock phosphate further enhances its positive effects. Despite these positive findings, we identified gaps in comprehensive approaches addressing socio-cultural dimensions and the lack of literature on prevailing policies regarding vermicompost use in agricultural systems highlighting the need for a more holistic understanding of vermicompost incorporation and a better grasp of the institutional frameworks guiding these practices. However, to secure sustainable crop production, farmers need to integrate vermicompost and biofertilisers with chemical fertilisers. In fostering the adoption of sustainable and inclusive agricultural practices on small rural properties, it is advisable to incorporate agricultural education into farmer training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part-time farming is a widespread phenomenon associated with the long-term global trend of urbanization, especially in China since its reform and opening-up in 1978. The shift of agricultural labor to non-agricultural sectors has significantly impacted cultivated land use activities, yet the connection between part-time farming and cultivated land use sustainability (CLS) remains understudied. Here, we construct an index system for assessing CLS that integrates ecological, economic, and social sustainability. Using survey data from seven Chinese villages across three provinces, we analyze the impact pattern and mechanism of part-time farming on CLS. We find the following: (1) The impact of part-time farming on CLS presents an inverted U-shape, peaking negatively at a 45% inflection point; (2) Spatial heterogeneity exists in the effect of part-time farming on CLS; (3) A household's non-agricultural workforce size and the gender of the household head significantly moderate the link between part-time farming and CLS; (4) CLS strongly hinges on various factors including the household head's health, other family members' education levels, commercial insurance, and agricultural skills training. Our findings provide empirical insights into governing part-time farming for sustainable cultivated land use and, eventually, rural human–land system sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with agricultural training for Jewish women settlers in Palestine, and focuses on the first school established by the Jewish botanist and settler Hannah Meisel in 1911. The school was modeled after European schools for horticulture, but grew to serve the settler community and students' need to overcome financial challenges as well as the gendered structure of the labor force. As they pursued agricultural work, proximity to the land, and native status, the women taking part in the training program ultimately combined ideas about scientific progress and European theoretical foundations with Palestinian indigenous knowledge and practices. By appropriating Palestinian agricultural techniques and adopting vegetables as the main sphere of work and production, women settlers both struggled to shift gendered social hierarchies and became deeply involved in the settler-colonial project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiences of Black faculty as leaders and administrators in the field of agriculture have not been widely studied nor reported. The goal of this research focused on Black faculty leaders' experiences in agriculture to gain firsthand insights regarding the enhancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion within agricultural higher education. The central research question guiding the study was: What are the experiences of Black faculty leaders at Colleges of Agriculture at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs)? Counter-storytelling was used to explore the personal narratives of eight participants. These experiences fall within the tenets of Critical Race Theory. Three primary themes emerged: Navigating Leadership: Microaggressions in the Midst; Inequities: Is Everyone Really Equal; and Isolation: The Lone Ranger. Findings of this study hold valuable implications for practitioners, policymakers, and academic institutions seeking to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion within agricultural higher education. Recommendations for policy and practice include providing support for leadership mentoring and professional development, conducting robust research on the intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender for faculty of color, and establishing collaborative initiatives between academic institutions, industry partners, and community organizations to address historical disparities and stimulate interest in agriculture among Black communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, rural youth worldwide have grappled with a crisis marked by limited economic opportunities, inadequate services, and underdeveloped infrastructure in their home communities. This has driven a significant uptick in rural-to-urban migration, especially among young people in developing countries. Despite its lower urbanization rate compared to neighboring nations, Ecuador has seen a consistent rise in rural-to-urban youth migration. This trend is primarily attributed to environmental degradation, community conflicts, and rural areas' lack of educational and employment prospects. This study investigated the migration intentions of high school students in rural Ecuador, specifically those enrolled in agricultural and non-agricultural programs. The findings reveal that agricultural programs significantly influence youth migration intentions. Those in agricultural programs express an inclination to migrate. Moreover, students who have migrated before are more likely to migrate. These results underscore the