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ew \” Extension Bulletin No. 3 Ea November, 1982 Ky] VIRGIN ISLANDS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE: A MODEL FOR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER SYSTEMS IN THE CARIBBEAN : <a “aes College of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service Darshan S. Padda, Director St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Island VIRGIN ISLANDS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE A MODEL FOR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER SYSTEMS IN THE CARIBBEAN by Darshan S. Padda, Director Cooperative Extension Service College of the Virgin Islands Extension Bulletin No. 3 November 1982 Copies of this bulletin available from: Cooperative Extension Service College of the Virgin Islands P.O. Box L, Kingshill St. Croix, Virgin Islands 00850 CONTENTS FOrewOrd .. . . «ios 5.68 Ease BRON S EE Ss PRS © ww os mo serRcRe We ee ORENe Page 3 [, UntrOdWetiO’l = 5 i. » csevererei 6 5.4 B SENS FS 2 CARES 2 os swereen o 4 5 6 wilhiernere oes 5 Il. Extension Teaching Methods. ......... 0-0 cece cece cere teen teen eee n teenies 6 Il]. Organization Structure ..... 0.0 cccc ccc cc ewe weem eset ea eene cers ee eeees eres 6 IV. FURGCIONS 5 «sé cs 6 worms 8 yo oo @ wrens & a 6 ow sere soiieelebaa S » muenesarere 4 oan wimdnieng 88S 6 V. Meeting Community Needs......... 00ers 9 VI, Thre EXSSeritaall8... « s esenmne: 0: 0 2 2 2 2 cuncdian BETS © & BRR@OON OSE mle ete Be ya eo eae Oe eo 9 VII. Common Challenges- Similar Goals ... 2.6.6... s cece eee ener e eee ee eee eeee 1] TABLES 1. Extension Methods Classified According to Category of Contacts « soa as emenqs o 002 wracenme wile ebinieinelna £5 4 RINE 64 8 6 2. Extension Methods Grouped According to Form ......---- sec eee cece eee ce rere 6 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. The U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. ........-- 0. ese e cece cence renee eeees 4 2. The Extension Educational Process Polygon... ......-+-ssceeeerecceerereeees 5 3. Cooperative Extension Service - Organization. .... 2-2-2 se eee cece eee ee erence 7 4. Extension Program Function - Reaching the Client. ..........-0- ees eeeeeeeeees 8 5. Relation Between Research Base, Extension Programs aNd Clientele vices oc 4 oo sterereenew © we watesdlelersn pe wred Ribs Ss SF SU RSIS CTA. Gs Occleieie 10 FOREWORD This publication describes an effective techno- logy transfer system based on educational princi- ples. The model presented in this bulletin addresses extension education with its special technique of problem solving and action-oriented education which instructs, demonstrates, and motivates. The College of the Virgin Islands is a land- grant institution with an agricultural experiment station that seeks to serve as a technology de- velopment center for the tropical Caribbean. The transfer agency for this technology, developed through extensive research, is the college’s exten- sion service which is a part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Extension Service. With these resources and its strategic location, the College of the Virgin Islands is in an excellent position to be the window of the United States in the eastern Caribbean region. In addition, there are cultural and familial links with other Caribbean islands which are of special significance in ensur- ing a successful sharing of technology and educa- tional experience. The United States government has recognized the College of the Virgin Islands as an Eastern Caribbean Center for educational, cultural, tech- nical and scientific interchange. Sharing of technical resources among the na- tions of the Caribbean can strengthen the econo- mic stability and guarantee a better standard of living for all the people of the region. This publication does not presume to impose a United States system upon Caribbean nations. Instead, its objective is to provide insight into the educational principles of assisting people to help themselves through government-financed informal education that can effectively be used to transfer technology and have it adopted. The college is pleased to provide assistance to our Caribbean neighbors. Results of our research efforts in agriculture are freely disseminated. Ex- tension programs in plant and animal sciences, home economics, community resource develop- ment and youth development are available for all who are interested in them. We also welcome inquiries about our Carib- bean Research Institute, Bureau of Public Admin- istration and Reichold Center for the Performing Arts, as well as our undergraduate and graduate academic programs. Arthur A. Richards President College of the Virgin Islands BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS d Virgin ov” Tortola Gorda Florida Jost Van Dyke St. Thomas “se . ° >) ATLANTIC Spin jou 2” Bahama OCEAN