Re-integrating agricultural research
1992
Auburn, J.S. | Baker, B.P.
Interaction between farmers and researchers has benefits for both groups. Researchers gain an understanding of farmers' needs and the production system into which new techniques must fit; farmers are helped in adopting new techniques, and get insights into why some techniques are more successful than others. However, communication between farmers and researchers usually has been just from the University to the farmer. The recovery of information from farmers, integration of techniques into whole production systems, and the research priorities of farmers have not been very important to researchers. An exception has been in sustainable agriculture, where some researchers have been asking farmers what they are doing and what they want the university to do, and spending time observing existing practices before they design research trials. Ideally, farmers and researchers interact as equals, sharing information and expertise. We present examples from California and New York that show, that this approach is highly effective, and recommend policies to expand on this approach in research funding, training of research and extension personnel, and the dissemination of information. We also discuss practical ways to carryout those policies, drawn from the experiences of both university and private non-profit organizations.
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