Extension Long-Range Plan

The steering committee for the UF Extension long-range planning process asks each REC and academic Department to schedule listening sessions to obtain the collective voice of faculty within the Department or REC. Those Departments or RECs who wish to obtain inputs from advisory committees and/or county Extension agents should feel free to do so.

The listening session provides an opportunity for faculty to reflect on their REC or Departmental purpose, vision and strategies for carrying out educational activities in support of Extension’s mission and long-range objectives. It also is a time for envisioning issues and trends that could impact the unit’s future activities. By reflecting on the past while envisioning the future, a REC or Department can better determine how well-prepared it is to cope with the changing world of those Extension is charged to serve.

Each Department and REC will be asked to address the following points:

  • Define the unit’s mission and purpose as it relates to the UF Extension mission and purpose.
  • Describe programs of excellence in support of current Extension long-range objectives.
  • Identify and prioritize trends and transitional issues that could affect both traditional audiences served by the unit and new audiences that could be served by the unit.
  • Formulate long-range objectives for 2004-2007 and indicate the measures of accountability that will be used to measure progress toward attainment of those long-range objectives.
    •

    Unit’s extension mission and purpose:

    Provide scientifically sound information on the production, marketing and use of horticultural crops.

    The three program areas, Tropical Foliage, Fruits and Vegetables, and Cut Foliage should be used for the "Programs of Excellence" sections, and within each of these commodity areas include programmatic initiatives such as IPM, disease, breeding, etc

     Template for Recording REC/Academic Department

    Long-Range Plan Faculty Meeting Results

    2004-2007

    Unit Name: MREC Date of faculty meeting:06/05/2003

    Unit Purpose: Our mission is to help Florida realize its maximum potential for effectively preserving agricultural and natural resources and to contribute to the solution of social, economic, environmental and cultural problems. This mission is accomplished by conducting relevant research, teaching and extension programs in the biological, physical, economic, and social sciences focused in cut and tropical foliage and fruit and vegetable crops.

    Unit’s Extension Mission: To provide research-based knowledge and educational programs that enable people to make practical decisions to improve their quality of life. 

    Programs of Excellence
    Program Title: Tropical Foliage
    Target audience(s): Commercial growers, regulators
    Problems addressed by this program:

  • Growers use too much fertilizer, water and pesticides
  • Lack of business and marketing skills of producers
  • Lack of public and policy-makers awareness of the economic contributions by horticulture
  • Cultivar evaluation/production and post-production
  • Lack of understanding of the need to incorporate new economically feasible production technologies
  • Management of disease and insect pests
    •

    Provide a list of program performance standards (outcome indicators) of this program to support your inclusion of this program on your list of programs of excellence: Outcome Indicators -

  • Reduced water, fertilizer and pesticide use
  • Increased demand for improved marketing and business techniques
  • Increased awareness of positive economic impact of horticulture to Florida agriculture
  • Increased implementation of IPM techniques
  • Increased new plants, new cultivars, production and use
  • Utilization by businesses of new technologies
    •

    Note: An outcome indicator identifies a specific numerical measurement that indicates progress toward achieving an outcome. Examples of Extension outcomes include changes in knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors, and adoption of best management practices (bmp) and appropriate technologies. An example outcome indicator is the number of people who have adopted a specific bmp.

    Unit Name: MREC

    Program of Excellence
    Program Title: Fruits and Vegetables
    Target audience(s): Commercial growers
    Problems addressed by this program:

  • Need for fresh market potatoes
  • Need to develop strategies for producing vegetables on sand
  • Need for improved sweet corn varieties for Florida
  • Lack of public and policy-makers awareness of the economic contributions by horticulture
  • Lack of understanding of the need to incorporate new economically feasible production technologies
  • Management of disease and insect pests
    •

    Provide a list of program performance standards (outcome indicators) of this program to support your inclusion of this program on your list of programs of excellence: Outcome Indicators -

