Editor's Page

Commentary

Sustainable Aquaculture in the North Central Region U.S.—A Review of Perceptions and Recommendations from the Aquaculture Community
Weeks, Chris
Aquaculture remains the fastest growing food commodity in the world and is expected to have an important role in food security in the future. However, for the aquaculture industry to grow, it must do so in a sustainable manner. From an Extension standpoint, this presents many challenges. This article discusses the concept of sustainable aquaculture and how it is perceived regionally and presents a model that allows for increased focus towards three principle components: environmental conservation, social benefits, and economic viability. This article seeks to help further dialogue towards sustainable aquaculture and other industry development in the U.S.

Research In Brief

A Phenomenological Look at 4-H Volunteer Motives for Service
Schrock, Jessalyn; Kelsey, Kathleen D.

Youth Motivation to Participate in Animal Science-Related Career Development Events
Lancaster, Kendra; Knobloch, Neil; Jones, Amy; Brady, Colleen

Creating a Minnesota Statewide SNAP-Ed Program Evaluation
Gold, Abby; Barno, Trina Adler; Sherman, Shelley; Lovett, Kathleen; Hurtado, G. Ali

Mid-Atlantic Consumer Purchasing Behavior and Knowledge of Locally Grown and Seasonal Produce
Chamberlain, Amy J.; Kelley, Kathleen M.; Hyde, Jeffrey

Growers' Perceptions and Adoption Practices of Integrated Pest Management in West Virginia
Vommi, Hari K.; LaVergne, Douglas D.; Gartin, Stacy A.

Public Preferences for Water Resource Topics and Information Sources in the Southern United States
Borisova, Tatiana; Smolen, Michael; Boellstorff, Diane E.; McFarland, Mark L.; Adams, Damian

Using Impact Analysis to Document a Forest Products Sector's Contributions to Ohio's Economy
McConnell, T. Eric

Characteristics of Extension Demonstration Gardens
Glen, Charlotte D.; Moore, Gary E.; Jayaratne, K. S. U.; Bradley, Lucy K.

Ideas at Work

Effectively Communicating Science to Extension Audiences
Robinson, Patrick

Creating Research-Based Videos That Can Affect Behavior
Joseph Cone

Leadership Institute: Building Leadership Capacity Through Emotional Intelligence
Argabright, Karen J.; King, Jeff; Cochran, Graham R.; Chen, Claire Yueh-Ti

It's the Latest, It's the Greatest, It's [Financial Education] at the Library
O’Neill, Barbara

Improving Generation Y Volunteerism in Extension Programs
Andrews, Kevin B.; Lockett, Landry L.

A Partnership Model for Training Episodic Environmental Stewardship 4-H Volunteers
Young, Jane Chin; Alexander, Janice; Smith, Martin H.

Connecting Volunteers and Agents: A Social Constructionist Perspective
Dillivan, K. D.

Organizing a Community "Biggest Loser" Weight Loss Challenge
Jensen, Kirstin D.

The Art and Science of Rain Barrels: A Service Learning Approach to Youth Watershed Action
Rector, Patricia; Lyons, Rachel; Yost, Theresa

Tools of the Trade

Application of Crossover Design for Conducting Rigorous Extension Evaluations
Jayaratne, K. S. U.; Bird, Carolyn L.; McClelland, Jacquelyn W.

Encouraging Rain Garden Installation with a Smart Phone
Dietz, Michael; Dickson, David

Caught with Your Plants Down? There's an App for That!
Beckerman, Janna L.; Sadof, Clifford S.

Breaking the Code: The Creative Use of QR Codes to Market Extension Events
Hill, Paul; Mills, Rebecca; Peterson, GaeLynn; Smith, Janet

Improving Interactive Workshops: A Case Study of GIS Workshops
Guevara, Corina; Swett, Robert; Monroe, Martha C.

Sustaining Members, Volunteers, and Leaders in Community Organizations
Culp, Ken, III

Externships in Sustainability Program as an Outreach Tool for Extension
Apel, Mark; Mostafa, Ayman; Brandau, Bill; Garfin, Gregg

Dollars Works 2: The Evolution of a Financial Literacy Program
Petersen, Cindy M.; Heins, Rosemary K.; Katras, Mary Jo

The Wildlife Habitat Education Program: Moving from Contest Participation to Implementation
Allen, Kevin ; Elmore, R. Dwayne; Harper, Craig

Features

Nutrition Education Brings Behavior and Knowledge Change in Limited-Resource Older Adults
McClelland, Jacquelyn W.; Jayaratne, K. S. U.; Bird, Carolyn L.
A prospective, controlled, randomized, crossover design was used to examine a nutrition education curriculum's effects on knowledge and behavior of 463 limited-resource older adults in 13 counties. Counties were randomized to begin with the treatment or control curriculum and then the remaining curriculum. Participants completed a pre-test before beginning, a post-test at the completion of the first curriculum, and another post-test at the completion of the remaining curriculum. Significant results provide an evidence base for this intervention's effectiveness. The study reported here provides factors that can contribute to Extension outreach to limited-resource older adult audiences and to Extension scholarship.

