US National Agricultural Library Changes its Collection Policies

The US National Agricultural Library (NAL) announced it is changing how it develops its collection by shifting its emphasis to creating and acquiring digital items.

Library customers’ desire for fast online access to content and NAL’s goal of serving more customers nation-wide, coupled with declining use of print items, is charting a path toward digital items and away from print. Continued belt-tightening is also requiring the library to critically consider how best to spend its budget.

The complete story can be found at the NAL website.

USAIN Preservation Program

May 12th - Joy Paulson, Cornell University, gave an update on the USAIN Preservation Program at the USAIN 2010 Conference. There have been seven phases of the more than $4 million+ NEH-funded USAIN Preservation program since 1996. The projects have involved 29 states so far, most in microfilming historical agricultural literature in the U.S. However, the latest phase included Cornell, the University of Arizona (UA), and Colorado State University (CSU) in the digitization of that early literature.

A preliminary portal is now available for access. Called 'Harvest: Access to Historical U.S. Agriculture Collections', this portal is a single point of access to a portion of the Core Historical Literature of Agriculture (CHLA) and the state level collections of CSU and UA.

Created as a fedora repository that harvests metadata from the partner sites, there is a Drupal interface.

The user can browse or search collections individually or together. In the 'About' section, there are extensive state-specific essays on the history of agriculture. Relationships are being developed with Google Books at http://books.google.com/books and the HathiTrust at www.hathitrust.org for additional access.

Story by Barbara Hutchinson

More on the 2010 USAIN Congress

US eXtension releases metrics report

The just-released report from the US eXtension initiative gives a snapshot of its development between 2006 and 2009.

More than 12,000 extension staff from the USA have registered for eXtension ID's; more than 40 communities of practice have been set up (from agricultural law to youth literacy); more than 40,000 aginfo, extension, internet, metrics, usa, usage

Information search strategies of Ohio farmers

In the December 2009 issue of JOE - the Journal of Extension, Florian Diekmann examines farmers' informational needs and identified factors that influence farmers' information choices.

"The results highlight the differences in farmers' search strategies regarding type, amount, and sources of information. Findings show farmers practiced high-, moderate-, and low-search strategies to stay current on topics important to their farm business. The implications for Extension professionals are discussed."

WiMAX accounts for more than 25% of last mile applications in US

Over 300 WiMAX applications accounted for one-fourth of the total last mile broadband stimulus applications received by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture's RUS fund, according to the WiMAX Forum.

“WiMAX can be deployed over wide areas to serve thousands of consumers cheaper and faster than traditional wireline services,” said Ron Resnick, president and chairman of the WiMAX Forum.

WiMAX technology can bring 4G broadband services to rural areas, which are typically last priority for wireless carriers but most in need of these services. 4G service in these areas can enable vital services such as eGovernment, distance learning and remote healthcare. Rural broadband is important to bring economic gains to underdeveloped areas. According to a recent report by the Brookings Institution, for every 10% increase in broadband penetration of a rural area, the number of non-farming jobs grows by 0.2 – 0.3%.

Read the full article.

Online help for farmers to learn finances

The Center for Farm Financial Management has developed an online series to aid farmers in a huge aspect of farming -- finances. The series, "Interpreting Financial Statements and Measures," goes through four major financial statements and 21 financial measures.

While producers may know a lot about growing a crop, "most producers don't have a lot of background in finance." That is why this online program was so needed.

The series is freely available at http://ifsam.cffm.umn.edu.

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Technology helps deliver weather information fast

Technology is changing the way weather information - past, present and future - is captured and delivered. At South Dakota State University, climatologist Dennis Todey says today's communication tools - especially computers and the Internet - helped bring about these many changes.

As the Internet has become mainstream, scientists and the public have worked together to gather and share weather information to hone in on as small as a two- or three-mile radius region.

Farmers and ranchers use wind speeds, temperatures, precipitation and more data to make wise management decisions. Scientists also use that same information to determine warming and cooling trends.

“Climate is becoming so much more of an interest now,” Todey said. “I think you're going to see additional weather-related products that serve agriculture and will help people in their ability to produce.”

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Social networking sites to facilitate contact between young agricultural leaders in the America

A recent article explains how some 70 young people from throughout the Americas will use popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to share information on leadership in agriculture and other topics of interest to the region, which, they assured, will enable them to work together in addressing problems shared by the countries.

“We want to promote new means of communication focused on creating community and, by doing so, encourage learning,” said Hernan Chiriboga, Coordinator of the Center for Leadership in Agriculture.

In addition to Twitter and Facebook, the young people joined the Virtual Community of Practice of the Center for Leadership, which helps share information of importance to the agricultural sector.

Read the full article.

US mobile agriculture lab in West Virginia to embark on tour

The West Virginia Farm Bureau Agriculture Education Science Lab will be hitting the road September 14 for its first full year of criss-crossing the state to bring agricultural education to schools.

A self-contained classroom, the mobile lab comes with a certified teacher who helps second through fifth-grade students complete a scientific experiment and provides an age-appropriate lesson for the younger students.

See full article

IBM Global Financing to Speed up Broadband Access to Rural America

The funding agreement would benefit Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology provider that would deliver broadband access over electric power lines.

Today, access to broadband service can make a huge difference in the lives of
many. It can help rural communities link to tele-medicine, health, IT,
education, and other capabilities that could further boost business and
innovation.

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New AGIS Book on Geospatial technology and agriculture industries

The New AGIS Agriculture Book is one of the first texts written specifically for agriculture.

AGIS Introduction to Geospatial Technology includes ten lessons designed to demonstrate key concepts, software capabilities, and future opportunities in the geospatial industry. The lessons contain overviews of career profiles including examples of industries and individuals that use this technology. Students will gain hands-on experience using industry-leading ESRI's ArcGIS software in eight lessons that explore agriculture, business, information technology, logistics, public safety, health science, tourism, and technology engineering.

