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Two approaches to providing information about beef cattle preconditioning to randomly selected farmers were compared in a study involving 12 small and part-time farmers in Madison County, North Carolina. Half the farmers received the information from an extension agent via face-to-face consultations, telephone conversations, and an educational meeting. The remaining six farmers received the information through a poster, audiocassette, and fact sheets that were all developed by the extension agent. The farmers receiving the information via face-to-face instruction produced an average of 33.8 calves on their farm in 1993, whereas the farmers receiving the information without face-to-face contact averaged 22 calves per farm. Pretests and posttests assessing the farmers' knowledge gains established that the farmers receiving face-to-face instruction experienced knowledge gains of .976 and the other group experienced knowledge gains of .213. It was emphasized, however, that the latter group had a higher beginning knowledge level. Of the six individual delivery methods studied, fact sheets and face-to-face contact were the most favored, whereas posters and meetings were the least favored. The audiocassette and telephone methods were seen as only marginally effective means of delivering extension education programs. (MN)

The Waste Management Institute provided in-service training to interested County Extension agents in North Carolina to enable them to provide leadership in developing and delivering a comprehensive county-level waste management program. Training included technical, economic, environmental, social, and legal aspects of waste management presented in five sessions. Specific objectives of the Institute were for participants to: (1) become knowledgeable about local conditions in waste management, including identifying problems and issues that need attention; (2) review and assess potential programs and strategies available for addressing the identified problems and issues; (3) develop an action plan that focused on a major program in waste management; and (4) develop and integrate a system of evaluation throughout the process. Participants were encouraged to select specific issue areas, such as recycling programs or household hazardous waste, for development of their individual educational plans. Each participant developed a plan of action that included types of educational activities, as well as dates and specific communication techniques to be used in delivering the planned educational messages. While 37 communication techniques were identified, traditional extension delivery methods were most frequently chosen. It is suggested that extension agents select a proper mix of communications techniques to reach broader audiences. (KS)

Questionnaire responses from 702 agricultural producers who actively use the North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service (NCAES) and whose farming activities produce at least $10,000 annually revealed perceptions of the current and future capacity of the NCAES to deliver state-of-the-art technological information and the relationships between those perceptions and selected personal factors, farm characteristics, and producer's perceived level of future needs for highly developed technological information. Findings indicated over 81% of producers perceived future needs for more complex technological information to be "somewhat more" or "much more" than current needs; about 90% had positive perceptions of NCAES to deliver needed technological information; and as educational levels of producers advanced, their level of positive perception of NCAES' capacity to provide needed technological information also increased. The results implied that to continue to maintain a positive image as a responsive, needs-oriented agency that effectively delivers usable technological information to all types of producers--whether they are marginal part-time or highly advanced full-time--informational delivery strategies will need to be appropriately varied. (NEC)

The findings of a questionnaire survey of 702 North Carolina agricultural producers indicated that communication methods historically used by the North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service for information dissemination are accepted by state farmers and continue to be popular. Information delivery methods most frequently preferred are newsletters, meetings, farm visits (agent to farmer), telephone calls, and on-farm tests and demonstrations. Newer extension information delivery techniques such as teleconferencing, video tapes, audio cassettes, cable television, and home study courses were rated quite low. Results indicated that only slight variation existed among preferences of individual commodity groups (field crops, tobacco, peanuts, hogs, beef cattle, dairy, forestry, poultry, Christmas trees, ornamental horticulture; and fruit and vegetable horticulture). When respondents were requested to project five years into the future as to their expected preferred methods, traditional methods continued to be most popular. Implications suggest that extension should avoid moving too rapidly into newer, impersonal forms of communications to meet informational needs of its agricultural audiences. However, there was an indicated desire to receive information more directly. Thus the continuing utilization of familiar teaching methods, coupled with the introduction/inclusion of newer direct methods of information delivery, will likely be acceptable to agricultural clientele. (NEC)

North Carolina farmers growing barley (n=20) tested 3 self-directed information delivery methods: fact sheets, fact sheets plus audiocassettes, and an extension bulletin/pamphlet. The fact sheet/cassette was preferred by 17 of 20; they achieved significant knowledge gains with self-directed methods. The fact sheet/cassette was considered convenient, complete, readable, and timely. (SK)

In 11 North Carolina counties, extension agents interviewed 7 clients per county; 31 new agents were also interviewed. Results show that "doing" is clearly the most preferred learning mode of both groups. Combinations of learning modes were even greater learning enhancers than individual modes. Seeing, doing, and discussing were the most preferred combination. (SK)