UNITED STATES 0 y& oO Islands 4 . VIRGIN ISLANDS >» co St. Croix . i Haiti» Dominican / : Puerto Rico = - Virgins Samad Republic me re oo” smi Ney e g Islands St, Martin a e, 6B Barbuds Ss St. Kins @ PAntiqe SMontserrat Guadeloupe 4 QMarie Galante Doominice Honduras. - Mortiniaue GY pO serert” CARIBBEAN SEA Nicaraqua St. Lucia J) Barbados St. Vincent@ Lv] The Grenadines »? Ry Outen Antittes Grenada 2 Tobago Margarita Venezuela Colombia Fig. | THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS IN THE CARIBBEAN The U.S. Virgin Islands are situated in the Lesser Antilles between 17°30’ to 18°30’ north latitude and 65°15” to 60°40’ west longitude. The three major islands are St. Croix with 22,081 hectares (54,563 acres), St. Thomas with 7,278 hectares (17,984 acres) and St. John with 5,194 hectares (12,835 acres). The Vir- gin Islands are located approximately 1930 kilometers (1200 miles) southeast of Miami, about 2415 kilo- meters (1500 miles) south of New York, and about 64 kilometers (40 miles) east of Puerto Rico. The rainfall in the islands depends primarily on topography and continual easterly tradewinds. The western part of St. Croix receives up to 60 inches annually while the eastern end only receives up to 30 inches. On St. Thomas the central portion of the island will register up to 50 inches of rainfall while the east and west ends receive no more than 40 inches annually. The monthly daytime temperature average varies from a low of 83°F (28°C) in January and February to a high of 89°F (32°C) in July, August and September. VIRGIN ISLANDS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE: A MODEL FOR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER SYSTEMS IN THE CARIBBEAN I. Introduction The core of the United States Department of Agriculture has always been its research and ex- tension education function. However, the role of colleges and universities in the development and transfer of technology in agriculture and home economics was mandated by the United States Congress through three well-known historic legis- lative acts: the Morrill Act created land-grant col- leges in 1862 and in 1887 the Hatch Act estab- lished an agricultural experiment station at each land-grant college; in 1914 the Smith-Lever Act provided for the Cooperative Extension Service so that research information could be conveyed to potential users. The Smith-Lever Act served as the earliest recognition that public academic institu- tions should provide informal education as well as formal classroom instruction. These three pieces of legislation created an educational system much emulated in the world today. The land-grant system assures a unified ap- proach to research, classroom teaching, and ex- tension education in agriculture, home economics, and other areas of rural and community develop- ment. In 1972 the College of the Virgin Islands became a part of this land-grant system. This publication addresses technology transfer as a process of extending technical knowledge, skills and research based information to targeted clientele. This is achieved through informal prob- lem solving and action-oriented education that in- structs, demonstrates and motivates the recipient. The Cooperative Extension Service is a part- nership between the government, the land-grant institutions, and the people. It is a continuing process which provides informal education for members of the community, families, homemakers, business persons and farmers. A main essence of the process is in helping clients apply the results of research and other resources to improve their lives and individual sense of fulfillment. This pro- cess also enables clients to more clearly define goals and learn skills to meet their most urgent needs now and in the future. The basic principles of the Cooperative Ex- tension Service are universally applicable. How- ever, extension techniques and organizational structure need to be adapted to specific local con- ditions. In the Virgin Islands, the Cooperative Ex- tension Service has been established to meet re- quirements unique to the islands’ geographic loca- tion, microstate size, sociocultural patterns, and agro-climatic conditions. The strength of the extension model lies in close interaction at all stages with the people being served. Since the extension educational pro- cess is a continuous one (see Fig. 2), it places strong emphasis on the professional staff working with the community to determine what the impor- tant needs are. These needs are then incorporated into a comprehensive Plan of Work for each fiscal year. Implementation is carried out in cooperation with the community which helped establish the objectives originally. Once the results have been evaluated and necessary adjustments made to in- sure that the problems identified were addressed and moved towards a solution, the process con- tinues through the cycle