ACDC Newsletter

When cattle producers decide not to adopt recommended practices

Researchers at Oklahoma State University reported earlier this year on non-adoption of 13 commonly recommended management and marketing practices for cow-calf operations in their state. Responses from 1,453 producers revealed, for example:

• Many of the producers were at least 51 years old, “meaning they may not want to adopt practices because they will be retiring soon.”
• “The large percentage of small herd sizes and large percentage of producers who earned less than 20 percent of their income from the farm indicated most were now hobby-type producers.”

• Training had significant influence for 13 of the 14 practices, indicating extension efforts are effective. Authors suggested that “future extension efforts will mostly be needed to educate producers on how to implement practices and the value of the practices.”

You can read this conference paper, “Non-adoption of best management practices,” at: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/handle/143094

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New journal issue highlights 100 years of ACE

A new issue of the Journal of Applied Communications features the centennial of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE). The issue contains five commentaries and research articles, which you can read online in this open-access, peer-reviewed journal: http://journalofappliedcommunications.org/current-issue.html

• “Preparing for the next 150 years of agricultural communications”
  Commentary by Tracy Irani and David L. Doerfert
• “Harnessing the science to strengthen communication of scientific findings”
  Commentary by K. Robert Kern
• “Chalkboards to virtual environments: technology’s role in expanding the classroom to provide professional development and education for agricultural communicators”
  Research article by Theresa Pesl Murphrey, Tracy A. Rutherford, David L. Doerfert, Leslie D. Edgar, Don W. Edgar and Holli Leggette
• “The evolution of the agricultural communications degree program at Texas Tech University: a historical perspective”
  Research article by Chelsey Ann Ahrens and Courtney Gibson
• “Understanding whence we came: role of the Association for Communication Excellence in the development of agricultural communications during the past century— and future implications”
  Research article by D. Dwayne Cartmell II and James F. Evans

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Crappy vs. Snappy photos

Thanks to Donna Abernathy for alerting us (and other readers of the Cooperative Communicators Association newsletter, Communiqué ) to a source of graphic evidence about photo composition and lighting. Mining and industrial photographer James Hodgins of Ontario, Canada, features side-by-side comparisons in a Crappy vs. Snappy section of his website. Visitors see his photos and those of clients who accompany him on a shoot.

No agricultural photos are in the comparisons we saw. However, the photo techniques he uses seem relevant to lots of agricultural equipment, facilities, settings and operations. You can view the Crappy vs. Snappy showcase at: http://miningindustrialphotographer.com/crappy-vs-snappy

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Relationship between science communication and agricultural communication

Prof. Katie Abrams addressed that relationship in an article published recently by the Communicating Science, Health, Environment and Risk (ComSHER) Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).

“I’ve pondered the disconnect I see between ag comm and sci comm,” she explained. “Well, after casually connecting with several others about the matter, I firmly believe it’s worth reigniting attention and thought.” Her article reveals some of the historical, organizational, conceptual and cultural dimensions of this relationship. It also introduces possible ways in which those interested might interact and build bridges.

You can read the article here .

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Farmers using social media to avoid food waste

In a recent Voice of America broadcast, Rachel Dornhelm cited United Nations data suggesting that one-third of all food fails to make it from farm to table. She described the efforts of a California food producer, Nick Papadopoulos, who decided to try to avoid seeing a weekend’s worth of farmers’ market produce spoil before the next market day. He uses the farm’s Facebook presence to announce fresh food available at a deep discount. Dornhelm’s report also mentions use of apps and websites that connect farms with food banks.

“Gleaning food from farms is a centuries old tradition,” Papadopoulos explained, “but it’s time to do it with 21 ^st Century tools.”

You can read the report at: http://www.voanews.com/content/social-media-helps-farmers-avoid-food-waste/1707814.html

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“Who tops the social media (fast) food chain?”

Morgan J. Arnold asked (and answered) that question in a February posting on Social Media Today. We’re talking about Facebook fans totaling as many as 27 million.

Who would you put on a list of Top Five social media marketers among the fast food chains? You can identify Arnold’s list at: http://socialmediatoday.com/morgan-j-arnold/1250081/tops-social-media-fast-food-chain

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Imprinted like ducklings with the sound of their mother’s call

That’s how Prof. Niels Röling described much current policy thinking about innovation for agricultural and rural development. He shared this perspective in a chapter of the 2009 book, Innovation Africa: enriching farmers’ lives , which we have added to the ACDC collection.

“Policy thinking about innovation tends to be dominated by the linear model of technology supply push, partly because no other model promises such desirable macro-economic impacts. Yet this model has only very limited applicability in African conditions and has not led to significant development, let alone to poverty reduction,” he said. “Many people who are practically involved in promoting agricultural innovation have little ability to think conceptually about innovation as such. They are as imprinted with the linear model as ducklings are with the sound of their mothers’ call.”

Check with us at docctr@library.illinois.edu if you would like help in gaining access to this resource.

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Communicator activities approaching

• September 1-5, 2013
  Annual Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina. Information: http://www.ifajargentina.com
• September 18-20, 2013
  Annual conference of the Association of Food Journalists (AFJ) in Park City, Utah. Information: http://www.afjonline.com
• October 4-6, 2013
  “Big agriculture in a small setting.” Annual conference of the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation (CFWF) at Harrison Hot Springs Resort in British Columbia. Information: http://www.cfwf2013.ca/index.html
• October 18, 2013
  Deadline for submitting research and professional papers to be presented in the Agricultural Communications Section of the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists meeting in Dallas, Texas, February 1-4, 2014. Contact: Craig Gautreaux at cgautreaux@agcenter.lsu.edu .
  Information about the Section: https://sites.google.com/a/extension.org/saasagcomm/home
• November 6, 2013
  Deadline for submitting posters to be presented in the Agricultural Communications Section (above). To feature innovative ideas and research in agricultural communications. Contact: Frankie Gould at fgould@agcenter.lus.edu .
• November 13-15, 2013
  “Farm broadcasting: Intrusive Success.” Annual meeting of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) in Kansas City, Missouri USA. Information: http://www.nafb.com

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More ambiguities in agri/food headlines

We close this issue of ACDC News with several more “supposed actual newspaper headlines” that have caught the attention of Prof. Ernest Barreto of the Nonlinear Science Group at George Mason University.

“Farmer bill dies in House”

“Chef throws his heart into helping feed needy”

“Cold wave linked to temperatures”

“New study of obesity looks for larger test group”

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Best wishes and good searching.

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @ACDCUIUC . And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, Room 510, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to docctr@library.illinois.edu

Welcome to ACDC News

If you are receiving this e-newsletter for the first time, it’s a resource for professionals, teachers, students, researchers, and others interested in communications related to agriculture, food, natural resources, rural development, and related topics. Timely news? Yes, but more than that. It explores media, methods, issues, and trends from around the world, and may stir your thinking and creativity. In each issue you will see a sample of information coming into the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, an open resource and service based at the University of Illinois, USA. Nearly 39,000 documents reflect journalism and communications about agriculture in more than 170 countries. We hope you both enjoy and find value in reading ACDC News.

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Remembering “real life” in the digital marketplace

“More than 90 percent of the conversations about products, services, and brands that take place every day in America happen offline,” report Ed Keller and Brad Fay in The Face-to-Face Book: Why Real Relationships Rule in a Digital Marketplace (Free Press, 2012). “Social media is big and growing,” they explained, “but it is still dwarfed by the analog world in which people live and interact.”

