Benefits of Interactive Meetings with Farmers.

A lecture format has been the traditional method used by extension and others to present research results to farmers about ways to improve their practices. A lecture format can be effective for presentation of results about relatively simple information like corn hybrids. More complex practices, like nutrient management, are better presented in an interactive format with farmers.  Adaptive management relies on interactive formats for learning and adoption of improved practices by farmers. An interactive format, where data are discussed with groups of farmers and many questions from farmers are answered by using probing questions, is well suited for developing efficient practices in nutrient management because: 1) there is no one “right” answer to the best rate, form, and timing of nutrient applications; 2) practices must be developed within the context and resources of farms themselves; 3) learning new approaches often requires “unlearning” old methods; and 4) farmers need direct, concrete evidence that new methods work and often the best evidence is data from their farms. This talk will be interactive with the audience and will demonstrate how to use probing questions to drive an interactive session, and will discuss the difference between clarifying questions, probing questions and recommendations for action.