Improving Field Crop Extension Outreach through Enhanced Growing Season Communication and Outreach

Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) educators are Cornell University’s front line in helping New York field crop producer clientele with crop production and pest management issues. Keeping CCE personnel informed on the latest information and developments helps us meet Cornell’s high standards for extension outreach and provides clientele with quality, pertinent, timely and user-friendly programs and resources that maximize our educational impacts. Enhancing communication opportunities between CCE county and campus personnel helps strengthen the outreach network, and is an important component of CCE’s professional development. 2013 marked the sixth year for this project. A series of twenty-three conference calls were held between 5/2/13 and 10/10/13 to improve campus and field staff communication regarding field crop pest and crop management issues during the 2013 growing season. Each call averaged 13 participants and lasted forty-five minutes. Conference call participants were better equipped to conduct their outreach efforts and meet the field crop pest management needs of their stakeholders. Enhanced communication among CCE personnel with field crop responsibilities improved effectiveness of outreach efforts regarding timely pest management issues. In addition to direct communication during the conference call, topics discussed were summarized and made available to other stakeholders through 23 on-line NYS IPM Weekly Pest Report blogs available at the NYS IPM Program field crops website. An end of season evaluation questionnaire was used to document feedback, suggestions and potential impacts of the conference call series