Assessing Knowledge Levels and Learning Preferences Among Organic Grain Farmers and Professionals; The Experience of the University of Wisconsin OGRAIN Program

Authors

• Lauren Asprooth, Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, University of Wisconsin - MadisonFollow
• Claire G Stedden, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin - MadisonFollow
• Evelyn Hammond, Natural Resources Institute, University of Wisconsin – Madison Division of ExtensionFollow
• Ayse Okur, Natural Resources Institute, University of Wisconsin – Madison Division of ExtensionFollow
• Erin Silva, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin - MadisonFollow

Volume

64

Issue

1

Abstract

With lagging domestic supplies of organic grains, transitioning from conventional to organic grain production is needed, but can be a daunting challenge for farmers. The OGRAIN program began at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2015 to support increased organic grain production in the Midwest. We surveyed 429 OGRAIN participants to assess the most accessed resources, areas of knowledge change, and areas for program improvement. Participants highlighted the importance of networking and the need for additional marketing resources. Differences were found in programming preferences by organic farming experience. These results can improve our understanding of how to best support organic grain farmers.

Authors’ Contribution Statement

Need from authors. Authors also need to check COI and Data availability statements.

Data Availability

No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Asprooth, L., Stedden, C., Hammond, E., Okur, A., & Silva, E. (2026). Assessing Knowledge Levels and Learning Preferences Among Organic Grain Farmers and Professionals; The Experience of the University of Wisconsin OGRAIN Program. Journal of Extension, 64(1), Article 8. https://doi.org/10.66752/1077-5315.5639