Putting Workers on the Map: Agricultural Atlases and the Willamette Valley’s Hidden Labor Landscape

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-437
Author(s):  
Alex Korsunsky

Abstract Analyzing Oregon agricultural atlases from 1878 to 1958, I show that, despite these texts’ projection of impartial authority, they function to extend a discourse of natural bounty in which agricultural abundance is linked to inherent characteristics of the land, hiding the role of racialized and disenfranchised laborers in production. Using a combination of Agricultural Census data, historical and contemporary records from farmers and agricultural extension services, and GIS software, I demonstrate a method for reconstructing historical and contemporary agricultural labor landscapes, filling in—at least partially—the spatial absence of farmworkers. Using maps I have produced for a limited set of crops as a case study, alongside worker testimonies and ethnographic accounts, I argue that this sort of counter-mapping of the agricultural landscape can form the basis for an alternative spatial narrative of changing landscapes, replacing the depopulated and bountiful nature of conventional agricultural atlases with maps that reveal the agricultural landscape from a worker’s perspective that centers the hidden the toil and suffering entailed in the creation of Oregon’s agricultural bounty.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Novas Somanje ◽  
Geetha Mohan ◽  
Osamu Saito

Abstract Background In this study, we present the current situation and the role of agricultural extension services for farmers and indicates the potential solutions for the optimum effectiveness of these services. Thus, we investigate the vital determinants influencing the farmers’ attitudes toward using agricultural extension services in Ghana and Zambia. Methods In this study, we used a mixed-method research analysis of data from a household survey of 240 farmers and 8 key informant interviews in the Upper West Region of Ghana and the Southern Province of Zambia. Results The significant factors affecting the association of agricultural extension officers with farmers are regular meetings, demand for services and productivity, and the adoption rate of technology. Notably, approaches based on information communication technology indicators include owning cell phones; further, having radio access significantly affects agricultural practices. However, the role of gender, access to credit, and owning a television would influence food safety and nutrition. Conclusions Understanding the critical determinants will provide potential solutions to national agricultural research institutes, private research entities, and policymakers to scale-up the effectiveness of agricultural extension services, particularly in Ghana and Zambia.


Author(s):  
L. K. Mabe ◽  
O. I. Oladele

This chapter outlines the role that Information Communication Technologies (ICT) play in the global context and in Africa, agricultural extension and Agricultural development. The role of and use of ICT by extension officers, the trends of ICT in agricultural information management, how ICT bridge the digital divide as well as the types of ICT tools used by extension officers such as radio, television, computers and internet. It also gives the perspective about the factors that influences use of ICT by extension officers which are seen as playing an important role human development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (02) ◽  
pp. 121-126
Author(s):  
Iranita Haryono ◽  
Astrini Padapi ◽  
Ayu Wulandary

One of the efforts to achieve national food security is by strengthening assistance and counseling to farmers as the main actors. One of the extension links closest to the community and located at the sub-district level is the Peratanian Extension Center (BPP). The function and role of BPP is developed to achieve the desired expectations, namely food self-sufficiency and improvement of farmer welfare. Therefore, there is a need for a special study to be able to determine the level of responsiveness, responsibility and quality of agricultural extension services carried out by the BPP in Sidenreng Rappang Regency. This reserch aims to determine the performance of agricultural extension agents in Sidenreng Rappang Regency in terms of the level of accountability of agricultural extension activities based on indicators of responsiveness, responsibility and quality of extension services. The research was conducted from July to October in Sidenreng Rappang Regency. This research used a survey method. Determination of the sample of this study was carried out purposively on extension workers at the local BPP. Data collected descriptively by cross tabulation. Data analysis used scoring parameters, proportion, maximum, minimum and average values. The results show that the agricultural instructor's Performance Score is 294 which is interpreted into a moderate category score, which means that the ability of the BPP is sufficient to be able to recognize the needs of the assisted farmers, is sufficient to develop extension programs / activities that are in accordance with the wishes / aspirations of local farmers, and sufficient in providing service to farmers.


Author(s):  
L. K. Mabe ◽  
O. I. Oladele

This chapter outlines the role that Information Communication Technologies (ICT) play in the global context and in Africa, agricultural extension and Agricultural development. The role of and use of ICT by extension officers, the trends of ICT in agricultural information management, how ICT bridge the digital divide as well as the types of ICT tools used by extension officers such as radio, television, computers and internet. It also gives the perspective about the factors that influences use of ICT by extension officers which are seen as playing an important role human development.


Author(s):  
Nana Afranaa Kwapong ◽  
Daniel Ankrah ◽  
Dominic Boateng-Gyambiby ◽  
Joseph Asenso-Agyemang ◽  
Lydia Oteng Fening

Inadequate access to agricultural extension services often results in poor farm practices, affecting yields and subsequently the income and wellbeing of smallholder farmers. Given the high demand for agricultural information and the limited capacity of extension services, a farmer-to-farmer extension approach has been explored by many underserved farmers. In this study, we use a qualitative case study approach explore how cassava farmers who had limited access to agricultural advisory services from public extension agents managed to up-scale their farming business. Our research question was: what lessons can be learned from the lived experience of these farmers to address current challenges of cassava farming? The results of our study revealed diversity in advisory messages from farmer to farmer and agricultural extension agents. Farmers’ messages focused on encouraging farmers’ commitment and motivation towards farming business, availability of needed financial resources for the entire production season, willingness to reinvest profits, and access to farmland for future expansion. In contrast, the traditional messages from agricultural extension agents focused on encouraging group formation to address marketing challenges, diversification of farm operations, and good agricultural practices. These results show the need for pluralistic extension approaches to ensure farmers get access to necessary information.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-58
Author(s):  
Carolina Anaktototy ◽  
George S. J. Tomatala ◽  
Lily Joris

This study aims to examine the role of extension workers for breeders in buffalo farming in Moa District, Southwest Maluku Regency. The method used in this research is survey method, the sample is determined by purposive sampling., The form of qualitative descriptive analysis with the first stage is checking the data, in this activity it is carried out after conducting an interview (filling out a list of questions). Based on the results of the research, the performance of agricultural extension services at the Moa Subdistrict BPP in developing buffalo farming in the research village is running well but not yet optimal. This is because the quantity of extension workers is still small and the quality of the timeliness of extension workers in completing the work is not good because the amount of work to be done is not balanced with the quantity of extension workers. In addition, there is still a lack of infrastructure for extension workers such as the posluhdes (Village Extension Officer).


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document