February 2001 // Volume 39 // Number 1 // Tools of the Trade // 1TOT4
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Field Tours--An Old Tool That Can Still Work
Abstract
Field tours and workshops continue to be useful tools in Extension education. But holding such events requires careful planning and follow-up to make a successful experience for all involved: planners, presenters, and participants. The authors developed a simple timeline and checklist to help keep the organizers on track.
Extension professionals have acquired new tools of information delivery over the past 15 years in the form of electronic media and the Internet. Although predictions by Patton (1987) of electronic information distribution have come to fruition, county Extension offices have not disappeared as predicted. Having new tools does not mean that old tools do not still work.
Traditional Extension methods are still significant in reaching progressive producers and diffusing research findings and new practices through influential producers. Focused, commodity-specific field tours using multiple disciplines have been identified by several authors as the best use of clientele contact time (Braund, 1995; Suvedi, Lapinski & Campo, 2000).
Francis, Carter, Carusi, and King (2000) discuss the considerations speakers need to establish before accepting an invitation, but that is just one aspect of a meeting or field tour. Once the Extension professional has identified the need for a field tour or workshop, planning a successful event requires assembling the necessary components. The organizers and speakers need to consider specific topics, learning goals, audience, location, content, and evaluation.
We developed a timeline (Table 1) that outlines the necessary tasks involved in planning a Field Tour and specifies the dates by which these tasks should be accomplished. The timeline shown is used for a major field tour that occurs in late summer each year and involves numerous speakers from various disciplines. It can be adapted to less (and more) ambitious educational programs.
Timeline for an August 25th Field Tour
| Task | Date(s) |
| Hold Initial Planning Session | Jan-Feb |
| Select Topics, Tour Stops, and Speakers | May 1 |
| Develop Budget and Assign Duties (See Table 2) | May 1 |
| Send Topic List and Date to Ag Communications | May 1 |
| Contact and Confirm in the Speakers in Writing | June 1 |
| Develop Flyer/Mailer | June 20 |
| Apply for CCA, CCH, PAT Credits | June 20 |
| Develop News Articles | July 1 |
| Send Flyer/Mailer for Special Printing If Needed | July 1 |
| Do Not Contact County Educators During County Fair | July 1-7 |
| Confirm Lunch Vendor | July 15 |
| Distribute Flyer/Mailer | July 20 |
| Confirm Speakers' Audio-Visual Needs | July 20 |
| Confirm Extra Facilities (e.g., Chairs, Tables, Toilets) | July 20 |
| E-mail Reminders to Speakers and Extension Staff | August 1 |
| Clear Up Any Loose Ends | August 1 |
| Do Not Contact County Educators During State Fair | August 9-20 |
| Check on Lunch Vendor | August 15 |
| Schedule Set-Up Day If Needed | August 24 |
| Enjoy the Field Day | August 25 |
| Send Thank You Letters | August 26 |
| Complete Clean-Up | August 26 |
| Analyze Follow-up Evaluations | August 30 |
We also identified specific areas of responsibility (Table 2) that, if carried out by one individual, could be overwhelming. We have a different individual in charge of each responsibility area, which simplifies and streamlines overall coordination. This group also performs the follow-up evaluations.
Checklist of Field Tour Areas of Responsibility
| Responsibility | Individual in Charge |
| Chairperson | |
| Program Content | |
| Facilities | |
| Publicity - Media Contact | |
| Food/Refreshments | |
| Continuing Education Credits | |
| Displays &/or Equipment Vendors |
A timeline and checklist such as the ones we developed may seem like merely a matter of common sense, but they ensure that everything that needs to be considered is considered and help keep the organizers on track. Last fall, we distributed the timeline and checklist to Purdue Extension field staff. Some of them have already started using these simple tools in planning sessions for their 2001 Field Tours. They might help you, too.
References
Braund, D. G. (1995). Changing paradigms in animal agriculture: The role of academia and industry in technology transfer. Journal of Animal Science, 73, 3173-3177.
Francis, C., Carter, H., Carusi, C., & King, J. (2000) Before you
say yes: A planning guide for speakers. Journal of Extension [Online].
38(4).
Available: http://joe.org/joe/2000august/tt2.html
Patton, M. Q. (1987). Tomorrow's Extension professionals. Journal of
Extension [Online]. 25(3).
Available:
http://www.joe.org/joe/1987fall/fut1.html
Suvedi, M., Lapinski, M. K. & Campo, S. (2000). Farmer's
perspectives of Michigan State University Extension: Trends and lessons
from 1996 and 1999. Journal of Extension [Online]. 38(1).
Available:
http://joe.org/joe/2000february/a4.html