They cited research and case studies (including about a half dozen in the food sector) which prompted them to suggest:

• Face-to-face communication has far greater impact, in terms of perceived credibility and likelihood to take action, than just reading something online.
• The fact that advertising and other forms of marketing spark so much word of mouth means that the right type of campaign, with significant reach, can unleash a huge number of offline conversations, making the question of scale a nonissue.
• Most people on Facebook keep in a close contact with only about four people per week.
• The greatest impact is created by people’s close personal connections, not the far wider number of loose connections.
• Imagining a “new social marketing” involves sparking conversations (by any channel)—a critical success factor for all marketing.

You can read a review of the book on the Forbes website at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2012/06/11/facebook-or-face-to-face-the-real-world-social-network-still-triumphs/

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Why “there’s been very little adoption of variable rate technology.”

Agricultural economist David Bullock says it’s because many grain farmers started to say, “That’s a pretty yield map. But how does it make me money?” Without full information, site-specific management is a financial loser, according to Bullock. Speaking in June at a symposium of the International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium in Seville, Spain, he reported that for many crops and applications, precision technology has not been profitable because of lack of full information. He reported results of an on-farm agronomic experiment using precision agriculture technology

Possible good news? Findings suggest that variable rate technology “can cheaply provide the information needed by VRT to be profitable.”

You can view this presentation at: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/handle/152371

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My best advice for our next 100 years

Elizabeth Gregory North shared some key perspectives on June 14 when she received the 2013 Professional Award, highest recognition given by the Association of Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) to one of its members. Her advice, offered during the Centennial Conference, included these insights:

• Successful communication is now and always has been focused on the audience.
• Successful communicating cannot be purely tactical. It must be grounded in research, guided by strategy, and integrated across media.
• The point of communications is not the coolest or latest technology. It is about building relations between people and organizations.
• We are never as good working alone as we are when we work together.

Elizabeth is the department head of the Office of Agricultural Communications with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. She is a 20-year professional in communications and marketing with Extension and land-grant institutions. Among her contributions, she was cited for her work with the National Extension Branding Initiative. You can read her remarks here .

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Evidence from Asia about mobile phones for rural learning and development

A journal article added recently to the ACDC collection summarizes results of learning-by-mobile (mLearning) projects in six developing countries of Asia. Researchers observed “important evidence of mobile phones facilitating increased access to education,” but much less evidence about how mobiles promote new learning. Findings were mixed regarding the extent to which mLearning promotes new learning. Among the barriers observed:

• Technical issues such as screen size and quality of hardware
• Quality of the software
• Language barriers
• Lack of familiarity with advanced smartphone functions
• Cost; “mLearning is not always least expensive for the individual learner, as mLearning literature might suggest, perhaps due to the fact that most of the mLearning literature addresses the developed world.”

You can read this article in the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning at: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/794/1487

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Developing a scale to measure superstition in rural areas

You can get some guidelines in a Journal of Social Sciences article we added recently to the ACDC collection. Researchers M. M. Huque and A. H. Chowdhury constructed a 20-item scale to measure superstition among maize farmers in Bangladesh. It showed discriminatory power and proved reliable and dependable. They suggested it may have bearing in other countries whose social systems and level of development are satisfactorily comparable.

You can read “A scale to measure superstition” at: http://www.doaj.org > Search on title

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Integrating local and scientific agricultural knowledge

We recently added to the ACDC collection a study that examined how information flows locally about horticultural practices—vertically across generations of growers and horizontally among growers and with change agents such as extension workers. It identified approaches and perspectives that may find applications beyond Argentina, where the study was based.

“This could enable greater integration between local and scientific knowledge, allowing for cultural and biological diversity,” the researchers concluded. “For this purpose, it would also be necessary to create new mechanisms of communication between locals and western institutions tending to facilitate better comprehension and self-respect.”

You can read this article in the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine at: http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/4/1/25

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Communicator activities approaching

• August 3-7, 2013
  “Just wing it!” Agricultural Media Summit sponsored by the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA), Livestock Publications Council (LPC) and the Agri Council of American Business Media in Buffalo, New York. Also hosts the annual conference of the student organization, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT). Information: http://www.agmediasummit.com
• August 26-28, 2013
  “Transformative change: chosen or unchosen—pathways to innovation, resilience and prosperity.” International conference of the Australasian-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Christchurch, New Zealand. Information: http://www.apen.org.au
• September 1-5, 2013
  Annual Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina. Information: http://www.ifajargentina.com
• September 18-20, 2013
  Annual conference of the Association of Food Journalists (AFJ) in Park City, Utah. Information: http://www.afjonline.com
• October 4-6, 2013
  “Big agriculture in a small setting.” Annual conference of the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation (CFWF) at Harrison Hot Springs Resort in British Columbia. Information: http://www.cfwf2013.ca/index.html

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Honoring a worst agricultural novel

We close this issue of ACDC News with a tip of the hat to an agricultural novel recognized in the latest Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. This annual competition, sponsored by the English Department of San Jose State University, challenges entrants to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels. We note with interest that the winner of the Science Fiction category featured gardening.

“As I gardened, gazing towards the autumnal sky, I longed to run my finger through the trail of mucus left by a single speckled slug—innocuously thrusting past my rhododendrons—and in feeling that warm slime, be swept back to planet Alderon, back into the tentacles of the alien who loved me.” Mary E. Patrick, Lake City, South Carolina.

You can read all the 2012 winners, runners-up and dishonorable mentions at: http://bulwer-lytton.com/2012win.html

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Best wishes and good searching.

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @ACDCUIUC . And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, Room 510, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to docctr@library.illinois.edu

Do ICTs further or hinder Gross National Happiness?

Kezang and Jason Whalley addressed that question during the Fourth International Conference on Gross National Happiness in Thimphu, Bhutan. GNH is the philosophy that has guided development within Bhutan. It operates on the principle that GNH is more important than Gross National Product (GNP). In this approach, the ultimate purpose of the government is to promote the happiness of the people.

Authors traced the introduction of various information and communication technologies in Bhutan from a telephone system in the early 1960s to radio, television, the internet and cellular mobile services. They concluded that the gap between the “haves” and “have nots” (including some residents in rural areas) can be reduced through ICTs, but not entirely overcome.

You can read this conference paper at: http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/pubFiles/18.GNH4.pdf

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Selling food direct from the farm? Ask consumers about their family illnesses

That advice came from 2012 research among consumers in four major cities in the southeastern region of the U.S. When researchers examined who buys food directly from producers they discovered impact related to:

• Illness among respondents and their related family members. On average, about half reported that they and/or immediate family members had experienced four occurrences of illnesses involving cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
• Relatively greater understanding of the agriculture industry
• Higher levels of physical activity

Authors suggested these findings hold important implications for helping local-food producers connect with prospective local-food consumers.

You can read this conference paper “Who buys food directly from producers?” at: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/handle/142929

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Separating private choice from views of public policy: the case of animal cloning

We recently added to the ACDC collection a research report that raised a caution flag about using the private shopping choices of individuals to draw conclusions about their desires for food policies. Kathleen R. Brooks and Jayson L. Lusk used a web-based survey involving a probability sample of the general U.S. population. The survey showed contradictory results. Private shopping choices for meat and milk indicated people were willing to pay to avoid cloned meat and milk. Private choices implied that practically everyone would favor a ban on the practice of animal cloning. However, choices for public policy predicted that only about 40 percent had a positive willingness to pay for such a ban.