  • Released new varieties and increased acreage in production
  • Adoption of BMPs
  • Survey to determine if growers have adopted new varieties
    •

     Provide information and conduct educational programs on issues such as sustainable agriculture, competitiveness in world markets, natural resource conservation, energy conservation,

    Program of Excellence
    Program Title: Cut Foliage
    Target audience(s): Commercial greens and cut flowers producers, regulators

    Problems addressed by this program:

  • Competitiveness (off-shore competition)
  • Competitiveness (market changes, discretionary dollars)
  • Sustainable agriculture/Natural resource conservation [NRC] (pest management)
  • Sustainable agriculture/NRC (irrigation & nutrient management [BMPs])
  • Sustainable agriculture/NRC (irrigation & nutrient management [BMPs])
  • SA/Competitiveness/NRC (regulation creation/compliance)
    •

    Provide a list of program performance standards (outcome indicators) of this program to support your inclusion of this program on your list of programs of excellence: Outcome Indicators -

  • Market share and trends (USDA)
  • Sales of other cut cultivated greens (USDA)
  • Survey (pre- and post-) of use of IPM strategies (scouting, etc.)
  • FDACS records, follow-up survey of fertilization practices
  • Field verification (FDEP & SJRWMD)
  • BMP adoption database (FDACS)
    •

    Note: An outcome indicator identifies a specific numerical measurement that indicates progress toward achieving an outcome. Examples of Extension outcomes include changes in knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors, and adoption of best management practices (bmp) and appropriate technologies. An example outcome indicator is the number of people who have adopted a specific bmp. 

    Unit Name: MREC

     Identify and prioritize trends and transitional issues that could affect your unit and traditional and/or new audiences served by the unit. The higher the priority, the more likely the issue to impact the audience and/or your unit (1= highest priority)

     

    (Priority)                Issue

  • (1) Water (quality, availability, conservation) and Pesticide usage and safety
  • (2) Globalization (lowest-cost producer, international competition, jobs)
  • (3) Urbanization (environmental impacts, quality of life issues)
  • (4) Labor (availability, cost, quality)
  • (5) Government policies and regulations
    •

     

    An issue is a widespread matter of public concern that something isn’t the way it should be and that a public remedy is called for. 

    List Unit Long-range objectives and outcome indicators for 2004-2007

    Long-Range Objective:
    Help industries remain competitive and profitable

    Outcome Indicators:
    Value of Florida-produced commodities
    Market share of Florida-produced commodities
    Results from economic surveys
    Introductions of genetically modified "improved" plants

    Long-Range Objective:
    Protect the environment from agricultural activities

    Outcome Indicators:
    Adoption of BMPs (verifiable?)
    Water use data
    Benchmark farm results
    Adoption of IPM strategies
    Introductions of pest/disease resistant, stress tolerant plants

    Long-Range Objective:
    Increase efficiency, breadth, scope of extension delivery systems

    Outcome Indicators:
    Number of clientele signed up for distance education programs
    Number of articles published in regional, national and international trade journals
    Number of hits on websites

    Long-Range Objective:
    Maintain Florida as the leading foliage plant production state in the nation by continually introducing new plants and new cultivars and by educating growers to use the best nutrient and water management practices and integrated pest management practices in foliage plant production. 

    Outcome Indicators:
    Maintain Florida as the number one state in wholesale value of foliage plants in the nation. 

    Long-Range Objective
    Maintain Florida as the leading cut cultivated greens producer in the nation by continually introducing new plants and new cultivars, by developing comprehensive management programs that are economically viable and environmentally friendly, and by helping promote the use of these crops.

    Outcome Indicators:
    USDA and other database statistics on sales and market share.

    A long-range objective reflects targeted audience, problems faced by the target audience that educational programs will address and projected results to be achieved (outcomes) over the multi-year period. An outcome indicator identifies a specific numerical measurement that indicates progress toward achieving an outcome.