Researching Relevant Professional Development Learning Task #1

Nathan Johnson Rural Options Taskforce Conference January 13  15 1999

Four of the sessions I attended were: Legal Considerations in Farming Decisions by Phil Kunkel Marketing Strategies in a Changing Agriculture by Brian Buhr Financial Planning by Dale Nordquist Managing Change by Sharon Danes

Written surveys were given to 12 people Questions:

1. Years in Extension Service Range: 2  29 Average: 14

2. Specialization Crops: 5 Child and Youth: 2 Support Staff: 1 Livestock: 1 Financial and Business Management: 1 Food and Nutrition: 2

3. What do you consider to be the most difficult part of the job? Most common comments: Developing curriculum Finding time to complete tasks Co-workers and Boss Visiting angry farmers Keeping up with all the issues Letting go of things I cant change

4. What is the most enjoyable part of your job? Most common comments: Freedom to design program Working with families Seeing people grow with the knowledge they have received Visiting farms Variety of program areas

5. What do you feel is the most effective method to train Extension Educators? Hands on learning Mentoring Time with state specialists Specialization training Put them in the trenches Small group discussion

6. What areas in extension need improvement? Use of ITV to save travel time Mentor training Cluster training Cross training of specializations Computer training Better visual aids such as slides and overheads Specialization training

7. Do you feel clustering is effective? Most common answers No, To many agendas Yes, Good to help one another and learn while doing it Yes, Allows specialization areas efficient use of time Yes, Get to teach class in more than one county Yes, Great opportunity to meet producers across the cluster Yes, I like teaching in other counties No, Not enough time to spend in county

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000