Needs assessment for cooperative extension dairy programs in California

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Dairy Science
• Extension Education

Background:

• Cooperative Extension (CE) programming aims to address the needs of agricultural producers.
• Understanding the specific concerns and priorities of dairy producers is crucial for effective program development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the primary needs and concerns of California's Grade A dairy producers.
• To determine the most effective methods for delivering Cooperative Extension programming to this demographic.

Main Methods:

• A needs assessment survey was mailed to 1,080 California Grade A dairy producers in March 2017.
• Producers ranked their level of concern for 11 issues and the priority of 13 CE research and educational topics.
• Information delivery preferences and target audiences were also assessed.

Main Results:

• Top concerns included milk price, labor availability/quality, environmental regulations, labor costs, and water quality/availability.
• Highest priority research and educational topics were herd health, environmental issues, reproduction, milk quality, and water quality.
• Producers preferred newsletters/magazines and short, on-farm meetings for information delivery, targeting owners and managers.

Conclusions:

• Survey results provide actionable insights for tailoring future Cooperative Extension programs to the expressed needs of California dairy producers.
• Effective programming should focus on producers' top concerns and utilize preferred communication channels.
• Addressing labor, environmental, and water issues, alongside herd health and reproduction, is essential for supporting the dairy industry.