You can read this Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics article at: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/handle/142359

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Family-friendly entrepreneurs (especially women in rural areas)

We recently added to the ACDC collection a 2012 journal article by Carol Ekinsmyth about new business formation in family spaces. The author, a geography faculty member, noted that 73 percent of UK enterprises have no employees, and 17 percent of those are managed solely by women. This significant phenomenon is growing, she noted, especially in rural areas. She investigated the nature, dynamics, networks, and locations of new female businesses started within the past five years.

Findings underlined the importance of businesses (a) created within family spaces and (b) borne out of desire to manage work/life tensions. They suggested that good business ideas for these women were born and nurtured in the “everyday, mundane spaces of family life.” They came to fruition through word-of-mouth social contacts and networking that occur in these spaces. Following are four businesses identified most frequently through the study:

• Personal services (e.g., parent training and responsibilities)
• Baby and children’s products
• Network marketing consultancies
• Writing, blogging, art, and design

You can read this article at: http://www.ceeol.com/aspx/getdocument.aspx?logid=5&id=9c4c6225ed3947c093872f66f12fd18a

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More creative ideas for teaching agricultural communications

Here are three more recent reports of creative ways in which agricultural communications teachers are helping students learn to communicate effectively:

• Using reflective journaling to encourage students to think critically about television and movie portrayals of science and agriculture.
  View at: ” Featuring agriculture ”
• Bringing animal science and agricultural communications students together to plan and manage a horse sale, called the Razorback Roundup.
  View at: ” Clients’ perceptions of the quality of services ”
• Involving students in evaluating the usability of the website for a state agricultural research database.
  View at: ” Evaluating the usability ”

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Communicator activities approaching

• July 22-24, 2013
  “Emerging priorities for scientific and agricultural information.” 14th World Congress of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists in Ithaca, New York. Information: http://www.iaald.org
• August 3-7, 2013
  “Just wing it!” Agricultural Media Summit sponsored by the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA), Livestock Publications Council (LPC) and the Agri Council of American Business Media in Buffalo, New York. Also hosts the annual conference of the student organization, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT). Information: http://www.agmediasummit.com
• August 26-28, 2013
  “Transformative change: chosen or unchosen—pathways to innovation, resilience and prosperity.” International conference of the Australasian-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Christchurch, New Zealand. Information: http://www.apen.org.au
• September 1-5, 2013
  Annual Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina. Information: http://www.ifajargentina.com
• September 18-20, 2013
  Annual conference of the Association of Food Journalists (AFJ) in Park City, Utah. Information: http://www.afjonline.com
• October 4-6, 2013
  “Big agriculture in a small setting.” Annual conference of the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation (CFWF) at Harrison Hot Springs Resort in British Columbia. Information: http://www.cfwf2013.ca/index.html

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Risks (or maybe temptations) facing environmental editors

We close this issue of ACDC News with several more “supposed actual newspaper headlines” that have caught the attention of Prof. Ernest Barreto of the Nonlinear Science Group at George Mason University. In particular, they alert readers to eye-catching news about natural resources and wildlife.

“Stolen painting found by tree”

“Lansing residents can drop off trees”

“New vaccine may contain rabies”

“Deer kill 17,000”

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Best wishes and good searching.

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @ACDCUIUC . And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, Room 510, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to docctr@library.illinois.edu

Five new research articles in the Journal of Applied Communications

The first 2013 issue of JAC features these five research articles:

• “Visual communications: an analysis of university students’ perceptions of rural America based on selected photographs.”
• “Usability testing and evaluation of Texas Tech Sorghum Research Initiative website.”
• “A case study of the risk and crisis communications used in the 2008 salmonella outbreak.”
• “Competencies needed by agricultural communication undergraduates: An academic perspective.”
• “Agricultural issues on the ballot: A case study of the 2009 Ohio Issue 2 campaign.”

JAC is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that features communications about agriculture and related fields. You can review these new articles online at: http://journalofappliedcommunications.org

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“The mythic dream of a house in the country”

A recent article in Brazilian Journalism Research revealed evidence that urban residents hold the mythical dream of a house in the country as “a way to reject the disenchantment with the world and to insist on hope.” Researcher Gislene Silva used questionnaires, telephone interviews, and personal talks with Globo Rural subscribers who live in São Paulo and own no rural property.

Findings showed that when dreaming of a house in the country urban readers do not simply turn nostalgically to a rural past. “In fact, they express their deep criticism of the civilizing model of urbanity in the metropolis at the present time and, looking ahead, they imagine a better future away from the city in a rural environment, closer to nature, with a place with more solidarity, away from violence, heavy traffic, pollution, and therefore with improved quality of life.”

You can read this journal article at: https://bjr.sbpjor.org.br/bjr

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Beef steak branding—a tricky, changing business

Analysis of nationwide retail scanner data helped a team of U.S. researchers reveal the complex behavior of consumers in buying branded beef steak. Findings suggested that most branded steaks garnered premiums along with organic claims, religious processing claims, and premium cuts (e.g., tenderloin, porterhouse, T-bone, top loin). However, varied factors can influence brand value. Among them: (a) new brands targeting emerging consumer trends, (b) brands with regional prominence, (c) brands positioned as special label, (d) program- or breed-specific production, and (d) store reputation.

Authors concluded, “The dynamic nature of the retail beef market suggests that marketers must track perceptions over time and continually align their product and branding strategies with changing views.”

You can read this journal article at: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/handle/132534

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Newly-posted oral history of an agricultural communicator

You can now listen to three oral history podcasts that feature the life and career of K. Robert Kern. He is a long-time faculty member at Iowa State University, the 1965-66 president of what is now the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE), and 1984 recipient of the ACE Professional Award. It is the highest recognition given by the organization to one of its members.

These podcasts were posted recently on the ACDC website. They are part of an Agricultural Communication Oral History Project conducted by Natalie Daily Federer, doctoral candidate and Extension professional at Purdue University. They feature:

• His professional path from 1941 through a “third retirement” in 2002.
• The growth and contributions of ACE in connection with his own career, trending toward a broadening role from agricultural editing, toward that of communicating more strategically, and across a widening agenda.
• Thoughts about the international aspects of ACE, including the contributions of ACE members and agricultural information units working on international fronts.

This project, supported by the ACE Professional Development Fund, “takes steps to capture and share historical perspectives, experiences, and memories of those working within the community.” More oral histories are in production.

You can listen to the K. Robert Kern podcasts at: http://www.library.illinois.edu/funkaces/acdc/oralhistory.html

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Passing of a special associate

We are saddened at the passing on June 7 of Stephen G-M Shenton, a 45-year friend and associate to the agricultural communications program here at the University of Illinois. Steve served the program from 1968 to 1973, first as a graduate teaching assistant during his doctoral studies and later as instructor. Then, during his 26-year career on the communications faculty at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, he maintained his active interest, support, and contact here. In fact, even as an emeritus professor he continued as a volunteer associate in the ACDC. We always valued his counsel, expertise, and sharp eye for useful information about agriculture-related journalism and communications.

