Enhancing Production Efficiency and Farm Profitability Through Innovative Extension Programming

Abstract

Cooperative Extension strives to provide agricultural producers with non-formal educational opportunities designed to positively impact agriculture (NIFA, 2021). Therefore, a team of Extension professionals at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln developed and facilitate an ongoing professional development program designed to enhance the engagement of agricultural producers in farm management, especially in the areas of input use efficiency and profitability. Andragogy was used as the framework to help ensure the Testing Agricultural Performance Solutions (TAPS) program provided agricultural producers with non-formal education that aligned with andragogical principles. Knowles (1980) refers to andragogy as the “art and science of helping adults learn” (p. 45) and his assumptions of andragogy include: 1) Learner’s need to know, 2) Self-Concept of the learner, 3) Prior experience of the learner, 4) Readiness to learn, 5) Orientation to learning, and 6) Motivation to learn (Knowles, 1998, as cited in Knowles et al., 2015, p. 6). The TAPS program uses the assumptions of andragogy (Knowles, 1998, as cited in Knowles et al., 2015) to provide a common platform for experiential and peer-to-peer learning that includes the involvement of university researchers, extension specialists, and industry personnel.