ABSTRACT
Education in sustainable agriculture is an increasing priority for farmers and others in the food system. For Cooperative Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other information providers to give useful advice, it is essential that their educators have relevant recommendations and up-to-date teaching methods. Everyone a Teacher, Everyone a Learner was the title for two workshops in 1995 designed using the criteria that training in sustainable agriculture (1) must be viewed in a complex framework of social, economic, and environmental factors, and (2) must be inclusive in terms of trainers and audience. Workshops in Nebraska and Indiana, planning and evaluation workshops in Iowa and Illinois, and national distribution of comprehensive training materials, reached more than 750 people in 50 states and several countries. From more than 1,000 individual evaluations of training sessions, we found that the most important topics were planning learning activities, economics of sustainable systems, constraints to adoption of sustainable practices, and resource materials. The most effective learning methods were one-on-one evaluations at the conclusion of the workshops, farm tours, decision cases, and panel discussions or farmer listening sessions. We learned to involve all participants in the program, through discussions, small group work, or presenting and leading sessions. It was essential to make learning goals explicit, design programs to meet people’s expectations, and establish an environment of trust. Educators appreciated moving beyond the normal lecture and slide-show format and welcomed innovative learning methods. Training events on farms provided context and added immensely to the learning process. People need to be challenged, have fun, and help others have a positive learning experience. Time for individual discussions and reflection were highly valued, as well as topics that explored natural history or socially-oriented projects in the workshop area. We concluded that evalution should be an integral and ongoing part of the training sessions, and that more emphasis on leadership models was needed in future workshops.