again. Fig. 2 THE EXTENSION EDUCATIONAL PROCESS POLYGON I ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS Il v PLAN ADJUSTMENTS OF WORK < ‘“ IV il RESULT IMPLEMENTATION EVALUATION II. Extension Teaching Methods The extension worker faces diverse teaching situations and needs, thus must choose extension activities accordingly. Teaching methods may be classified according to the categories of contacts used. Examples of extension methods classified according to categories of contacts are: individual contacts, group contacts, and mass contacts. In developing societies individual and group contacts are most important since they are personal in ap- peal and often result in a one-to-one communica- tion. The “hands-on” approach is popular, for ex- ample, in such learning experiences as grafting workshops or actual demonstrations of food pre- paration techniques. By making these learning ex- periences highly visible they become more accept- able and authentic in appeal. Table 1. EXTENSION METHODS CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO CATEGORY OF CONTACT Individual Group Mass Contacts Contacts Contacts Site Visits Club Meetings Publications Office/Lab Leader Training Radio and Consultations Sessions Newspapers Telephone Calls Clinics and Television/ Workshops Video Letters Seminars Exhibits and Fairs Result and Method Vield Tours Documentary Demonstrations Films The third category, that of mass contacts, is used to efficiently disseminate information to large numbers of people. Throughout the Carib- bean especially, the use of radio is common and should be utilized fully in extension work. Methods classified according to form, as illus- trated in Table 2, are either written, spoken, or visual. Regardless of classification, whether by category of contact or form, it is well to keep in mind that in practice the extension worker-client relationship frequently involves the associated use of two or more kinds of extension methods. Table 2. EXTENSION METHODS GROUPED ACCORDING TO FORM Written Spoken Visual Bulletins and Office Result & Method Factsheets Consultations Demonstrations Leaflets Site Visits Charts News Articles Telephone Exhibits/ and Columns Calls Posters Personal Letters Seminars and Radio Video/Television Slides, Films and Photographs Conferences and Workshops Circular Letters and Newsletters II]. Organizational Structure The United States Virgin Islands is comprised of three major islands: St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John which make up the territory. In contrast to state counties in the continental United States, the territory is divided into districts. The overall organizational structure of the Virgin Islands Co- operative Extension Service is presented in Figure 3 and individual program function is depicted in Figure 4. Both can be adapted to other Caribbean islands due to similarities in biogeography, social structure and technological needs. IV. Functions The overall functions of extension in the Vir- gin Islands covers a broad spectrum. Agricultural programs encourage local production through helping home gardeners, part-time producers, and commercial farmers. The community and rural development programs include education on the effective use of cooperatives, farm management systems and marketing strategies, along with the educational materials relating to economic deve- lopment. Expansion and diversification of 4-H clubs in schools, housing projects and community centers is the main means by which the 4-H youth development component seeks to achieve its goals of providing skills and career-related experiences. The 4H program also emphasizes the importance of advancing the cause of youth development in the Caribbean environment through Caribbean- wide youth conferences and exchanges. Home economics personnel teach human _ nutrition, family financial management, clothing construc- tion and diverse use of local foods. The pest man- Fig. 3 VIRGIN ISLANDS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION ORGANIZATION U.S. Department of Agriculture College of the Virgin Islands Virgin Islands Extension Service Director ___ 7 Extension 77 ' Advisory Committee —! & oe eS ee ee al Communication Administrative Services Services Program Program Program Program Program Leader Leader Leader Leader Leader a eeuHe Hone _ Community : atural ome and Rural Agriculture Resources Economics 4-H Youth Development = 1 pe mere ! Advisory | St. Croix St. Thomas/ __1 Advisory ' Council | ~~ District St. John District ‘Council rr LI Extension Agent Aide RURSGRRODRGRRORRRRGGOQQRGRRRRRRQQQQRHEROBOE INDIVIDUALS - FAMILIES - GROUPS SERVICE and REGULATORY AGENCIES HTT PTTTTT TTT TT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT 7 Fig. 4 EXTENSION PROGRAM FUNCTION — Reaching the Client — PROGRAM LEADER eerie Se See eee 7 ' Program ' ' Advisory Council ————— eae cw er 4 SPECIALIST — SUBJECT AREA v EXTENSION AGENT EXTENSION PARAPROFESSIONAL ¥ Vv ¥ NRGDRRRRARRRORRRROURORGUAGRRORODROROROQHORODRQHURRORUGRORUGRORQQHORBRBOROD ILL CLIENTELE agement program focuses on public awareness of integrated pest management practices to provide the public with alternative means of pest control and to mitigate one of the main deterrents to food production. Educational materials on sand- fly control are being developed because this TTTTTTTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT biting fly is a significant nuisance both to residents and visitors. A comprehensive survey of pesticide use in the Virgin Islands and continuous training for certification of applicators of restricted-use pesticides is also conducted. Most of these techniques and procedures dis- cussed here could be applied to other islands in the Caribbean, with the realization that adjust- ments will undoubtedly be necessary according to agroclimatic conditions, levels of economic devel- opment, individual cultural patterns and expecta- tions, and the current political scene. V. Meeting Community Needs Since its inception in 1972, the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service has increasingly demonstrated that it provides a dynamic and chal- lenging enrichment for the broad gamut of people it serves. Whether they are spouses of persons working at local industries, homemakers from housing projects, teenagers wanting to learn skills, youth looking for a neighborhood club experience, small home gardeners, cattle raisers, commercial farmers, storekeepers or aspiring business people - all are looking for additional expertise to en- hance the quality of life. Evidence of this desire is dramatically demonstrated by the flourishing at- tendance at extension workshops, seminars, clinics and other informal learning sessions. That exten- sion, with its commitment to research and its practical application through education, can be an exciting catalyst for a technology transfer system in the Caribbean is continually reinforced by the enthusiastic reception of its programs and transfer techniques. VI. The Essentials The effectiveness of the technology-intorma- tion transfer process used by the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service depends on two important features: the presence of a local tech- nology development base which is the Agricultural Experiment Station and the utilization of local social and ecological conditions in the technology transfer. The relationship between the technology development base, extension outreach programs, and the clientele is represented in Fig. 5. It is im- portant to point out that information flow takes place both ways. The extension worker serves as an interpreter and a conveyer of technical infor- mation from the research base to the users and conversely identifies the problems and provides feedback to the researchers for investigation of possible solutions. The Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) of the College of the Virgin Islands, through its research projects in tood and agriculture, serves as a continuous source of improved and adapted technology to be transferred to the Virgin Islands community by the Cooperative Extension Service. The goal of the AES is to develop food and feed production potentials of the Virgin Islands through applied scientific research based on conditions specific to the islands. The seven areas in which the experiment sta- tion conducts research are agronomy, horticul- ture, irrigation technology, animal science, fresh- water aquaculture, marine fish poisoning, pest and pesticide management. Agronomy research develops the potential of sorghum, forage grasses, and legumes as island-grown sources of high pro- tein animal feeds and nutritious human food. Horticulture research involves both fruit and vege- table production studies with an emphasis on tro- pical crops and is designed to determine the best plant varieties and cultural practices necessary to encourage vegetable gardening and fruit culture in the Virgin Islands. The irrigation technology com- ponent addresses the development of information regarding the minimum water requirements for food crops and alternative watering schemes through irrigation and related agricultural engi- neering research. Animal science research is cur- rently involved in characterizing Senepol cattle by on-the-farm performance testing and conducting other production research studies on cooperating farms such as cow, calf, and bull growth, cow ef- ficiency, and carcass characteristics. Aquaculture researchers are developing freshwater pond fish culture systems and ‘“‘back-yard”’ fish farming methods for the production of freshwater food fish to augment declining saltwater fish resources. The marine fish poisoning (ciguatera) program in- vestigates the nature of ciguatoxin and seeks to define a reliable