2019 ASHS Annual Conference

Farmers face and manage a wide variety of risks in their operations on a daily basis. One common strategy used by agricultural producers is to rely on tried and true practices. Often, farmers wait until they see concrete evidence that a new practice works for other local farmers before they try it. The slow rate of adoption may impact farmers' ability to adapt to changing conditions and adversely affect the local environment and farm viability.

In the foothills of northern California, small-scale producers are challenged by high input and land costs, a declining and increasingly expensive labor force, and increasingly unpredictable weather. Over the last two decades, University of California Cooperative Extension, Placer and Nevada Counties has collaborated with producers to conduct applied field research, develop and deliver training. The focus of these efforts is on developing strategies and practices to address these local agricultural challenges.

Local farmers are partners in the development and delivery of UCCE research and extension efforts. Research has shown that if producers know and trust each other, they are more likely to adopt a practice being used by another producer. Our experience shows that involving farmers in the design and conduct of research and as trainers and extension experts leads to more rapid information dissemination and adoption of new practices. Producer involvement and peer-to-peer sharing about a practice also improve implementation of new practices by fine-tuning the method or technology with on-the-ground producer expertise.

This presentation will discuss several examples of participatory training and research and the impacts on adoption of new production and business practices. Examples include small group peer-to-peer education for specific commodity producers as well as participatory research on citrus production practices. The shared knowledge and implementation of new best practices within a producer community fosters innovation and strengthens the community and the local economy.