Tips on good neighboring.
A recent article in Midwest DairyBusiness magazine describes some techniques that Wisconsin dairy producers use to be good neighbors. These and other ideas emerged from a survey among producers early this year:
- Host neighborhood parties, open houses, breakfasts, picnics, tours
- Offer hunting access
- Provide free stall manure to neighbors as compost for their gardens
- Send “poop alerts” to notify neighbors of manure handling plans
- Plow snow for neighbors during the winter months
- Send gifts at special occasions
The article emphasizes that good public relations is right conduct.
Reference: Use title search (“Good behavior first, good PR second”) for the full citation.
Focus on e-commerce and mandatory price reporting.
USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum 2000, which took place in Washington, D.C., during February, included several communications-related presentations. They are now part of the ACDC collection. Examples:
- “Enhanced market access through electronic commerce”
- “The role of the Agricultural Marketing Service in facilitating electronic commerce”
- “Electronic commerce and rural economic development”
- “Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999”
- “Potential benefits of mandatory price reporting”
- “Biotechnology and international trade issues”
Reference: Use title searches (above) for full citations. Presentations are posted on www.usda.gov/oce/waob/oc2000/speeches.htm
Recent additions that feature campaigns.
Following are a few of the campaign-oriented documents that have gone into the ACDC collection during recent months.
- “Foundation E.A.R.T.H. drives first farmer-based campaign dedicated to advancement of biotechnology”
- “$100,000 vs $50-million – competing biotech PR campaigns: the little guy has the upper hand”
- “The organic food industry: smearing the competition”
- “Activists create alternative news source for farmers”
Reference: Use title searches to identify the full citations.
Sound familiar?
Those interested in agricultural communications education might hear a familiar ring in recent discussions about agribusiness education. Here are some of the questions being raised about the direction for agribusiness education during the next five years:
- What implications arise from the tendency for agribusiness faculty members to have more responsibilities in teaching (often mainly undergraduate) than have other faculty members?
- How are agribusiness faculty members being evaluated for tenure and promotion purposes?
- Are agribusiness faculty members expected to have similar research, as reflected in refereed publications, compared to faculty members in other areas with greater research appointments?
- Are agribusiness journals considered to be the equivalent of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics?
Reference: Use a title search (“The state of agribusiness teaching, research, and extension at the turn of the millennium”) for the full citation.
Welcome to Rosie Subat
As new student assistant in the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. A recent agricultural communications graduate, Rosie is beginning her graduate study in journalism at the University of Illinois, with an emphasis in photojournalism. She will help identify, gather and process information for the ACDC collection as well as provide information services for clients.
Thanks for your encouragement and suggestions.
We appreciate hearing from you about “News and Announcements” and other resources and services of the Center. Here are some recent comments that have helped encourage us in our efforts to identify and share information about agriculture-related communications:
- “…that’s some great stuff there!”
- “Your Center reports are very good. I printed out the last one…and shared it with a couple of colleagues.”
- “It is very helpful… Keep up the good work.”
- “Congratulations on a very fine effort. The News is very much appreciated. Keep it going.”
New, handy view of historical information about ACT.
You can now use the Internet to see the kinds of information contained in the American Association of Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) archives, which are maintained at the University of Illinois. Recently the University Archives staff posted this convenient finding aid online. Materials in the ACT archives cover a 32-year period, beginning in 1968 when students began to consider the need and potential for a national organization.
You can review the ACT Archives finding aid at www.library.uiuc.edu/ahx/act
Professional meetings approaching.
Following are some conferences, workshops and other kinds of professional improvement events for agricultural communicators:
September 2, 2000
First session of the 44th International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) conference at Royal Adelaide Showground, Adelaide, South Australia
September 28 – October 1, 2000
“CFWF 2000.” Conference of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation at Lethbridge, Alberta. Theme: “Farming on the green planet – the new age of stewardship.”
Information: cstanfie@fieldstone.ca
October 8 – 10, 2000
“Extension’s role in biotechnology education.” Symposium at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Information: www.biotech.iastate.edu/symposium_oct2000.html
We look forward to seeing some of you
At the U.S. Agricultural Communicators Congress in Washington, D.C., later this month. An Academic Swap Meet on Monday, July 24, will provide an opportunity for us to demonstrate how to gather information from the Documentation Center through online searching.
Best regards and good searching.
Please let us know if we can help you find information and/or if you can suggest documents that we might add to this collection.