importance of tailoring educational initiatives to inspire youth to explore opportunities within their rural communities. Future research should delve into the perspectives of rural youth and evaluate the effectiveness of agricultural education programs, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of rural development and strategies for retaining youth in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study highlights the need to recognize and train agricultural workers in essential non-technical skills to enhance workforce effectiveness and sustainability within the agriculture sector. Focused on the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, the research involved initial semi-structured interviews with three agricultural training managers to identify relevant non-technical skills for food and fibre workplaces. Representatives from twenty Gippsland food and fibre businesses were then surveyed to rate these identified skills across different workforce segments: (a) seasonal workers, (b) entry-level workers, (c) supervisors, and (d) managers. Descriptive statistics, including frequency counts, means, and standard deviations, were used to analyze the responses. Employer ratings for skill needs were weighted against the number of workers employed in each workforce segment. Key non-technical skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and cross-cultural competence were found to be in high demand, particularly among seasonal and entry-level workers. However, there is a significant gap between the importance of these skills and their prioritization in accredited training programs. Addressing this gap is crucial for investing in a skilled and adaptable agricultural sector that is competitive and sustainable. The theoretical understandings derived from this study's results warrant further research and replication in diverse commodity sectors and locations within Australia and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bricolage's approach describes how post-colonial, post-positivist, post-modernist, or post-structuralist paradigms have driven intellectuals to develop mixed multi-theoretical and multi-methodological methods. Bricoleurs must contextualise the approaches using the metaphor and articulate its meaning and inferences for advisory services in attempting to do so, as agricultural advisors as bricoleurs and emerging farmers view themselves as co-advisors, guided by bricolage principles. The bricoleurs, equipped with adult education approaches and emerging farmers, will engage in a skills transfer exercise in an agricultural environment. In contrast, a bricoleur plays the role of a facilitator, not a teacher or an expert. Emerging farmers are knowledgeable, and many have years of experience working in the farming environment and have massive knowledge and experience that they can circulate amongst themselves. Bricolage highlights the relationship between agricultural advisors' ways of seeing and the social location of their personal history. The agricultural advisor-asbricoleur abandons the quest for the naive concept of realism. It focuses instead on clarification of their position in the web of reality, the social locations of other co-advisors and the ways they shape the production and interpretation of knowledge. Bricolage tracks significant ruptures in epistemological, ontological, ethical, and political underpinnings that influence agricultural advisors. The record shows that, while traditional agricultural extension services were based on positivist rationalities, successive generations must adopt more interpretive, post-positivist, post-colonial, post-modern, constructivist, and poststructuralist approaches. As a guiding theory for agricultural extension advisors, Bricolage can improve skills transfer amongst emerging farmers by using limited resources to complete specific tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a critical need for widespread information dissemination of agricultural best practices in Africa. Literacy, language and resource barriers often impede such information dissemination. Culturally and linguistically localized, computer-animated training videos placed on YouTube and promoted through paid advertising is a potential tool to help overcome these barriers. The goal of this study is to assess the feasibility of reaching language-diverse populations in Africa using this new type of information dissemination channel. As a case study, cost estimates were obtained for YouTube ad campaigns of a video to prevent post-harvest loss through safe food storage using sanitized jerrycan containers. Seventy-three video variants were created for the most common 16 languages in Ghana, 35 languages in Kenya, and 22 languages in Nigeria. Using these videos, campaigns were deployed country wide or focused on zones of influence that represent economically underdeveloped regions known to produce beans suitable for jerrycan storage. Using data collected from YouTube ad campaigns, language-specific models were created for each country to estimate how many viewers could be reached per US dollar spent. Separate models were created to estimate the number of viewers who watched 25% and 75% of the video (most of video without end credits), reflecting different levels of engagement. For language campaigns with both country wide and zone of influence areas of deployment, separate region-specific models were created. Models showed that the estimated number of viewers per dollar spent varied considerably amongst countries and languages. On average, the expected number of viewers per dollar spent were 1.8 (Range = 0.2–7.3) for 25% watched and 0.8 (Range = 0.1–3.2) for 75% watched in Ghana, 