Innovative approaches for integrated research and educational programs

Abstract

Over the past half century, American agricultural productivity has increased while the number of full time farmers and rural populations have decreased. Although most people believe we have a safe, nutritious, and affordable food supply, the high level of productivity has had negative impacts on the environment and rural communities and has increased farmers' dependence on purchased inputs. As Americans become more concerned about food safety and the environment, a new paradigm for American agriculture is emerging. This new alternative agriculture takes an ecological approach to food production. The challenge facing the land-grant university system is how to answer questions about sustainable agricultural systems, maintain productivity and respond to the needs and concerns of their broadened clientele. Whole farm case studies, focus groups, farm improvement clubs, on-farm research, field-size research trials, and whole farm comparisons are new qualitative and quantitative methods for interdisciplinary research and education. These methods integrate biological and social strategies and bring community members into the research and education process. When these groups work together, questions critical to maintaining the long-term sustainability and productivity of agricultural systems can be answered.

The sustainability asymptogram

“…The employment of concepts or themes that are dealing with sustainability remains challenged by a very pragmatic approach toward education (Bezdicek and DePhelps, 1994). Rather than engaging students in learning experiences revolving around a sustainability framework (Borsari, 2004;Orr, 1992), the flexibility of curricula is often affected by the priority being given to the "training" of students to enter the labor work force.…”

Agricultural Research and Alternative Farmers’ Information Needs

“…Much agricultural research is imbedded in old paradigms that are inappropriate for alternative farming systems. Specifically, a holistic, multidisciplinary, agroecological approach must replace the component-driven, disciplinary, reductionist approach common in conventional agricultural research (Lockeretz 1988;Keeney 1989;Madden and Dobbs 1990;Batie and Swinton 1994;Bezdicek and DePhelps 1994;Altieri 1995;Anderson 1995;Gabriel 1995;Duram 1998b). Because of the biological and socioeconomic interactions occurring on a farm at various scales, controlled experiments viewed in isolation from the rest of the farm are not truly representative of a whole farm operation (Walter et al 1997).…”

“…Research that is based on alliances among land grant universities, non-land-grant universities, non-profit organizations, government agencies, communities, and local farmers could better foster agricultural knowledge and sustainability (Francis et al 1988;Curry-Roper and Bowles 1991;Bezdicek and DePhelps 1994).…”

Agricultural Research and Alternative Farmers’ Information Needs

“…Much agricultural research is imbedded in old paradigms that are inappropriate for alternative farming systems. Specifically, a holistic, multidisciplinary, agroecological approach must replace the component-driven, disciplinary, reductionist approach common in conventional agricultural research (Lockeretz 1988;Keeney 1989;Madden and Dobbs 1990;Batie and Swinton 1994;Bezdicek and DePhelps 1994;Altieri 1995;Anderson 1995;Gabriel 1995;Duram 1998b). Because of the biological and socioeconomic interactions occurring on a farm at various scales, controlled experiments viewed in isolation from the rest of the farm are not truly representative of a whole farm operation (Walter et al 1997).…”