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Meeting the Needs of Organic Farmers: Benchmarking Organizational Performance of University Extension

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  • Timothy A. Park
  • Luanne Lohr

Abstract

A stochastic frontier model is used to explain the performance evaluation by organic producers of programs provided by the U.S. university extension systemproviders. We identify nonmanagerial factors that influence both performance ratings and performance efficiency, defined as achieving a rating as close to the highest rating as possible. Results based on the organic farmer evaluators indicate that extension agents are performing at high mean efficiency of 0.95, but that the average rating is relatively low at 2.66 on a four-point scale. Years of experience in organic farming and the severity of production problems facing farmers have significant impacts on performance ratings.

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  • Timothy A. Park & Luanne Lohr, 2007. "Meeting the Needs of Organic Farmers: Benchmarking Organizational Performance of University Extension," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 29(1), pages 141-155.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:revage:v:29:y:2007:i:1:p:141-155.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1467-9353.2006.00334.x
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