One of the classic perceptions of an Extension specialist is someone driving down the road, checking slides in a slide tray with one eye, and the other eye on the road. County meetings have been used as an educational tool for many years. The goal of Extension is to provide the information needed by people to improve their lives. In the past, the local meeting has arguably been the best method to accomplish this goal. But is this true today? Is traveling across the state from meeting to meeting during the winter an efficient way to teach, given the money and time constraints on today’s specialist? The first step in answering this question is to define the role of an Extension specialist. Since the job of Extension is to provide the information necessary for improvement, this should also be the job of a specialist. However, in addition to this is the responsibility to provide support to the educational effort of county Extension personnel. The usefulness of a local meeting should be evaluated based on its effectiveness in helping accomplish these goals.

ADVANTAGES OF LOCAL MEETING

If we try to list what is good about local meetings, one of the first things most people say is the face to face meeting with the clientele we are trying to teach. This gives the opportunity to show research results and how the information can affect production on their farm. The important points can be stressed, and the specialist can make sure the producers leave with an understanding of the points.

A second reason local meetings are effective is that it provides a chance for producers to ask specific questions about their situation. During a break or after the meeting, a producer can ask a question, when he would not have the courage to ask a question in front of the group.

The local meeting also provides for the personal contact with a producer, and provides him with someone he knows can help him in the future with problems. Even though this may be a minor consideration, if the producer realizes there is a competent specialist in a certain subject matter, he will be more likely to utilize the specialist through the county agent in other ways e.g. publications, videos, etc.

Often times the most overlooked aspect of a local meeting is the benefit that the specialist receives. Extension is the link between research and the producer. Information should flow both ways. Talking with producers during the day and at meetings provides the unique opportunity to see what producers are doing instead of assuming. This can provide ideas on research questions that need to be answered. Good research programs should be influenced by Extension.

The specialist also benefits by being forced to express thoughts more concisely, thereby becoming a better communicator. Face to face meetings allow a specialist to directly interact with an audience, learning which points work clearly and which points need to be reworded to be effective.

DISADVANTAGES TO LOCAL MEETINGS

Even with the potential effectiveness local meetings can have, sometimes the negatives seem overwhelming. There is a lot of time wasted because of the driving. Three or four hours may be required to get to a two hour meeting. The time and money required to get to a meeting seems to be wasted when only a handful of people attend. Even more frustrating are the times when the same people attend the meeting each year, with few new faces. All of this limits the amount of teaching that can be done.

Another problem with trying to use local meetings as a teaching method is the fact that often times the specialist is used as an “after-dinner” speaker at a function such as a cattlemen’s association meeting. The attendees are there for a meal and fellowship rather than to learn.

CRITICAL POINTS FOR EFFECTIVE COUNTY MEETINGS

Considering the problems that are associated with local meetings, can they be used in today’s society to teach? The first step to having an effective county meeting is having the right people attend. A good county agent is an essential part of this. Without a good agent at the local level to promote the meeting and encourage people to attend, nothing will happen. This is most likely the most important part of a good meeting.

The second point is having something good for the agent to promote. The specialist needs to make sure that the message is interesting to the group. This may mean changing the approach to the talk each year. Nothing is wrong with giving the same message, but do it in a different way. New slides, a different order and things such as this will keep the audience and the specialist enthusiastic each year.

To give new life to local meetings, a different sort of “packaging” might need to be employed. Using cow colleges, grazing schools, beef cattle conferences, etc. can encourage people to attend when they see it as more than a traditional meeting.

SUMMARY

Local producer meetings can be cutting edge or behind the times, depending on how they are promoted and attended. Fact to face teaching is the most effective way to get a point across, but is dependant on having the proper clientele available. It should be utilized in conjunction with other techniques to provide the information necessary to improve people’s lives.