Recipient Organization
TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
TUSKEGEE,AL 36088
Performing Department
Agric and Envro Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Tuskegee University and Iowa State University propose to conduct a conference that joins two dynamic themes: big data and inclusive rural transformation. The proposed conference is designed to generate benefits from big data, and more specifically, digital agriculture, for rural farmers across the United States. The conference will provide and facilitate direct conversation and guidance by small/medium scale and/or limited resource and underserved farmers as to their current and desired use of data and associated tools to ensure that these farmers are not left behind in the "big data boom". The objectives are: to seek information from small and medium-sized limited resource and underserved farmers in Iowa and Alabama about the need for, use of, and issues/opportunities associated with data, which are guiding their private actions and decision-making; to engage these farmers in targeted discussions about the entire life cycle of digital data; to explore ways that the public sector including USDA NIFA and Land Grant Institutions can coordinate efforts on public ag-based datasets utilizing FAIR principles; and to understand very specific ways for this grouping of farmers to optimally benefit from digital agriculture tools and services. The combined information learned from the pre-conference surveys, the Iowa Conference, and the Alabama Conference will result in additional educational efforts, publications that will increase knowledge about current levels of adoption, and roadblocks to the use, of digital agriculture technologies by this grouping of farmers. In addition we hope to discover similarities and/or differences in adoption and roadblocks among Alabama and Iowa farmers
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
100%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
The goal for this conference is to learn, engage and share with a particular grouping of farmers - small/medium scale and/or limited resource and underserved farmers - to ensure that all farmers in rural areas across the United States benefit from the technological changes involving big data/digital agricultureOur specific objectives are: 1) to seek information from small and medium-sized limited resource and underserved farmers in Iowa and Alabama about the need for, use of, and issues/opportunities associated with data, which are guiding their private actions and decision-making; 2) to engage this select group of farmers in targeted discussions about the entire life cycle of digital data - collecting, managing, access, use, analytical tools, storage, and re-use; 3) to explore ways that the public sector including USDA NIFA and Land Grant Institutions can coordinate efforts on public ag-based datasets utilizing FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) principles, and 4) to understand very specific ways for small and medium-sized limited resource farmers to optimally benefit from digital agriculture tools and services
Project Methods
We propose to host a farmer-centered, participatory 1.5-day interactive conference that brings together small and medium-sized limited resource and underserved farmers in Alabama with university and private sector experts. Our conference will be designed to bring these groups together in a dynamic, farmer-driven event:1) to seek information; We plan to actively engage the farmer participants to explore Rumsfeld's categories of knowledge: we know we know; we know we don't know; we don't know that we know; and we don't know that we don't know. 2) to engage in targeted discussions; We plan to follow the guidance of Robert and Iremonger (2003), Kitchen et al., (2002), and Wolfert et al., (2017) regarding best approaches for: farmer learning, including groups of farmers of new technology (e.g. precision agriculture); how digital data can be molded and processed by the farmers with assistance from agri-businesses, Extension specialists, governmental affiliates, NGOs and educators; and how data rich management networks can be formulated and used by farmers and allies. 3) to explore ways to build private and public partnerships to ensure that the potential technological benefits from big data/digital agriculture accrue to small and medium-sized limited resource farmers (and those affiliated with farming in a farm support role).