JAFSCD Article Heads-up Press Releases

JAFSCD Article Heads-up Press Releases are brief, ready-to-share summaries of recently published papers. All authors of accepted papers are asked to draft a press release; see the example below and download the template.

Write your press release in a jargon-free style that is friendly to extension and public audiences. The title hook should be engaging and thought-provoking. If you have photos related to your work, please send one or two we can use in our publicity, with captions and photo credits. (See more guidance about writing your press release in the template itself.)

Sign up to be added to the email list for JAFSCD Article Heads-ups. We send approximately one email a week, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

We will use your press release as the basis of our social media promotion of your work. The press release be sent to our email list of 15,000; posted to listservs; and posted on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Example:

JAFSCD Article Press Release

New Paper Scans Programs for Training a New Generation of North American Farmers

JAFSCD viewpoint article by Laura Schreiner, Charles Z. Levkoe, and Theresa Schumilas

INTRODUCTION

Farmers play a critical role in food systems, rural economies, ecological sustainability, and the social fabric of communities. As farmers age, new farmers are needed to maintain the stability of the agricultural sector. Without skilled individuals willing and able to take up farming as a career, the future of domestic food production is in jeopardy. This has a range of environmental, social, and economic implications.

In a new JAFSCD viewpoint article, authors Laura Schreiner, Charles Z. Levkoe, and Theresa Schumilas present initial findings from an exploratory community-campus partnership research study that aimed to explore, document, and categorize existing and emergent models of practical farmer training in North America.

KEY FINDINGS

After reviewing practical farmer training programs across North America, the authors propose a typology of five categories:

  1. Informal farm internship associations
  2. Centralized internship programs
  3. Private, nonprofit course-based programs
  4. Formal academic programs
  5. Independent and self-directed learning

This typology can serve as a springboard to support future research—and to better support the development of new practical farmer training programs.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE AND RESEARCH

  • Given the stronginterest encountered from farmers, researchers, and other practitioners, more research in this area is warranted.
  • A more completecensus and further documentation and analysis of farmer training programs isneeded, both within and beyond North America, to flesh out and evaluate the initial typology the authors developed.
  • A recurring census would help to assess the distribution of the five program categories and track changes over time.
  • Important topics for future research include:
    • prospective training models
    • connectionbetween farmer training and formalized education
    • paths to becoming a farmer
    • funding and institutional support structures for all farmer training programs

Suggested Facebook post:

Without skilled individuals willing and able to take up farming as a career, our domestic food production could be in jeopardy. A new @JAFSCD article explores existing and emergent models of practical #FarmerTraining in North Americafrom an exploratory community-campus partnership research study. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2018.082.012

Suggested Tweet:  

If we don’t train enough new farmers, domestic food production is in jeopardy! New @JAFSCD article explores existing and emergent models of practical #FarmerTraining in North America. #NewFarmers https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2018.082.012