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Enhancing the Uptake of R&D on Farm

Enhancing the Uptake of R&D on Farm. Mandi McLeod Silvanus Consulting Ltd. The Million Dollar Question. WHY are farmers not implementing current Research and Development? . Acid Test. Whether people use it – for reference for influence for change research should be available

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Enhancing the Uptake of R&D on Farm

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  1. Enhancing the Uptake of R&D on Farm Mandi McLeod Silvanus Consulting Ltd

  2. The Million Dollar Question • WHY are farmers not implementing current Research and Development?

  3. Acid Test • Whether people use it • – for reference • for influence • for change • research should be • available • accessible, • useable through a range of means in order to increase the impact of research DFID's Research Strategy on Research Uptake

  4. Research • Public or Private • Need or Nice • Accessibility • Extendibility

  5. Private • Deliver to specific needs • Business and financially orientated • Do or die • Play in the ‘real’ world? • Fee for service

  6. Public • Perceive farmer needs? • Farmer levy • Govt. responsibilities • One size fits all • Quantitative science is Sexy • Qualititative science, soft • Free = no value

  7. Asking the RIGHT questions • Is the RESEARCH wrong or the Extension delivery at fault? • Do we REALLY know what farmers actually want? • Do farmers REALLY know what they want? • Can they articulate this to us? • What did it deliver? Evaluation

  8. Challenges • Needs Assessments “horribly outdated” Al Scholz • Disconnect between knowledge perception and reality • Deconstruct before Reconstruct • NZ dairy farmers ‘know more about mastitis than any professional’ • Research NIMBY

  9. Challenges Continued • Regional differences (extension skills, communication/education) • Perceived quality and consistency of information and advice • ‘Information need’ tiers: Farm owners; managers/operators; staff; professionals

  10. Target Market • WHO is our target market? • The Average Farmer • “One Breast; One Testicle and wears a skirt some of the time” • Value for money vs. politically correct • 20/80 rule – school analogy • 20% Proactive for information • 80% not motivated • 40% survivors; reactively learn • 40% drop-outs

  11. Segmentation • Farmers less homogenous than 15 years ago • Segmented • Age • Scale • Specialization • Ownership structure • Ethnicity

  12. Different Strokes for Different Folks • Perishable skills vs. Non-perishable • Emphasis on operational skills not strategic management • Business Continuation? • Learning Styles • English as a first language

  13. Push vs. Pull • We know what you need • Expert Adviser vs. Process Consultant • Expert Adviso solves problems based on expert knowledge • “process consultant” managing the process and accesses the family’s collective wisdom through facilitation to deal with the transition. Gregg McCann

  14. Some Solutions • Identify Farmer Needs First! • Determine WHO before the WHAT and HOW • Determine demonstrated knowledge vs. actual best practice • Gently de-bunk myths before overlay new information • Process before expert • Extension and evaluation strategy concurrent with research planning • Evaluate demonstrated change not just bums and reactions

  15. Some Solutions • Lets not be PC! Put the money where the biggest bang will be! • Credibility of information source and delivery • Language of learner • Reading age 12 • CHARGE for it • Listen to farmers – not just with our ears, but with our eyes

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