Steve brought to his students a remarkably broad perspective on communications, from practical, hands-on reporting skills to the historical and theoretical dimensions that consistently surprised them and stretched their vision. He was progressive and creative in his use of teaching concepts and methods. Students soon found that he cared about them, wanted to help them learn and had the command of subject matter and teaching skills to do so. His keen and refreshing sense of humor, direct style, and caring spirit teamed well with his strong sense of honesty. We will miss him, and are grateful for his friendship. (Jim Evans)

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Communicator activities approaching

• July 22-24, 2013
  “Emerging priorities for scientific and agricultural information.” 14th World Congress of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists in Ithaca, New York. Information: http://www.iaald.org
• August 3-7, 2013
  “Just wing it!” Agricultural Media Summit sponsored by the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA), Livestock Publications Council (LPC) and the Agri Council of American Business Media in Buffalo, New York. Also hosts the annual conference of the student organization, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT). Information: http://www.agmediasummit.com
• August 26-28, 2013
  “Transformative change: chosen or unchosen—pathways to innovation, resilience and prosperity.” International conference of the Australasian-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Christchurch, New Zealand. Information: http://www.apen.org.au
• September 1-5, 2013
  Annual Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina. Information: http://www.ifajargentina.com
• September 18-20, 2013
  Annual conference of the Association of Food Journalists (AFJ) in Park City, Utah. Information: http://www.afjonline.com

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Closing with a thought about learning and thinking

How many hundreds of times have we walked past Gregory Hall, home of the College of Media here at the University of Illinois? Why hadn’t we looked upward at the west entrance and seen this thought from John Milton Gregory, first Regent of the University? Thanks to Scott Heiberger, communications specialist with the National Farm Medicine Center, for alerting us to it when he visited us at the ACDC last week.

“It is much easier to learn and remember than to investigate and think.”

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Best wishes and good searching.

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @ACDCUIUC . And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, Room 510, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to docctr@library.illinois.edu

Showcasing top cooperative communicators of the year

Cooperative Communicators Association is showcasing the 2013 CCA Communications Contest Winners. This lively organization for professionals who communicate for cooperatives recognizes excellence through an annual contest.

You can learn who earned top honors this year in four divisions of the recognition program—writing, publication, photography, and programs/projects. Visit: http://www.communicators.coop/2013Contest.htm

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Fresh perspective on development “is urgently called for”

“Following over a half century of ‘technology transfer’ and ‘participation,’ the paradigm of agricultural modernization appears to have reached a limit.” With that introduction, Wageningen University faculty members Todd Crane, Stephen Sherwood and Cees Leeuwis recently suggested a next stage—Development 3.0. They explained:

• Development 1.0 led to the creation of the national agricultural research and extension centres, as well as the international agricultural research system.
• Development 2.0 grew with the rise of rural development non-governmental organizations, emphasizing people-centered approaches and “participatory development.”

In the face of urgent social and environmental challenges, they sense a welcomed change taking place. Development 3.0, they suggested, centers on a commonly neglected resource: the creativity embedded in daily practices, innovation and self-organization of families, communities, and other collectives.

You can read this brief report from AgriCultures at: http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/magazines/global/from-desertification-to-vibrant-communities/development-3.0-development-practice-in-transition

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Insights about how farmers view tobacco biopharming

We have added to the ACDC collection a conference paper that reported results of a telephone survey among 145 tobacco farmers in five Southeastern U.S. states. Findings showed:

• The interviewed producers knew little about biopharming.
• Their responses were driven largely by information presented to them, “and, most importantly, by economic profits.”
• They appeared to have relatively less concern about the technology, compared with findings through research among consumers.
• It is “very important to provide producers with appropriate information on biopharming, its challenges and opportunities.”

You can read this 2013 conference paper via: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/handle/143064

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Three fresh ideas for teaching agricultural communications

Teachers of agricultural communications throughout the U.S. are maintaining their creative tradition. Here are three case reports we have added to the ACDC collection from the proceedings of a research session about agricultural communications:

• Mobile classrooms for teaching a visual communications curriculum that fits into the agricultural science courses of secondary schools in Arkansas.  View: ” Experiential learning ”
• Inviting online reactions from college students about educational and entertainment videos pertaining to modern dairy husbandry practices. View: ” Advertising agrarian unreality ”
• Using Second Life (3-D virtual world) in the agriculture classroom. View: ” Learning in a new land ”

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Congratulations to Nora Quebral

We join others in congratulating Dr. Nora Cruz-Quebral on receiving the 2013 Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award from the University of the Philippines Alumni Association. The honor, to be awarded this month, recognizes her leadership and achievements in the field of development communication.

“The UPAA honors Dr. Quebral for her contributions to devcom education and practice that embodied the University’s heritage of service to the people, and improved the lives of people in countless communities she has served through the years.”

A pioneer in the discipline of development communication, Dr. Quebral was the first leader of the Department of Development Communication (now the College of Development Communication) at the University of the Philippines at Los Baños. As a current professor emeritus, she is chair of the Nora C. Quebral Development Communication Centre. You can learn more about her career at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nora_C._Quebral

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Reporting about science in quick-tempered times

“It is the editors who need educating in science,” read the title of an article by Carl W. Larsen. It caught our attention in a 1958 issue of Nieman Reports . We are adding his article to the ACDC collection, partly because of the following admonition that applies to agricultural as well as other kinds of science reporting. Also, the advice seems as timely today as it was a half century ago.

“In this quick-tempered period, we must demand that the quality of reporting and editorial opinion—especially on science—be of the highest order.”

Check with us at docctr@library.illinois.edu if you would like help in gaining access.

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There’s the link I was looking for! (Part Two about DOIs)

As discussed previously, a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) can be a wonderful tool for keeping track of digital scholarly resources. As enthusiastic believers in digital preservation, we here at the Center have begun including them in our citation database where possible.

An example of a document with a DOI in our BibLeaves search system is “The once and future georgic: agricultural practice, environmental knowledge, and the place of an ethic of experience” by Benjamin R. Cohen. The DOI for this document is 10.1007/s10450-008-9172-7

To retrieve this document:

Enter the following into an internet address bar: http://dx.doi.org/ + DOI. Therefore, your address bar will read: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10450-008-9172-7 NOTE: This may only work if you have institutional access to this article.

If you’d like to look at some of the articles the Center has identified with DOIs, simply search “DOI” in BibLeaves: http://bibleaves.library.illinois.edu/catalog?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=DOI&search_field=all_fields&results_view=true&commit=search

We hope this solution will help quell some frustrations and fears about the transitory nature of many URLs. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the center at docctr@library.illinois.edu . Or contact our resident DOI expert, librarian Stephanie Pitts-Noggle, at pittsno2@illinois.edu

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Communicator activities approaching

• June 17-21, 2013
  Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA) in London, UK. Information: http://www.icahdq.org
• July 22-24, 2013
  “Emerging priorities for scientific and agricultural information.” 14th World Congress of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists in Ithaca, New York. Information: http://www.iaald.org
• August 3-7, 2013
  “Just wing it!” Agricultural Media Summit sponsored by the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA), Livestock Publications Council (LPC) and the Agri Council of American Business Media in Buffalo, New York. Also hosts the annual conference of the student organization, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT). Information: http://www.agmediasummit.com
• August 26-28, 2013
  “Transformative change: chosen or unchosen—pathways to innovation, resilience and prosperity.” International conference of the Australasian-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Christchurch, New Zealand. Information: http://www.apen.org.au
• September 1-5, 2013
  Annual Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina. Information: http://www.ifajargentina.com

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How’s that again?

