Abstract
A team of county-based Extension faculty co-de¬veloped Direct Farm Marketing and Agritourism, a Rutgers University class for undergraduates enrolled in the Agriculture and Food Systems major. The class design emphasized the development of knowledge and skill sets applicable to real world issues using an inter¬disciplinary, experiential and student-centered learning model. Student assessments indicated that the course was well received as practical and pragmatic, with value placed on the experiential nature of class design (e.g., farm visits, farmer interactions and a capstone project centered on the development of a farm business plan). County-based faculty realized benefits from undergrad¬uate instruction including professional fulfillment, depart¬mental revenue enhancement and honing of materials and methods that can be used with traditional Extension clientele. However, the participation of county-based Extension personnel in undergraduate instruction also presents challenges. Most notable are the diversion of county agents’ time from traditional client programming and uncertainty about how formal undergraduate teach¬ing activities will be recognized or rewarded through uni¬versity promotion and tenure review processes.
 17 Schilling_NACTA Journal.pdf | [ ] | 1324 kB |
