Roles of Communicating Agents in Technological Change in Agriculture

The findings of this res project involving 636 young farm operators in 6 Wisconsin counties support the general assumption that the type of information transmitted about farm technology is related to the characteristics & functions of the transmitting agents. Evaluation of the importance of mass media in effecting agri'al change leads to the conclusion that: friends, neighbors & other personal contacts perform a major role. in evaluating & creating changes in farming; the agri'al agencies with professionally trained personnel are best equipped to perform the role of demonstrating & putting into practice technical `know-how'. It is not likely, therefore, as some seem to imply that the day has arrived when it is sufficient to utilize the mass media in disseminating information about new ideas in farming.' P. Widem.