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Spotlight.....By Bill Bickert                                                                                                                                                        January, 1999

 

AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING NEWSLETTER SURVEY RESULTS

Recently, Roger Brook sent to Extension Field Staff via email a survey asking for opinions about the usefulness of our monthly newsletter. Here is a very brief synopsis of the responses to each of three questions:

1. Should we continue the monthly newsletter?
yes - 34 no - 3

2. Has the newsletter been useful to you, and how do you use the information?Many of the respondents use our articles in their newsletters, news columns and radio spots. Some file articles for future reference. For many field staff, the newsletter is the only direct communication from the Agricultural Engineering Department as a whole - the only way they become aware of departmental news. One person noted: "The safety articles are always a wake-up", while another (who rarely used information from the newsletter) suggested "There may be a problem when farm accidents become more interesting than anything else".

3. What topics and information should be included in our efforts?
The responses here often related to a person's job responsibilities. Generally, there was a call for "timely, current, relevant" topics.

One person noted: "As we get more specialized in our AoE's, we have less time and opportunity to get some of this 'across the board' information that all agents can utilize ... (in responding to questions) from our clients".

What have we learned from the survey?

· Our challenge is to make sure our newsletter efforts are geared to providing information on issues rather than grinding out a regular newsletter.

· We have an opportunity to highlight departmental research and education activities.

· We must provide information, directed at producers and other clientele, that can be used to answer specific questions and bring attention to timely issues.

We thank each of you who responded to our "quick and dirty" survey. Please feel free to suggest topics of relevance and interest for an upcoming issue of our newsletter. We want this effort to be of use to you and to your clientele. So please let us hear from you as we strive for improvement.

Agricultural Engineering Extension Specialists