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“It’s getting worse”
With that introduction, a recent article by Iowa Capital Dispatch suggested the U.S. is failing to stem the tide of harmful farm pollutants.
“The culprit at the center of it all is a colossal tide of fertilizer and animal manure that runs off fields in Iowa and other farm states to find its way into the Mississippi River,” said author Omar De Kok. The article traces pollution trends and environmental impacts along the 2,350-mile-long corridor ending at the Gulf of Mexico. It also identifies conservation practices found to be effective in addressing such a complex “jigsaw puzzle.”
You can read “It’s getting worse” by open access.
Antagonistic reaction in Sweden to calls for climate change action
We are adding to the ACDC collection a Nordic Journal of Media Studies article about how three Swedish far-right digital media sites reported on climate during 2018-2019.
For this study, researchers Kjell Vowles and Martin Hultman used a toolkit from critical discourse analysis. Findings revealed how use of conspiracy theories, anti-establishment rhetoric, and nationalistic arguments “created an antagonistic reaction to increased demands for action on climate change.” The authors offered several suggestions for further research.
You can read “Scare-quoting climate” by open access.
New articles in the Journal of Applied Communications
We are pleased to share these research articles published recently in the Volume 108 Issue 1 of JAC:
“Perceptions of science communication’s domain, practices, and identity: What concerns members on the peripheral edge of a community of practice.”
Rebecca Swenson and Corissa Marson
“Exploring identities of extension faculty and educators as science communicators.” Klae O’Brien, Carrie N. Baker, Sarah A. Bush, Maggie Elliot, and Kattlyn J. Wolf
“Print grades prime: A quantitative analysis of producer communication preferences of U.S. beef breed association magazines through the lenses of uses, gratifications, and gatekeeping.” Megan Underwood, Katherine J. Starzec, Nellie Hill-Sullins, and R.L. Weaber
“If nobody hears us, do we really make a sound? Investigating agriculture faculty members’ engagement in science communication.” Shelli D. Rampold, Taylor Ruth, and Jamie Greig
You can read these articles by open access.
Career opportunities in the fresh produce industry
A panel of college educators and future graduates addressed this topic at the 2024 West Coast Produce Expo. Panelists offered a variety of suggestions, such as:
• The next generation wants to understand how their role would affect the business. Students “may know the name of big business, but unless there is some campus visibility with regard to visiting students at a club meeting or guest speakers or a lecture, the big name is meaningless…”
• “…many students don’t realize that they could do financial modeling and accounting and sales and all those things within this industry.”
• “Produce, it’s a product that everyone can feel good about supporting and selling.” Those in the industry should help graduates make that connection.
You can read “Attracting the next generation to the produce industry” by open access.
How farmers in Iran consider adopting contract farming
A 2024 article in Scientific Reports emphasized the role of trust, knowledge and attitude in Iranian farmers’ intention to adopt contract farming. A research team at Tarbiat Modares University surveyed a probability sample of farmers to investigate factors influencing their consideration of contract farming.
Findings offered practical recommendations to farmers and valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders.
You can read “Investigating the factors affecting farmers’ intention to adopt contract farming” by open access.
Communicator events approaching
Here are event plans you may find helpful, with contact information you can use for details. We welcome suggestions or revisions for this calendar.
June 23-25, 2024
“Big ideas start here.” Annual conference of the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Information: https://aceweb.org/ace-conference/
August 4-7, 2024
Annual conference, National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT), in conjunction with the Ag Media Summit in Kansas City, Missouri.
Information: https://nactnow.org/upcoming-events
August 14-18, 2024
“High Elevations. High Expectations.” Annual Congress, International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ), at Inter laken/Berner Oberland, Switzerland.
Information: https://ifaj2024.ch
September 8-11, 2024
Professional development conference, International Food Wine Travel Writers Association, at Corning-Finger Lakes, New York.
Information: https://ifwtwa.org/2024-ifwtwa-conference/
October 14-16, 2024
Fall conference, National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Information: https://www.nama.org/2024-fall-conference.html
It’s a flawed weapon
We close this issue of ACDC News with a piece of folk wisdom from Sweden:
“Envy shoots at others and wounds itself.”
Best regards and wishes
ACDC is a deep and open resource for you, so please feel free to invite our help as you search for information, local to global. You are welcome to follow us on Twitter @ACDCUIUC. And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique and valued international collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, 510 ACES Library, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801) – or in electronic format sent to acdc@library.illinois.edu