We close this issue of ACDC News with a few “amusing ambiguities” gathered by Prof. Ernest Barreto of George Mason University. These headlines caught our eye, of course, because they communicate about food and agriculture.

“Include your children when baking cookies”

“Lung cancer in women mushrooms”

“Enraged cow injures farmer with ax”

Please pass along others that catch your eye. Send them to us at docctr@library.illinois.edu

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Best wishes and good searching.

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @ACDCUIUC . And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, Room 510, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to docctr@library.illinois.edu

Internet adding $2,000-plus annual gross farm income to small farms

“Small farms with access to the Internet earned approximately $2,200 to $2,700 more in gross farm income compared to small farms without access to the Internet.” That conclusion came from a research report we have added to the ACDC collection. A pair of agricultural economists at Louisiana State University presented their findings during February. Researchers used data from a nationwide U. S. Department of Agriculture survey of farm households in 2010. They defined a “small farm” as having a gross cash farm income of less than $250,000. Sixty-two percent of the small farm households had access to the Internet.

Researchers concluded that small farm businesses, through good management of off-farm and on-farm activities, can benefit from Internet service as it opens up options for gaining information and potentially reducing input costs and household expenses.

You can read this conference paper, “Assessing the impact of Internet access,” at: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/handle/143019

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$20 cows making media headlines in Australia

Thanks to Gordon Collie of AgriProse in Brisbane, Australia, for an alert about some newsy reporting by James Nason ( www.beefcentral.com ) that caught urban attention.

Gordon explains that the killer line in this recent story was about two unwanted cows in a yarding of 3,000 head. James reported that they actually sold for $20 each. In the story, he went on to quote the local selling agent as having heard on the radio that you need to sell 25 cattle at $20 a head to feed a family for two weeks.

Gordon continued: “Then we have some bright spark working out how many cows a farmer has to sell at $20 to feed his family!”

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Information that Italian consumers want and use on food labels

A 2012 article in the International Journal on Food System Dynamics described results of focus groups and a survey among consumers in Milan. Among the findings:

• Vitamins, energy, and fat content emerged as most important to these consumers.
• They also expressed high interest in the origin of the products, presence or absence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), environmental impact, animal welfare, and type of breeding.
• They said they want information that is simple and easy to read.
• They require the information to come from third parties that can certify and guarantee the truthfulness of claims.
• They welcome the possibility of personalized services, such as through smart labels for mobile phones.

You can read the journal article at: http://centmapress.ilb.uni-bonn.de/ojs/index.php/fsd/article/view/275/259

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180th birth anniversary of a pioneer rural journalist

April brought the 180 ^th birth anniversary of a pioneer rural journalist. We learned of it recently when we added to the ACDC collection a news article about observance of a birth anniversary recognizing Kangal Harinath. The occasion took place in his ancestral home in Kushtia, a district now in western Bangladesh.

Speakers at the birthday anniversary recognized Harinath (1833-1896) as a pioneer in rural journalism. He first wrote for a newspaper, Sangbad Prabhakar , in 1854. In 1860 he began publishing Grambarta Prokashika , which emerged as a leading weekly magazine. He was cited as “one of the few dedicated souls who through his writings relentlessly sought to alleviate the misery of the masses.”

You can read this article at: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=243034

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Is development journalism out of date?

Researchers Jeffrey Wimmer and Susanne Wolf asked that question in a 2005 article in Munich Contributions to Science Communication . Their analysis provided an overview of journalism education offered by African universities at that time, with special focus on the concept and guidelines of development journalism. It reveals course offerings in development journalism at universities in 14 African nations.

Authors concluded: “Development journalism nowadays seems to have a firm position in African journalism education. This development does not take place on a big scale, but it definitely happens in niches.”

You can read this article at: http://epub.ub.uni-muenchen.de/archive/00000647

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Darn, where did that link go?

If you happen to use the internet frequently, you’re probably familiar with this exclamation. As we here at the ACDC have noted in earlier newsletters, information online can be tragically ephemeral and transitory. In a world that demands information in an instant, this difficulty can be an immense frustration.

Happily for us, however, the ACDC has begun adopting a potential solution to this problem: a DOI, or Digital Object Identifier, is a string of characters assigned to a digital object (such as a journal article) to serve as a persistent identifier. This means that no matter where the article moves on the internet, by inserting the character string after the DOI repository prefix, you will always be linked to the same object.

If you’d like to learn more about DOIs, we encourage you to consult these additional sources:

• The University of Illinois Library’s Overview of Database Linking: http://www.library.illinois.edu/rex/guides/linking/linking.html
• The DOI homepage: http://www.doi.org/
• The Wikipedia article on DOIs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_object_identifier

In our next issue, we will provide some examples of how you can use DOIs to help locate material in the ACDC collection and elsewhere on the internet.

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Communicator activities approaching

• June 1-5, 2013
  “Sound ideas: the stage is set.” Annual Institute of the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) in Nashville, Tennessee. Information: http://www.communicators.coop/2013institute.htm
• June 11-14, 2013
  “ACE-NETC Racing Ahead 2013.” Joint conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) and the National Extension Technology Conference (NETC) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Commemorates the 100th anniversary of ACE and features more than 100 professional breakout sessions. Information: http://www.dce.k-state.edu/conf/ace-netc
• June 17-21, 2013
  Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA) in London, UK. Information: http://www.icahdq.org
• July 22-24, 2013
  “Emerging priorities for scientific and agricultural information.” 14th World Congress of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists in Ithaca, New York. Information: http://www.iaald.org
• August 3-7, 2013
  “Just wing it!” Agricultural Media Summit sponsored by the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA), Livestock Publications Council (LPC) and the Agri Council of American Business Media in Buffalo, New York. Also hosts the annual conference of the student organization, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT). Information: http://www.agmediasummit.com
• August 26-28, 2013
  “Transformative change: chosen or unchosen—pathways to innovation, resilience and prosperity.” International conference of the Australasian-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Christchurch, New Zealand. Information: http://www.apen.org.au
• September 1-5, 2013
  Annual Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina. Information: http://www.ifajargentina.com

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Blessed are the meek

We close this issue of ACDC News with advice from a country editor, Donald A. Norberg. He shared his code of practice in a 1949 issue of Nieman Reports . He offered the following philosophy in his article, which we added recently to the ACDC collection:

“Community newspapers cannot just observe and report on the parade of humanity. They’ve got to march in it.” The meek, he argued, are the marchers…the builders.

Check with us at docctr@library.illinois.edu if you would like help in gaining access to this article, “Blessed are the meek.”

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Best wishes and good searching

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @ACDCUIUC . And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, room 510, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to docctr@library.illinois.edu

Careers increasing in agricultural journalism

Anne Hart, Sacramento (California) Nutrition Examiner, sees her region “turning to agricultural journalism to communicate what’s happening locally with farming, the environment, and who’s getting grants.” She observed growing need for agricultural and environmental journalists in business, government, research, and the media—and emphasized the added breadth of agricultural journalism, including food, nutrition, and health.

“If you enjoy writing about the environment, plants, food, and genetics and either enjoy broadcast media or digital media combined with an interest in farming, there’s a field of journalism open called agricultural and environmental journalism.”