Information Needs and Challenges Faced by Adult Child Financial Caregivers of Aging Parents
Swanson, Patti C Wooten
The exploratory study reported here examined needs and challenges faced by "financial caregivers" for aging parents. Focus group interviews revealed how caregivers (N=22) assisted their parent(s) and financial information needed. Findings indicated most caregivers needed information about later life financial products and processes, and some needed basic financial literacy skills. Caregiver challenges included concerns about adequacy of parents' resources, difficulty communicating about finances, finding/organizing parents' records, accessing parents' accounts, and selecting/financing long-term care. The author concludes caregivers need and could benefit from financial education. She recommends segmenting the caregiver population and targeting subgroups with appropriate methods and messages.

The eXtension Employed Family Caregiver Survey: Highlights from Data Gathered from Wisconsin Employees and Employers in 2010 and 2011
Nordgren, Peggy; Zuege-Halvorsen Teri; Malek, Faye; Barber, Clifton E.
Given longer life expectancy, family care of impaired adults has become increasingly common. Frequently, this care is rendered by individuals who are also employed. To collect information on employed caregiving, guided by the objective of making employers more aware of employed caregiving issues, a team of Wisconsin Extension educators developed the Employed Family Caregiver Survey available on the national eXtension website under the auspices of the Family Caregiving Community of Practice. This article reports highlights of survey data from 1,009 employees during 2010 and 2011, and describes the findings of follow-up interviews with six Wisconsin employers who were survey participants.

Serving the Needs of Separating and Divorcing Families: A National Survey of Extension Parenting Education Programs and Resources
Mulroy, Maureen T.; Riffe, Jane; Brandon, Denise; Lo, Yi-An; Vaidyanath, Harini
An online survey was developed to map Extension's presence in divorce education initiatives and to catalogue the amount, type, and availability of resources that each state has dedicated to meeting the needs of this parent audience. Requests for participation were sent to members on the National Extension Human Service listserv and resulted in representation from 48 out of 50 states and one U. S. territory. Results document a national presence, outline the nature and expression of Extension divorce education programs, and suggest a direction for future collaboration related to this topic.

Extension-Led Economic Development Model—A Recipe for Success
Bowen-Ellzey, Nancy; Davis, Greg; Romich, Eric; Lloyd, Mike
Staffing, funding, and sustaining collaborative economic development organizations that provide the full range of programming require resources and cooperation. Extension-led economic development organizations, because they are tied to university resources grounded in research and education and without local jurisdictional bias, can build public trust and cooperative partnerships that help to broaden funding support for economic development programming.

Community Garden Information Systems: Analyzing and Strengthening Community-Based Resource Sharing Networks
Loria, Kristen
Staffing, funding, and sustaining collaborative economic development organizations that provide the full range of programming require resources and cooperation. Extension-led economic development organizations, because they are tied to university resources grounded in research and education and without local jurisdictional bias, can build public trust and cooperative partnerships that help to broaden funding support for economic development programming.

Perceptions of Food Animal Welfare in Extension: Results of a Two-State Survey
Cantrell, Randy; Lubben, Bradley; Reese, Duane
Food animal welfare has become a contentious issue, pitting agricultural producers against an array of animal advocacy groups. The stakes in this debate are large both economically and culturally. Extension is likely to find itself squarely in the middle as it attempts to reconcile decades of research aimed at increased productivity with initiatives demanding changes in well-established production practices. Extension's reputation as a source of unbiased, research-based information will depend in part upon personal opinions that faculty bring to the debate. A survey of Iowa and Nebraska Extension faculty demonstrates that variation in opinion with implications for educational efforts.

Educating Immigrant Hispanic Foodservice Workers About Food Safety Using Visual-Based Training
Rajagopal, Lakshman
Providing food safety training to a diverse workforce brings with it opportunities and challenges that must be addressed. The study reported here provides evidence for benefits of using visual-based tools for food safety training when educating immigrant, Hispanic foodservice workers with no or minimal English language skills. Using visual tools along with hands-on training improved knowledge scores of foodservice workers about thermometer use and cleaning and sanitizing procedures. Extension personnel can use similar educational tools along with accommodation for cultural differences for effective training of immigrant Hispanic workers employed in foodservice and lodging operations, farms, and meat processing plants.

Using a Reverse Auction Approach to Promote Indoor Water Conservation
Bakacs, Michele E.; Obropta, Chris; Rossi, Elaine; Barnett, Katie
Encouraging water conservation among residents is important even in high rainfall regions. Rebates are often used to encourage upgrades to water-efficient fixtures and appliances. The study reported here used a reverse auction approach to examine the amount of compensation needed for residents of water-rich regions to install water saving technology in their homes. Results showed that on average a 30% rebate was needed for residents to upgrade their fixtures and appliances. Lessons learned from the study can assist other Extension programs in implementing an auction-based approach for encouraging adoption of improved environmental practices in a community.

Barriers to Utilization of Municipal Biomass Residues for Bioenergy
Fratanduono, Megan-Beth L.; Steelman, Toddi A.; Peterson, M. Nils; McHale, Melissa; Fratanduono, D. E.
Municipal biomass residues (MBR) are plentiful in the southeastern U.S. Despite favorable economic and policy contexts, few cities generate bioenergy from MBR. We hypothesized that the perspectives of the actors managing MBR have hindered implementation. We conducted interviews among stakeholders in Wake County, NC to investigate MBR use. Barriers that prevented stakeholders from adopting MBR to energy programs included lack of economic incentives for key practices, lack of credible enforcement for MBR use regulations, and poor communication. We discuss opportunities for Extension specialists to facilitate stakeholder interactions related to MBR utilization and bioenergy.