1.2 (0.2–4.8) for 25% watched and 0.5 (Range = 0.1–2.0) for 75% watched in Kenya, and 0.4 (Range = 0.2–1.3) for 25% watched and 0.2 (Range = 0.1–0.5) for 75% watched in Nigeria. English versions of the video were the most cost-effective in reaching viewers in Ghana and Nigeria. In Kenya, English language campaigns ranked 28 (country wide) and 36 (zones of influence) out of 37 analyzed campaigns. Results also showed that many local language campaigns performed well, opening the possibility that targeted knowledge dissemination on topics of importance to local populations, is potentially cost effective. In addition, such targeted information dissemination appears feasible, even during regional and global crises when in-person training may not be possible. In summary, leveraging multilingual computer-animations and digital platforms such as YouTube shows promise for conducting large-scale agricultural education campaigns. The findings of the current study provides the justification to pursue a more rigorous prospective study to verify the efficacy of knowledge exchange and societal impact through this form of information dissemination channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture plays a significant role in food security and economic development while environmental education puts an emphasis on ensuring a healthier place to live with. This study seeks to determine the family's engagement in agricultural promotion and environmental protection in one Sitio of Sagay City, Negros Occidental. A quantitativedescriptive method utilizing survey questionnaire was administered to 51 families during the last semester of 2021-2022. The families are moderately promoting agriculture while well-engaged in environmental protection. No significant difference exists in promoting agriculture as to profile except for the educational attainment of the mother and the father. The participants' profile does not influence the family's engagement in environmental protection. Results disclosed that families vary in their engagement in promoting agriculture and environmental protection. A comprehensive sectoral partnership plan and program may be implemented for sustainable engagement improving societal outcomes and achieving sustainable development goal/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate the incidence rate of tuberculosis (TB) in the Highlands (Tsotsil-Tseltal) region of Chiapas and to analyze sociodemographic factors that might influence the success of anti-TB treatment from the period of January 2019 to June 2022. Methods: Retrospective study in which the TB databases of the National Epidemiological Surveillance System (SINAVE) were analyzed. TB incidence rates were calculated based on the number of registered TB cases and estimated annual populations. The success-failure of anti-TB treatment was analyzed according to sociodemographic indicators, degree of concentration of indigenous population of the municipality of residence and admission to SINAVE. Results: Two hundred thirty-three cases were analyzed. The variables associated to a lower success rate of treatment against TB were: living in a municipality with high-very high concentration of indigenous population, being indigenous, having a primary school education or lower, and agricultural occupation. The number of TB diagnosed from 2020–2022 and the incidence rates from 2020–2021 decreased significantly compared to 2019. Conclusions: It is necessary to strengthen the follow-up of TB cases in the region, mainly in areas with high-very high indigenous concentration, in people with low levels of education and engaged in agricultural work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional farm managers use both work experience and higher education to develop skills necessary for the changing needs of modern agriculture. We asked professional farm managers their perspectives on the essential topics, skills, and competencies that should form the core of farm management education. Results suggest that, in addition to financial analysis and general economics, farm management education needs to focus on “soft skills” such as communication with clients and landowners, negotiations, and relationship management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to conduct an empirical investigation of the theoretical and literature-based constructs related to the adoption of precision agriculture (PA) practices by young farmers. For this research, primary and secondary data are used. The sample includes 220 young farmers. Among the results of this research, farmers are aware of the positive effects of technology systems in agriculture. Also, young farmers seem to be familiar with precision agriculture and have already adopted some of its methods, but the high cost of investment prevents farmers from adopting such technology. Innovative technologies and production methods can help young farmers to be competitive in the worldwide market.

The article titled "The territorial approach to the crisis in the global food system" discusses the renewed interest in territorial approaches to agrifood systems and rural development. It explores the interdependencies among actors such as producers, consumers, markets, and society, and how they contribute to the reconfiguration of agricultural and territorial resources. The article suggests that the territorial model can contribute to the evolution of the global model and offer solutions to contemporary crises, such as the climate crisis. It also highlights the importance of coordination mechanisms, collective action, and policies in promoting localized agrifood systems and sustainable agricultural models. [Extracted from the article]