“We feel this title will be a valuable resource for instructors in geospatial technology and agriculture industries,” stated Eddie Hanebuth, Digital Quest president. “The agriculture industry is actively using geospatial analysis, and we wanted to create a tool to bring this technology straight to the classroom.”

Read the full article

See book info

U.S. Food Safety Web site unveiled

The Obama administration unveiled a consumer Web site today to provide the latest information about food safety and food recalls from across the federal government.

The Web site was launched by the Heath & Human Services and Agriculture department’s Food Safety Working Group and is part the administration’s emphasis on prevention in public health, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in announcing the service.

People can go to the Web site and sign up to receive email and RSS alerts on recalled or potentially unsafe food, ask questions of scientific experts across government and listen to podcasts or view videos on food safety.

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Study finds rural America benefits from broadband access

A new USDA study finds that rural communities with greater broadband Internet access have greater economic growth than areas with less access. The study, 'Broadband Internet's Value for Rural America' compared counties that had broadband access relatively early - by 2000 - with similarly situated counties that had little or no broadband access. Employment growth was higher and non-farm private earnings greater in counties with a longer history of broadband availability.

Rural America has shared in the growth of the Internet economy, the study found. Such benefits as online course offerings for students and continuing education programs have improved educational opportunities, especially in small isolated rural areas. Telemedicine and telehealth have been hailed as vital to health care provision in rural communities. Most employment growth in the U.S. over the last several decades has been in the service sector, which is especially conducive for broadband applications. Broadband allows rural areas to compete for low-and high-end service jobs, from call centers to software development. The farm sector is increasingly comprised of farm businesses that buy inputs and make sales online, the study found.

USDA report on farm computer usage

The USDA recently released a report on Farm Computer Usage and Ownership.

he survey shows that "a total of 59 percent of U.S. farms now have Internet access, compared with 57 percent in 2007. Sixty-four percent of farms have access to a computer in 2009, the same level as 2007."

The 2009 computer usage estimates are based on responses from 31,495 agricultural operations and represent all sizes and types of farms.

Strong demand for rural broadband funding in USA

The Commerce Department and the USDA announced that they received almost 2,200 applications requesting nearly $28 billion in funding for proposed broadband projects reaching all 50 U.S. states and territories and the District of Columbia.

"Applicants requested nearly seven times the amount of funding available, which demonstrates the substantial interest in expanding broadband across the Nation," said Strickling, NTIA. "We will move quickly but carefully to fund the best projects to bring broadband and jobs to more Americans."

"The overwhelming response we received underscores the extensive interest in expanding broadband across the country. Rural communities clearly recognize that broadband can expand their economic opportunities and create jobs," said Adelstein, USDA.

Read the full article.

Mobile Ag Lab takes research from the field to the farmer

The newly equipped Mobile Precision Ag Lab in Clemson University is a mini data-center on wheels that takes Clemson agricultural research from the field to the farmer (see related video).

From the back of the trailer, the Ag Lab can share real-time results of Clemson studies and demonstrate the principles of precision agriculture.

Recognizing that not everyone has the time and means to visit field days at Clemson’s research and education centers, the Precision Ag Lab is taken to agricultural events and on-farm workshops around the state.

After connecting a laptop computer to a high-definition television, the Ag Lab can stream data live via the Internet. Data from in-ground moisture sensors, yield monitors and other devices allow farmers and growers to view test results up close and learn how they could apply the techniques on their own land.

Read the full article.

USDA launches rural tour website

The United States Department of Agriculture is taking full advantage of social media networks and has announced the groundbreaking launch of a new website: the USDA Rural Tour.

With a focus on engaging public interaction, you can stay in touch with the USDA through several features: Join the Conversation, Grab the Feed, Facebook, Flickr, Videos, Share this Page, and Twitter. Far gone are the days where one struggled to contact the USDA or waited for current information from the government organization. Also included in the new website is the Rural Tour Blog.

Read full article.

Agri-media use by farmers: Radio still on top

The National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) in the US recently carried out a 'wave study' of agri-media use by large-scale farm producers.

According to the press release "Large-scale commercial agricultural producers value radio most for daily agribusiness information." Furthermore, "the Internet has definitely become an important part of the producer's information sources; but the traditional ag media mix of print, radio, and television (ag/rural programming) is the most quantifiable and identifiable way to reach the producer on both a broad level, as well as a daily level."

In an interview for Agri Marketing, NAFB Executive Director Bill O'Neill is quoted: "Information-on-demand and its ready accessibility - an inherent advantage for radio - clearly matters more and more. Among many producers, valued information is being received daily from texting services and by Web-enabled cell phones, as well as via traditional media."

Press release (PDF)
Executive summary (PDF)

Corn and soybean growers in USA actively engaged in social media

A recent press release reveals that sixty-two percent of large acreage, U.S. corn and soybean growers have sent or received text messages during the past year, according to the newly released Agriculture New Media Usage Study (corn and soybean segment focus), conducted by Nicholson Kovac, Inc.

The Agriculture New Media Usage study is the first-of-its-kind in the agribusiness industry. It provides comprehensive insight on the use of social media and new media among large acreage corn and soybean growers - including Internet usage, social networking and mobile phone activities − for business and social purposes.

Kansas looks to increase rural Internet accessibility

The Kansas Department of Commerce announced the creation of Connect Kansas, a new initiative designed to increase broadband Internet service in rural Kansas, USA.

The program will consists of two phases: mapping the states current broadband capacity and providing federal grants and loans to qualified organizations involved in expanding broadband service to rural areas.

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