There are 56,800 farming operations in Indiana. Some 97% of Indiana’s farms are family-owned. Of Indiana’s roughly 23.3 million acres of land, 84% of it is farms, forests and woodland. Corn ($3.16 billion) and soybeans ($2.84 billion) account for the largest value of sales for Indiana’s commodities. Successful and sustainable production requires attention to a vast array of variables, including but not limited to soil health, water availability and access, prevalence of weeds, insects, invasive species, and diseases, and seasonal and weather variability. The need for access to, and understanding of, new technologies and management is great for Indiana’s producers and the future of crop production. It is prudent for Indiana to protect its resources and support productivity of the land, farms, and operations.
There were 67 hours of instruction provided by Purdue Extension at nine events held at the Purdue Agricultural Centers (PACs) for commodity producers, crop/livestock advisers, and others seeking knowledge in crop and produce production, farm management, land use, and small-scale farming/gardening. Most events returned to in-person events as pandemic safety guidance opened up more opportunities for gathering, although there was one event that provided virtual programming. These PAC events were: Indiana Grazing Schools at SIPAC and Cutler, Pinney PAC Crop Diagnostic Training, NEPAC Crop Diagnostic Workshop, SWPAC Virtual Field Day, NEPAC Organic Field Day, Pinney PAC Vegetable Field Day, Pinney PAC Field Day Morning Session and Twilight Program, NEPAC Field Day, and Pinney PAC Crop Diagnostic Training.
Topics addressed in these events included:
At these PAC events 556 participants were informed about field crops, 590 participants were informed about crop production issues, 619 participants were informed about agronomic management practices, and 677 participants were informed about agronomic issues. Participants answered the Net Promoter Score® items: On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this program to a friend, colleague, or family member? and What is the primary reason for your score? The NPS is a measure of customer loyalty that helps inform decision-makers of the experiences they are providing. Bringing World-Class Education to Rural and Urban Communities 14 Loyal, passionate customers engage more, are willing to pay more, contribute suggestions, and share praise of the organization to friends and colleagues. For all events combined, the NPS calculated score was +37 (on a scale from -100 to +100) and is considered a good rating. Promoters (those selecting 9 or 10) shared these reasons for their scores: Events were very informative and provided excellent information (always good/excellent, good/great); they learned new things, learned a lot, or gained a lot of knowledge; they liked the content that was provided and listed specific topics of interest; the presenters were knowledgeable and amazing, enthusiastic, excellent, good, great; the events provided practical, useful, helpful, and valuable, advice, tools, resources and information; they enjoyed it and indicated it was an interesting experience; and, they liked networking and connecting with their neighbors and other farmers. These Extension and Purdue Agricultural Centers events contribute valuable and practical information for farmers across Indiana. These activities are very informative opportunities, provide practical, useful, helpful and valuable tools and resources for learning, feature knowledgeable, amazing, enthusiastic, and excellent experts, are enjoyable events, and support and enhance networking and connections among farmers.