You can read her article at: http://www.examiner.com/article/careers-agricultural-journalism-increasing-locally-include-nutrition

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Communicating better: vital key to reducing global food waste

An estimated 30-50 percent of all food produced on the planet is lost before reaching a human stomach. That sobering statistic launched a January 2013 report we are adding to the ACDC collection from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (London, UK). Much of the 31-page report documented where, how, and why waste occurs in the global food system. And we note that all three recommendations in the report center in communications:

1. Put into place programs that transfer engineering knowledge, design know-how, and suitable technology to newly developing countries.
2. Incorporate waste minimization thinking into the transport infrastructure and storage facilities currently being planned, engineered and built.
3. Devise and implement policy that changes consumer expectations. “These should discourage retailers from wasteful practices that lead to the rejection of food on the basis of cosmetic characteristics, and losses in the home due to excessive purchasing by consumers.”

You can read this report, “Global food: waste not, want not,” at: http://www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/reports/Global_Food_Report.pdf?sfvrsn=0

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How farmers decide to enter agritourism

A national survey helped USDA researchers Faqir Singh Bagi and Richard J. Reeder identify factors affecting decisions of U.S. farmers to take part in agritourism. Their report in 2012 identified these factors as significant:

• Characteristics of the farm (e.g., percent of land not suitable for crop production, whether the land is enrolled in a conservation program, public access allowed for recreational uses to some part of the farm)
• Characteristics of the farm operator (e.g., age, education, access to the internet, use of farm management advice, amount of land owned, farm ownership structure)
• Area in which the farm is located (e.g., nearness to a city, Southern Plains region, and Rocky Mountain region)

You can read their article in Agricultural and Resource Economics Review at: http://purl.umn.edu/132529

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How well do mobile phones improve educational outcomes?

Research findings reported in the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning revealed a mixed answer to that question in rural and remote regions of developing countries. Analyses of mobile learning (mLearning) projects in six Asian countries showed:

• Mobile phones facilitated increased access to education
• Findings of the projects were mixed in regard to the extent to which mLearning promoted new learning
• Contradictory evidence also appeared in regard to the benefits of mLearning for those who have not succeeded in traditional educational settings

You can read this 2010 journal article at: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/794/1487

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What consumers want on food labels that’s not available now

A research team at the University of Milano, Italy reported an unusual two-part consumer research project involving information on food labels. One part examined what label information gets top consideration (e.g., vitamins, energy, and fat).

Part 2 examined interest in information currently not available on food labels. On a Likert scale (7 highest; 1 lowest), consumers expressed greatest interest in information about animal welfare (6.0) and type of breeding (5.5). Next came:

• food miles (5.3)
• packaging material (5.1)
• food knowledge (4.3)
• carbon footprint (4.0)
• water saving during the production process (3.5).

You can read this article in the International Journal on Food System Dynamics at: http://centmapress.ilb.uni-bonn.de/ojs/index.php/fsd/article/view/275/259

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Congratulations to our associate, Stephanie Pitts-Noggle .

This month Stephanie will receive her master’s degree in library and information science here at the University of Illinois. She successfully carried out her study program while serving as ACDC academic coordinator and webmaster through a half-time graduate assistantship.

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Lots of communicator activities approaching

• May 7-9, 2013
  Annual meeting of the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) in Portland, Oregon. Information: http://www.toca.org
• May 19-22, 2013
  “Building capacity through international agricultural and extension education.” Annual conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education in Fort Worth, Texas. Information: http://www.aiaee.org
• June 1-5, 2013
  “Sound ideas: the stage is set.” Annual Institute of the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) in Nashville, Tennessee. Information: http://www.communicators.coop/2013institute.htm
• June 11-14, 2013
  “ACE-NETC Racing Ahead 2013.” Joint conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) and the National Extension Technology Conference (NETC) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Commemorates the 100th anniversary of ACE and features more than 100 professional breakout sessions. Information: http://www.dce.k-state.edu/conf/ace-netc
• June 17-21, 2013
  Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA) in London, UK. Information: http://www.icahdq.org
• July 22-24, 2013
  “Emerging priorities for scientific and agricultural information.” 14th World Congress of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists in Ithaca, New York. Information: http://www.iaald.org
• August 3-7, 2013
  “Just wing it!” Agricultural Media Summit sponsored by the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA), Livestock Publications Council (LPC) and the Agri Council of American Business Media in Buffalo, New York. Also hosts the annual conference of the student organization, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT). Information: http://www.agmediasummit.com
• August 26-28, 2013
  “Transformative change: chosen or unchosen—pathways to innovation, resilience and prosperity.” International conference of the Australasian-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Christchurch, New Zealand. Information: http://www.apen.org.au
• September 1-5, 2013
  Annual Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina. Information: http://www.ifajargentina.com

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On good food labeling

We close this issue of ACDC News with an example from Tony Holkham in his book, Label writing and planning: a guide for good consumer communication. We added it recently to the ACDC collection. Holkham wondered how consumers interpret this food-related label:

“free range eggs” (“How do they get about?”)

He said this puzzling approach reminds him of comedienne Phyllis Diller’s take on this label, “Keep away from children.”

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Best wishes and good searching

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @ACDCUIUC . And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, room 510, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to docctr@library.illinois.edu

A linguistic jungle – terms reporters used to describe GM (or whatever)

Writing in the Newspaper Research Journal , Linda Steiner and Nora Bird found a linguistic jungle while analyzing the terms journalists used when they reported about genetically modified food. Here are the terms identified, arranged according to frequency: genetic engineering, genetically engineered, genetically modified, GM, genetically modified organisms, GMO, biotechnology, biotech, transgenic, genetically altered, frankenfood(s), gene-altered, gene-modified, biopharming, genomics, bioengineered. On average, the reporters who were interviewed used 3.6 different terms.

You may see opportunities for education, information, and research to help clear this jungle and improve understanding.

You can read a pdf version of “Reporters see indifference on genetically modified food” at: http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/N_Bird_Reporters_2008.pdf

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Advice for agricultural journalists about sensitive reporting

Executive members of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) recently heard encouragement and advice about free-press issues. Writing in IFAJ News , Hans Siemes summarized remarks by Oliver Vujovic, general secretary of the South and East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO). Vujovic reported that his organization, active in 20 countries, had about 800 cases during the past year in which journalists were attacked or put under severe pressure.

He encouraged IFAJ to continue to embrace freedom of the press and suggested it help agricultural journalists who are under pressure. He offered several tips to help them protect themselves.

You can read the newsletter article at: http://www.ifaj.org/news-blogs/news-detail/article/2013/01/22/title/share-delica.html?no_cache=1&cHash=a787f26bf9c47539c1d1ed551e835c5e

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Get a snapshot of fast-flowing agricultural news and information

“We can’t read it all in ag” is the title of a December 20, 2012, report we entered recently into the ACDC collection. Through Truffle Labs, AgToday collects articles on a variety of topics related to agriculture. The topics involve activism, beef, bioenergy, corn, dairy, food, innovation, politics, poultry, science, soybeans, and swine.

More than 15,000 digital articles about those topics had been generated, worldwide, during the 14 months covered. You can follow the flow at: http://www.agtoday.info/channels

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Another view of the “food miles” concept

Recent research by Alfred Wong and Alan Hallsworth illustrates the complexities of communicating about food systems. They examined the carbon dioxide footprint of heated greenhouse operations, in comparison with emissions that arose during the transportation of food grown in a distant location. Their study focused on fresh tomatoes for Vancouver, British Columbia.

