Peer to Peer Training for County Agents in Arkansas
Early Career Development
Sherri Sanders
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
University of Arkansas Syst. Div. of Agri. Ext. Serv.
SEARCY
Abstract
Never has the role of a county agent been more crucial to assist educating and raising the productive capacity of our farmers as it is today. It is through education and communication that agricultural agents can bring changes in farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and skills thus helping farmers to adopt proven agricultural innovations. We teach our new, midcareer, or struggling agents skills which will allow them to assist our stakeholders and clientele with non-biased, research-based information that will increase farm productivity, farm revenue, reduce poverty and minimize food insecurity.
Encouraged by our administration, we implemented a training to educate our new and mid-career agricultural agents in three different disciplines – livestock/forages, row crop agriculture and horticulture through Peer-to-Peer training. Agents are inundated with workshops and trainings conducted by specialists; however, we felt this was beneficial for our organization in retention of our new employees. Seasoned agents with specialization in row crop, livestock/forages and horticulture were be utilized to conduct trainings (1-2 days each) in each area to teach the group the “nuts and bolts” of what it takes to be a successful agent with a comprehensive county program. The participants were taught through “hands-on training”, field tours, and demonstrations in a low–key relaxed atmosphere.
This program has been ongoing for four years and has proven successful.
The purpose of this project is three-fold: to assist our new, mid-career or struggling agents in developing comprehensive county programming; to improve our retention rate of new hires by making them feel accepted and adequately prepared to properly handle situations in their specific
counties as they occur; to encourage and promote a camaraderie based on mutual respect among new agents and seasoned agents.
Gleaning information from others, with proven experience, can be invaluable to our inexperienced agents. Likewise, our seasoned agents have learned from the younger generation too. That is our goal through this program – to create a reciprocal learning environment for the agricultural agents in our state.
Authors: Sherri Sanders
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Sherri Sanders CEA-AGRI, University of Arkansas Syst. Div. of Ag. Coop. Ext. Service, Arkansas, 72143