test for the ciguatoxicity of Vir- gin Islands marine fishes. Pest and pesticide man- agement research is directed at diagnosing and solving pest problems with emphasis on alterna- tive management strategies minimizing pesticide use. The benefits and risks of specific pesticides are evaluated, and the means are being developed to deal with pesticide and hazardous waste prob- lems, applicator exposure, storage and disposal. While the results of research projects con- ducted at the experiment station are disseminated to the public through the transfer mechanisms al- ready noted, it should also be mentioned that Fig. 5 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RESEARCH BASE, EXTENSION PROGRAMS AND CLIENTELE s & ry s ¥ ¥ y Ay ¢ y Crop Prod %e Se C7 ven, we EXTE Ns hom emaker® Co immunity & Rural 4 Food and Dvipmt AGRICULTURAL 7p) Nutrition EXPERIMENT ranchers STATION carn RESEARCH Pes, ws It. Scho, ols é ?OGRA ae 3 Livestock By cy Prod “By ts, ih clubs “2, you es LN ~ A 8 Ry Ry 10 research information is made available to the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture as well as to other land-grand institutions throughout the United States. The annual Agriculture and Food Fairs held on St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John are excel- lent examples of the use of local social institutions as a means of imparting extension education out- reach to a large audience. Carnivals and festive gatherings such as the food fairs are a vital part of the social fabric of Caribbean societies. Working together, the Cooperative Extension Service and the local Department of Agriculture each year pre- sent what is recognized as the most colorful and constructive agricultural and sociocultural event in the Virgin Islands — the three-day fair on St. Croix. A high-impact vehicle of technology trans- fer and educational stimulation for as many as 25,000 visitors annually, the fair features land- grant programs exhibits showing results of research on plants, livestock, aquaculture, irrigation tech- nology and pest management methods which re- flect months of creativity and hard work by the extension staff. Among the popular exhibits at recent fairs were a solar dryer for fruits and vege- tables; displays on recognition of various locally important insects and how to cope with them in environmentally sound ways; bush teas of medici- nal and commercial value along with homemade 11 breads and candies exhibited by home economics personnel; demonstrations of clothing fashions hand-created by homemakers; soybeans and other alternative feed and food crops of different varie- ties; appropriate minigardening methods; innova- tive drip irrigation technology; a hydroponic model for growing vegetables and fish in a unique combination which conserves water by recircula- tion and uses the fish waste as plant food; and more than 100 projects created by 4-H clubs. VII. Common Challenges - Similar Goals The food and agriculture issues facing the en- tire Caribbean are similar to those of the Virgin Islands. All islands in the Caribbean are striving to achieve increased food production and to find an acceptable balance between tourism, industriali- zation and agricultural development. All are working toward developing economic, social and educational programs to improve the quality of life for their citizens. The Virgin Islands Coopera- tive Extension Service conducts its public educa- tion programs to assist individual citizens as well as the community and government in achieving these goals. Other Caribbean islands can also develop simi- lar educational programs for the benefit of their people by adapting the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service as a model. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author wishes to express his appreciation to Dr. Arthur Richards, President of the College of the Virgin Islands, for his support and leadership; to Walter Knausenberger for critical review of the manuscript; to Liz Wilson for editorial assistance; and to colleagues at the Cooperative Extension Service and the Agricultural Experiment Station for their help in making our extension efforts in the Virgin Islands so successful that they can serve as a model for technology transfer for the rest of the Caribbean. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Act of Congress of May 8, and June 30, 1914 (as amended), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, D.S. Padda, Director, College of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service. The College of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action organization, providing educational services in the field of agri- culture, home economics, rural development, 4-H youth development and related subjects to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. 12 THE VIRG avy Ed SNA Y 1962 Antilles Graphic Aris