Findings suggested that carbon dioxide emitted per kilogram was about seven times greater for tomatoes grown in regional heated greenhouses and transported fewer than 160 km to Vancouver than for open-field tomatoes grown in northwestern Mexico and transported about 2,400 km to Vancouver. As expected, emissions were lowest for tomatoes grown in season and in open fields within 160 km of Vancouver.

You can read their 2012 article in the International Journal on Food System Dynamics at: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/144849/2/Wong-ok-1.pdf

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Fitting communications within an innovative local agri-food business model.

Thanks to Dr. Mansour Farah, consultant in development, for alerting us to a case report about the Smart Community business model. This project is sponsored by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). It tests an innovative approach to strengthening rural communities. A key question: Can new local agri-food enterprises be developed in ways that sustain and support local community information centers?

Smart Community projects have been functioning in Iraq, Syria and Yemen since 2006. We are adding to the ACDC collection a 2009 report of the project in Iraq. Findings suggest that:

• The Smart Community model looks promising in that setting, with signs of early impact through successful training efforts and project management.
• Greatest challenges are apparent in official procedures, access to processing facilities for the local enterprises and access to computers and information technologies.
• Collaboration between local governments and various industries may determine the extent to which local agri-food industries can sustainably support community information centers.

You can read the report, “Smart Community Project for Iraq,” here .

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Looking back at a productive year

You can get a capsule view of programming, services and progress in the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center during 2012. It’s posted on the ACDC website and you can review it at: http://www.library.illinois.edu/funkaces/acdc/progress.html

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Busy time for communicator activities

• May 7-9, 2013
  Annual meeting of the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) in Portland, Oregon. Information: http://www.toca.org
• May 19-22, 2013
  “Building capacity through international agricultural and extension education.” Annual conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education in Fort Worth, Texas. Information: http://www.aiaee.org
• June 1-5, 2013
  “Sound ideas: the stage is set.” Annual Institute of the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) in Nashville, Tennessee. Information: http://www.communicators.coop/2013institute.htm
• June 11-14, 2013
  “ACE-NETC Racing Ahead 2013.” Joint conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) and the National Extension Technology Conference (NETC) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Commemorates the 100th anniversary of ACE and features more than 100 professional breakout sessions. Information: http://www.dce.k-state.edu/conf/ace-netc
• June 17-21, 2013
  Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA) in London, UK. Information: http://www.icahdq.org
• July 22-24, 2013
  “Emerging priorities for scientific and agricultural information.” 14th World Congress of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists in Ithaca, New York. Information: http://www.iaald.org
• August 3-7, 2013
  “Just wing it!” Agricultural Media Summit sponsored by the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA), Livestock Publications Council (LPC) and the Agri Council of American Business Media in Buffalo, New York. Also hosts the annual conference of the student organization, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT). Information: http://www.agmediasummit.com
• August 26-28, 2013
  “Transformative change: chosen or unchosen—pathways to innovation, resilience and prosperity.” International conference of the Australasian-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Christchurch, New Zealand. Information: http://www.apen.org.au
• September 1-5, 2013
  Annual Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina. Information: http://www.ifajargentina.com

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Is there a history?

We close this issue of ACDC News with a thought from a 2013 article by Elizabeth Station in The Core magazine (University of Chicago). A subhead in the article read:

If there’s not an archive,

is there a history?

The question resonates with us here in the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. Our mission during the past 31 years has been to help create an archive—to help identify, gather, process, preserve, and make available the widely-scattered body of research, experience and thought about communications aspects of agriculture, globally. We hope this effort is helping create a history of—and future progress for—something vitally important to societies throughout the world.

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Best wishes and good searching.

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, 510 LIAC, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to docctr@library.illinois.edu

Agricultural data more important than ever

The U. S. agricultural data system is under threat, an Oklahoma State University extension specialist reported in a January feature we are adding to the ACDC collection. It is easy to take for granted the data provided by a variety of government agencies, Derrell Peel observed. However, such data are “often overlooked and much of the current data system is under consideration for reduction or elimination.”

“Failure to recognize the longer run benefits of a strong data system against the short run budget savings of cutting data programs has enormous implications, not only for producers but for society at large.” He argued that the public-good nature of agricultural market information has been documented for many years, as a way to make markets more efficient.

You can read his report at: http://www.cattletradercenter.com/news/industry-headlines/Agricultural-data-is-more-important-than-ever-186792051.html

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Food marketers among those making the “biggest branding mistakes”

Matt Haig’s second compendium of historic branding errors includes a grocery cart full of food brands and marketers. Here are examples cited in his recent edition of Brand failures: the truth about the 100 biggest branding mistakes of all time :

• Classic failures (including McDonald’s Arch Deluxe)
• Idea failures (including Kellogg’s Cereal Mates, Crystal Pepsi, and Maxwell House ready-to-drink coffee)
• Extension failures (including Chiquita’s “exotic juices” and Frito-Lay Lemonade)
• PR failures (including the McLibel trial and Snow Brand milk products in Japan)
• Culture failures (including Gerber in Africa, Kellogg’s in India, Quaker Oats Snapple)
• People failures (including Guiltless Gourmet)
• Tired brands (including Ovaltine malt drink)

Check with us at docctr@library.illinois.edu if you would like help in gaining access to information in this book.

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Telling the “local story” of produce can be a double-edged sword

Connecting food producers and consumers through the “local story” gets strong attention these days. Attention often focuses on direct marketing or local retail efforts. How does the story of fresh, locally-grown food get communicated within longer supply chains, such as schools, colleges, hospitals, senior meal sites, and correctional facilities? University of Vermont researchers addressed that question through interviews among those involved in institutional procurement of fresh fruits and vegetables.

“We find that providing more of the farmers’ ‘story’ is a double-edged sword,” the researchers concluded. They found it valuable in connecting the consumer and farmer, but costly in terms of time, effort, and money. Findings suggested that the connection is especially costly for producers in the supply chain.

You can read this Journal of Food Distribution Research article at: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/handle/139456

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Cloud computing: hope for rural development

Authors of a 2012 article in the Wayamba Journal of Animal Science suggested that cloud technology and innovations have opened up a new era of information dissemination and connectivity to rural areas. They discussed these potential applications in rural India:

• E-agriculture commerce services
• Animal health care and delivery services
• Tele-medicine
• Microfinance institutions
• Disaster management
• E-education/E-learning
• Rural cyber youth entrepreneurs
• Rural governance

They also identified challenges such as network access, cost of data transfer, user control over remote servers (confidentiality, integrity, availability of user’s data), and language barriers.

You can read this article at: http://www.wayambajournal.com/documents/1331186993.pdf

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New IFAJ steps for supporting and protecting agricultural journalists

The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) organization is moving forward in a strategy developed last August to reach out to journalists in new countries and new ways. President Markus Rediger, writing in the January issue of IFAJ News , emphasized the importance of free flow of information in serving societies.

“We want to stick to it in our process of becoming a more worldwide organization and reaching out to journalists in new countries,” he explained. His report identified new and ongoing contacts in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

You can read his president’s report at: http://www.ifaj.org/news-blogs/ifaj-newsletter/ifaj-news-january-2013.html#c4973

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“Unpacking the HSUS gravy train”

That is the title of a report and commentary added recently to the ACDC collection. It was posted during late November by the HumaneWatch organization, Washington, D.C. It provides financial information from the Internal Revenue Service Form 990, as submitted by the Humane Society of the United States for calendar year 2011.

