ACDC News – Issue 99-07

Posted on by Elizabeth Ray

Recent research about the roles of husbands and wives in farm decisions.

Thanks to Professor Lydia Zepeda, School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin, for providing several reports of research in which she has been involved recently on this subject. They include:

  • “The role of husbands and wives in farm technology choice”
  • “The results of four Wisconsin focus groups: roles of husbands and wives in farm decisions”
  • “Women on dairy farms: juggling diverse roles and responsibilities”

You can find the full citations for these documents by searching the collection online. Use either a title search or author search (Zepeda) to do so.

Some other recent acquisitions about farm decision-making.

During recent months we have added more than 25 new documents that relate to farm decision-making, diffusion and adoption. Here are titles of some:

  • “Economic effect of imperfect information on conservation decisions”
  • “Who are you going to call? As more and more university staff members work as paid consultants, it’s difficult to find ‘independent’ advice”
  • “Weather markets: U.S. corn and soybeans”
  • “Uncertainty and the regulation of nitrate pollution from agriculture”
  • “Predictors of the farm wife’s involvement in general management and adoption decisions”

Concerns aired about access to results of privately funded university research.

The May-June 1999 issue of Farm Industry News reports growing concern about research that is conducted at public universities but funded by private business. The article identifies some communications-related issues that may emerge from arrangements under which researchers agree to conduct industry-funded research. Among the issues: agreements that involve delays in publication of research results and/or allow sponsors to remove information from research at publication. Here is the citation for this article in the ACDC collection:

Dale B. McDonald, “Risky research: is corporate money compromising public research?” Farm Industry News 32,8 (May-June 1999), 8-9.

New literature about telecommunications for rural communities.

Thanks to Professor Eric Abbott, Iowa State University, for contributing a copy of the following proceedings during recent weeks:

  • Eric A. Abbott (ed.), “Telecommunications for rural community viability: making wise choices.” Proceedings of a workshop sponsored by the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, February 25-27, 1997, Kansas City, Missouri. 83pp.

Among the topics of keynote presentations made during the workshop:

  • “Electronic highways and byways: converging technologies and rural development,” by Heather Hudson, professor and director, Telecommunications Management and Policy Program, University of San Francisco.
  • “Information technologies and rural community viability: lessons from the past,” by Paul Yarbrough, professor of communication, Cornell University.

All keynote presentations are entered individually into the ACDC collection, along with a group of community case studies. You can locate them by using terms such as “community development” or “information technology” in your Subject search.

We look forward to seeing some of you 

At the ACE/NETC conference in Knoxville, Tennessee (conference details below). Jim Evans will describe ACDC during a scheduled workshop, “Introducing a new agricultural and rural communication research database.”

Professional meetings approaching.

Here are the approaching meetings of several professional agricultural communicator organizations:

June 12-16
Joint conference, Agricultural Communicators in Education (ACE) and National Extension Technology Conference (NETC), at Knoxville, Tennessee.
Information: http://web.utk.edu/~utia/ace-netc99

June 17-19
South Region meeting, National Association of Farm Broadcasters, at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.
Information: Chuck Zimmerman at czimmerman@learfield.com

July 17-20
Annual institute, Cooperative Communicators Association, at Omaha, Nebraska.
Information: http://www.CoopComm.com

July 28-31
Agricultural Publications Summit at Denver, Colorado. Joint conference of American Agricultural Editors’ Association, Livestock Publications Council, Agricultural Publishers Association and Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow.
Information:   http://www.ageditors.com/news/summit.html

Great news about handling hard times on the farm.

The farm owner and operator were talking about their cash rental arrangement for the coming year.

“I’m going to have to raise your rent,” the owner announced.
“Great!” the operator replied. “I sure haven’t been able to.”

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.

Updated on by Elizabeth Ray