Field-On-The-Move: Producing Live, Field-based Educational Workshops via a Mobile, Outdoor Video Production Studio

In addition to conventional Extension and outreach approaches (workshops, fact sheets and field days), we aim to advance our bilingual social media Extension and outreach campaign to remote users on a national scale by streaming live video directly from agricultural fields to web-based audiences across the United States and beyond.  In its simplest terms, a webinar is a web seminar transmitted using the internet through video conferencing software.  And, a key feature of webinar delivery lies within its interactive elements—the ability to give, receive and discuss information.  However, due in part to issues of technological connectivity, the current method of webinar delivery can be considered archaic, uninteresting, and at times, not utilizing the complete potential of webinar based delivery systems to their full capabilities.  Essentially, our team is one of the first to use a mobile video platform to reach growers, industry liaisons, and agricultural representatives using an interactive, high quality, outdoor production studio.  For Field-on-the-Move to stream live to viewers, we provide Internet access through the use of a high speed portable Wi-Fi and/or connected USB modem.  A production switchboard transmits a live video stream through this internet connection to viewers using tablets, cell phones, or computers. For easy access to the Field on the Move live stream, we share an external connection link through our social media websites featuring the capacity to receive and view live interactive viewer comments and questions via a Twitter account embedded within the system (#FieldontheMove).  This approach to managing questions and answers during live Field-on-the-Move events via Twitter enables us to connect with viewers within remote field environments as experienced in a classroom setting.