A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY DAIRY-HERD EXTENSION ADVISING FUNDED BY INDUSTRY AND USERS .1. IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION

Citation
Rr. Peters et al., A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY DAIRY-HERD EXTENSION ADVISING FUNDED BY INDUSTRY AND USERS .1. IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION, Journal of dairy science, 77(8), 1994, pp. 2438-2449
Citations number
18
Categorie Soggetti
Agriculture Dairy & AnumalScience","Food Science & Tenology
Journal title
ISSN journal
00220302
Volume
77
Issue
8
Year of publication
1994
Pages
2438 - 2449
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-0302(1994)77:8<2438:ADPOID>2.0.ZU;2-B
Abstract
An interdisciplinary team of extension workers conducted a 2-yr demons tration project using 30 herds with the objectives of increasing produ ction efficiency and profitability and gaining experience in integrate d problem solving. After 1 yr, 88% of the participants thought that th e monthly fee paid to extension was a profitable investment. At the en d of the project, 70% of the participants thought that increases in mi lk yield per cow were due to a combination of improvements in two to f our management areas rather than to changes in any single management d iscipline. Additional labor was necessary to implement recommendations . Two issues were key in successfully convincing dairy operators and f amilies to accept management recommendations: 1) a coordinated team ef fort aimed at integrated problem solving, followed by written recommen dations and regular dialogue with the producer, and 2) possession of e ffective social decision-making skill by the participant family. Most farms in the project depended primarily on family labor and social dec ision making to implement management changes. Only those families that could jointly agree to implement a new management decision fully bene fited from professional advice. A demonstration project of interdiscip linary dairy advising was an effective method to gain problem-solving expertise and to build credibility for extension services.