JANUARY 2009
In this issue:
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NEW CENTER TO PROVIDE THE FACTS ON FLORIDA AGRICULTURE
By Barbara Wunder, FFVA Communications Manager
The University of Florida’s Agricultural
Education and Communication Department has embarked on an ambitious
project. The Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture and
Natural Resources will serve as a conduit to deliver customized industry
research wherever and whenever it’s needed – in a flash.
Conceived about two years ago in a strategic planning session, the
Center is being developed to help the agriculture industry communicate
and advocate effectively by providing the facts behind the talking
points.
“We saw this as a great opportunity to expand and maximize the
impact that we could have here in ag education and communication,”
Dr. Tracy Irani, who spearheaded the effort. “We’re really
well-positioned to fulfill some needs with respect to public issues
education right now.”
The Center will feature a core faculty team with focused expertise to
support the Center’s mission, which is to enhance understanding of
the state’s agriculture industry. In addition to providing
research-based solutions that address important industry issues, it
seeks to raise awareness among policymakers and the public using the
Internet, social marketing strategies and other communication and
educational tools.
The Center will work with various communication and leadership groups
in order to accomplish its goals. “We see the Center as kind of a
force that can build partnerships between some of these existing efforts
to increase their impact. There are a lot of programs out there that do
something in either the communication or the leadership development
area, but their impact is constrained a bit because of the size of the
state, the needs of the industry, the levels of awareness that people
have, and in a lot of the cases, the lack of a research
foundation,” said Irani. “So we see the center as a way of
bringing all of that together to fill in the gaps and merge the efforts
of these different organizations.”
APPLIED RESEARCH - ACTION RESEARCH
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Dr. Tracy Irani of the University of Florida’s Agricultural
Education and Communication Department spearheaded the new Center for
Public Issues Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources.
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Irani says the research conducted at the Center would be made available
to both those in the industry and other interested parties. The Center
would prepare publications aimed at the public at-large, media, and
legislative and governmental bodies. In the past, some organizations
have tried to conduct research on public opinion, public perspective,
and opportunities that might exist to help influence or form positions
on particular issues. That type of research, however, is expensive and
it takes time to develop the skills to conduct it properly. “We
have the expertise here in the academic world, but we tend to keep what
we learn to ourselves. We put it in academic journals and it sits there
on somebody’s shelf. We don’t have a conduit to get it out
in the fresh air. We see the
Center as doing that for us,” said Irani.
Potential partners are looking forward to pooling their expertise and
making the Center come alive. For example, the Wedgworth Leadership
Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources develops and refines the
leadership capabilities of leaders in Florida agriculture and natural resources.
It’s coordinated through the Ag Education and Communication
Department. Dr. Hannah
Carter, its executive director, also is excited about the Center.
“I see it as a ‘next step’ for alumni of our program
as they work on the policies that are important to their organizations
and industries,” said Carter. “In addition to research, the Center
has the potential for providing leadership opportunities that will
benefit those within Florida's agriculture and natural
resource industries.” The Center will form internal and external
advisory boards of industry stakeholders and experts, such as those who
graduate from the Wedgworth Leadership Institute.
ALL GOOD THINGS TAKE TIME AND MONEY
Irani sees the Center jelling within two years. “We’re
looking at positioning this toward a state legislative initiative in
2010,” said Irani. “We think it’ll take that long to
develop a coalition of support behind it, to get some seed money in
place so we can start developing some pilot projects, and put together a
business plan.” Her team has been working this year on
communication and information activities, developing media kits and
other outreach materials. “This year is sort of a building year,
and our ultimate goal would be really trying to work on developing the
funding mechanisms for 2010,” Irani said.
That funding is big question. “Sometimes challenging times
require innovative solutions. We know it’s not a good time to be
asking for significant amounts of money. So we’re using this as a
building year, and we’re looking at multiple revenue streams
– extra-mural funding support, foundations and so forth, and
we’re looking at ways we can develop some revenue bases that will
help keep us solvent and allow us to grow the Center,” said
Irani.
She foresees it developing incrementally over time. “I was
lucky to get some seed money to support myself and a grad student.
We’ll see how that goes, and hopefully we’ll be able to add
to the staff over time,” she said.
Irani compares the birth of the Center to any new business startup.
“You’ve got to start small and grow it over time, refining
it so that it’s really filling a niche that people care
about.”
Irani will be conducting a needs assessment analysis in the upcoming
months and will send a survey to a variety of industry representatives
including some who are FFVA members. She encourages those contacted to
fill out the surveys and also share any ideas for funding that the
Center might pursue. “We’re also happy to come out and speak
to small or large groups, we’re hoping to do a lot of that over
the next six or seven months. We feel that we’ve definitely hit on
a critical need at some of the meetings we’ve been to recently
where we’ve talked about this idea. A lot of people have given us
positive feedback.”
To contact Dr. Irani, call (352) 392-0502, ext. 225, or e-mail
irani@ufl.edu.
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Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture
and Natural Resources
The Center will include:
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A research-based, comprehensive, collaborative and sustained focus in
four thematic areas: public issues management and education; grassroots
advocacy /citizen engagement; organizational innovation and change; and
public understanding of science and technology
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A core faculty team with focused expertise to support the Center
mission
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A multi-disciplinary approach involving faculty from a variety of
disciplines
·
Internal and external advisory boards of industry stakeholders and
experts to serve as the advisory structure
Missionand Vision of the
Center:
Vision: To be a catalyst for public issues research,
education and outreach that results in the development of people,
programs and policies that support and sustain the agricultural and
natural resources industry in Florida.
Mission:
To enhance understanding of the state’s agriculture industry by
providing research-based solutions that address important industry
issues, and raise public and policymaker awareness using the Internet,
social marketing strategies and other communication and educational
tools.
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