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Experts have long sought to understand the factors that underlie farmer decision making for weed management. The majority of this interest has been in relation to the weak adoption of integrated management approaches and more recently, herbicide resistance strategies. In order to increase adoption in these contexts there is a need to understand better the underlying drivers for weed management decisions. The objective of the research reported here was to probe farmers' understanding of weed management to establish a baseline understanding of these key drivers. Thirty Ohio farmers participated in an in-depth interview where they were asked to reflect on how weeds are introduced and spread, what risks and benefits weeds pose, and what management strategies farmers are familiar with and which they prefer. Their responses were mapped, coded, and analyzed for dominant beliefs and major decision-making influences. The results indicate that farmers largely attribute the introduction and movement of weeds to factors outside their control (e.g., the environment, plant characteristics). They frequently cite diverse and integrated management, but their focus is on control as opposed to prevention. In general, they tend to receive messages about integrated and preventive approaches, but do not always put them into practice because of underlying beliefs about the inevitability of new weed introductions and spread.

Recent research indicates that the majority of respondents in nineteen of thirty-four countries feel their food is less safe than 10 years ago. Concerns over food safety may result in elevated levels of perceived risk, particularly when fuelled by intense media coverage. The purpose of this study was to assess OhioansÕ perceptions of various food safety risks and to identify factors influencing risk judgments. Mail survey data are reported for 4014 respondents with a total response rate of 56%. Findings reveal moderate perceived levels of risk for the food safety items assessed. Pesticide residues in food and contamination of drinking water generated the highest levels of perceived risk, while mad cow disease and genetically modified foods generated the lowest levels of perceived risk. Regression results indicate that attitude toward biotechnology was the strongest predictor of perceived risk, followed by perceptions of media system dependency. Findings from this research can assist food safety specialists in developing more effective education and risk communication programmes for target audiences.

The development of large-scale livestock facilities has become a controversial issue in many regions of the U.S in recent years. In this research, rural-urban differences in familiarity and concern about large-scale livestock facilities among Ohioans is examined as well as the relationship of social distance from agriculture and trust in risk managers to concern about large-scale livestock facilities. Findings from a survey of Ohio residents reveal few differences between rural and urban Ohioans, although country, nonfarm residents were more likely than others to be aware of the issues. Greater trust of farmers was found to be related to lower levels of livestock concern. Environmental concern was strongly related to overall concern about large-scale livestock development, while perceptions of economic benefits of livestock production were associated with lower overall concern. In general, the findings contribute to improved understanding of the increasingly complex relationship between farming and the social setting within which it occurs.

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Data were collected from 902 rural and urban residents of Ohio during the winter of 2003 to assess attitudes toward the production of genetically modified (GM) plants and animals. Attitudes were assessed using Likert-type attitude statements. The theoretical perspective used in the investigation was developed from diffusion and risk perception theories. Regression modeling demonstrated that the theoretical model was very good for predicting variability in attitudes toward GM plants and animals. Approximately 61% of the variance in the dependent variable was explained by the statistical model. The findings are discussed in the context of the social acceptability of GM food and fiber products among Ohio residents.

From its beginnings in the early 1800s, the profession of agricultural communications was born out of the practical need to share important farm and home information with isolated rural audiences. Some 200 years later, agricultural communications has evolved into a diverse industry responsible for developing and disseminating news and marketing information related to food, agricultural, and environmental systems. Professional preparation for such careers is often provided through academic programs that are housed in departments of agricultural education. This administrative arrangement provides both benefits and challenges to the future development of agricultural communications programs, which need to strike important balances in teaching, outreach, and research programs and in collaborative relationships within and outside of the academy. The potential for success is greatly enhanced if agricultural communications development strategies are coordinated with agricultural education to build synergies between the programs while maintaining unique strengths. This philosophical paper uses elements of the sociology of education to address some of the benefits and challenges posed by agricultural communications' close relationships with private industry and other academic departments, including agricultural education. The paper concludes with a list of implications and courses of action recommended for discussion by academicians in the two disciplines.