Extension & Outreach Activities

Stan Ernst, Extension Program Leader/Marketing Instructor

My Extension/Outreach effort falls into several areas:

  •  Administration/Coordination of AED Economics' Extension Program and overall Outreach efforts.  Including the Policy & Outlook Program, annual programs at the Farm Science Review, and training efforts for OSU Extension personnel and clients.
  • Speaking and educational material development in several areas related to marketing and technology. 
  • Liaison with other programs within OSU and the Ohio food, agricultural and administrative sectors.

Most of my Extension Outreach efforts fall directly from my applied research program and collaborative work with colleagues in the Ohio State system and elsewhere.  Active areas of programming include: 

  • niche/direct marketing of food and farm products (including farm/farmers' markets; online sales);
  • adoption and use of information technologies by farmers, rural residents, food retailers and food consumers;
  • meat & niche livestock markets
  • the effect of changing demographics on food markets and direct marketing
  • Occasional marketing or economic impact analysis in support of OSU Extension efforts in horticultural industries.

A number of projects and programs that include my Extension Outreach activity

Regionalized food marketing programs.  This area of work addresses several activities to evaluate the Ohio Proud program. It came out of collaborations with the OSU Extension Direct Marketing Team and the Ohio Department of Agriculture.  Work is ongoing with first results expected early fall 2007.

Direct Marketing of Season Long Berry Enterprise.  This is a collaboration with colleagues in the department (Marv Batte, Greg Davis) and at the OSU South Centers (Shawn Wright, Tom Worley, Brad Bergefurd).  Our marketing work has looked at consumer preferences and willingness-to-pay for things like "local" or specific production practices.  Marv maintains a website for the overall project.

E-Grocery/E-Agribusiness Working Group.  A set of projects over the past six years that look at the application of e-commerce to the grocery and food marketing industries. 

 

OSU Extension Direct Marketing Team

Ohio Ag Manager

Ohio Green Industry Survey (2005 Ohio Landscape & Nursery Economic Impact Study).  The latest version of research done by OSU Extension and industry groups since the 80's. Attempts to measure the economic impact of the "green" sector.  Related to work with the OSU Extension Nursery, Landscape, and Turf Team.