You can read the report at: http://humanewatch.org/index.php/site/post/unpacking-the-hsus-gravy-train_2012_edition

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Lots of communicator activities approaching

• May 7-9, 2013
  Annual meeting of the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) in Portland, Oregon. Information: http://www.toca.org
• May 19-22, 2013
  “Building capacity through international agricultural and extension education.” Annual conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education in Fort Worth, Texas. Information: http://www.aiaee.org
• June 1-5, 2013
  “Sound ideas: the stage is set.” Annual Institute of the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) in Nashville, Tennessee. Information: http://www.communicators.coop/2013institute.htm
• June 11-14, 2013
  “ACE-NETC Racing Ahead 2013.” Joint conference of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) and the National Extension Technology Conference (NETC) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Commemorates the 100th anniversary of ACE and features more than 100 professional breakout sessions. Information: http://www.dce.k-state.edu/conf/ace-netc
• June 17-21, 2013
  Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA) in London, UK. Information: http://www.icahdq.org
• July 22-24, 2013
  “Emerging priorities for scientific and agricultural information.” 14th World Congress of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists in Ithaca, New York. Information: http://www.iaald.org
• August 3-7, 2013
  “Just wing it!” Agricultural Media Summit sponsored by the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA), Livestock Publications Council (LPC) and the Agri Council of American Business Media in Buffalo, New York. Also hosts the annual conference of the student organization, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT). Information: http://www.agmediasummit.com
• August 26-28, 2013
  “Transformative change: chosen or unchosen—pathways to innovation, resilience and prosperity.” International conference of the Australasian-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Christchurch, New Zealand. Information: http://www.apen.org.au
• September 1-5, 2013
  Annual Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina. Information: http://www.ifajargentina.com

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Writing tips from 86 years ago

We close this issue of ACDC News with a poem in a 1927 issue of ACE , newsletter of the American Association of Agricultural College Editors. It was attributed to John B. Opdycke, author of The English of Commerce . Although it pertains to letter writing, it also offers insights and tips that serve agricultural journalists and communicators.

Write your letter somewhat better

Than all other things you do;

Write it neatly and discreetly,

Keep it brief, yet ample, too;

Write it brightly, but politely,

Make it human through and through

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Best wishes and good searching.

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @ACDCUIUC . And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, room 510, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to docctr@library.illinois.edu

Big benefits from a commodity promotion effort

Results of a recent test-market experiment suggest that Tasmanian mushroom producers can benefit considerably through a revised marketing strategy developed by the Australian Mushroom Growers Association. Researchers Julian Alston and Joanna Parks reported that producers could expect a benefit-cost ratio of more than 11:1. This strategy involves using messages based on scientific findings about the nutrition and health benefits of regularly incorporating mushrooms into meals.

You can read their 2012 conference paper and perhaps get some useful ideas at: http://purl.umn.edu/124359

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How cooperatives can communicate more effectively with members

Needs and ideas emerged from a recent survey among managers of agricultural, farm credit, and utility cooperatives in the central U.S. Reporting at a conference last month, a team of Oklahoma State University researchers identified need for agricultural cooperatives to incorporate more diverse and effective communications strategies.

The answer to effective communications for the respective cooperatives does not require an extensive portfolio of communications, they suggested. What is needed, they said, are tactics that reach multiple audiences (especially including younger members), convey consistent key messages, are timely, and have a sense of quality and usability.

You can read this 2013 conference paper via: http://purl.umn.edu/143027

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Welcome, Amanda Marolf

We are delighted to welcome Amanda Marolf as a new associate in the Center. A graduate student in the Library and Information Science program, Amanda joined us March 11 on a part-time basis. She plans to help complete the processing of our unique collection of Volume 1 Number 1 issues of agricultural magazines and papers. Veteran agricultural communicator John Harvey contributed nearly 500 of them recently. They date back to the 1870s, so the processing involves considerable preservation effort.

An anthropology graduate from North Central College, Amanda brings to the Center useful skills, including document conservation. Her experience includes an internship at the Field Museum in Chicago, with a special eye on cultural contributions of the Museum. She has done extensive research of the Tuareg people of Niger, as well as the culture of India. Our ACDC collection includes more than 2,300 documents about rural communications in those two countries.

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Thanks for historic documents

Thirty-one historic documents are being processed into the ACDC collection, thanks to the kindness of Eldon Fredericks, emeritus faculty member from Purdue University. Most of them are part of the National Project in Agricultural Communications during the 1950s and early 1960s. These materials include NPAC newsletters, teaching guides and handouts, as well as a book about establishing agricultural universities in India and an Extension review of research about local leadership.

Credit also goes to the late Ralph Reeder, pioneering leader of the Purdue agricultural information staff. He saved these samples of resources used for communications training of Extension staff members throughout Indiana.

NPAC was coordinated by what is now the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) and funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. It contributed greatly to advancement of professional development, teaching and research in this field throughout the U. S. We are grateful to Professor Fredericks. Please let us know if you have agricultural communications resources for which ACDC might serve as a home.

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We are still searching—on your behalf and off the beaten path

Here are a few examples of journals in which we have identified agricultural communications information recently for the ACDC collection. This is such a widely-scattered body of literature. We often are surprised at where we find it. And we hope our efforts save your time and open new doors of understanding for you.

• Ejournalist
• Media Psychology
• Potato Grower
• Text and Talk
• Language and Communication
• Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication
• Cyberpsychology and Behavior
• Crime Media Culture
• Development in Practice
• European Journal of Communication

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Many communicator activities approaching

• March 14, 2013
  National annual meeting of the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists in London, UK. Information: http://www.gaj.org.uk/dates-deadlines
• April 7-9, 2013
  Annual meeting of the North American Agricultural Journalists (NAAJ) in Washington, D.C. Information: http://www.naaj.net/meetings
• May 7-9, 2013
  Annual meeting of the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) in Portland, Oregon. Information: http://www.toca.org
• May 19-22, 2013
  “Building capacity through international agricultural and extension education.” Annual conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education in Fort Worth, Texas. Information: http://www.aiaee.org
• June 1-5, 2013
  “Sound ideas: the stage is set.” Annual Institute of the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) in Nashville, Tennessee. Information: http://www.communicators.coop/2013institute.htm
• June 17-21, 2013
  Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA) in London, UK. Information: http://www.icahdq.org
• July 22-24, 2013
  “Emerging priorities for scientific and agricultural information.” 14th World Congress of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists in Ithaca, New York. Information: http://www.iaald.org
• August 26-28, 2013
  “Transformative change: chosen or unchosen—pathways to innovation, resilience and prosperity.” International conference of the Australasian-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Christchurch, New Zealand. Information: http://www.apen.org.au
• September 1-5, 2013
  Annual Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina. Information: http://www.ifajargentina.com

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New angles on rural wisdom

We close this issue of ACDC News with insights from youngsters. Thanks to Steve Shenton for alerting us to internet examples about how some first graders interpreted classic proverbs. Here is what happened when the youngsters were given the first part of several proverbs that have rural or communications themes:

• Don’t change horses…(until they stop running)
• You can lead a horse to water, but…(how?)
• You can’t teach an old dog new…(math)
• .The pen is mightier than the…(pigs)
• No news is…(impossible)

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Best wishes and good searching.

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @ACDCUIUC .  And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, room 510, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to mailto:docctr@library.illinois.edu