“A ripple effect is a situation in which, like ripples expanding across the water when an object is dropped into it, an effect from an initial state can be followed outwards incrementally”- Wikipedia
The agriculture industry (farmers, agribusinesses, etc.) is experiencing a ripple effect. In this case, the object dropped into the water is a pandemic. That object is HUGE. The ripples from the pandemic are seemingly endless, eventually making their way to every industry and individual.
The University of Illinois farmdoc team continues to provide a valuable webinar series called “Coronavirus and Ag”, discussing the impact and influence of the pandemic on agriculture. This webinar series is invaluable to production agriculture in the state, but often the message can be disheartening.
Dr. Josie Rudolphi (Assistant Professor, Agriculture Biological Engineering) and Dr. Courtney Cuthbertson (Assistant Professor, Human Development and Family Studies) have developed a survey that aims to understand how the pandemic is affecting the agriculture industry within Illinois and throughout the country. This survey is setup in a format that welcomes individuals to participate multiple times over the course of several months as a way to track the changing perception and impacts through time.
The overarching goal of this survey is to help researchers at the University of Illinois and Illinois Extension understand what kind of work and/or programming could most effectively impact our agricultural stakeholders. We understand that these are trying times for everyone, notably our farmers. By taking part in this short survey (~10 minutes), you can help ensure that the University of Illinois is mindful of your needs and creates meaningful resources, with the intention of having a positive impact on our agricultural stakeholders during these unprecedented circumstances.
If you would like to participate in this survey, please follow this link: https://go.illinois.edu/covid19agriculture . If you have any questions about the survey, you may contact Josie at: josier@illinois.edu or 217-300-8833.
Source: Chelsea Harbach, University of Illinois Extension, commercial agriculture educator
***Report Courtesy of the University of Illinois Extension***
