Dossier

Interdisciplinary teaching teams patterned after the Wyoming team typically include people trained in the following areas: livestock, agronomy/range, agricultural economics, and human resources. People with expertise in forestry, wildlife and other resource management areas are utilized as needed. As evidenced by participant comments, this is an effective method for presenting the material.

In addition to the mix of discipline specialties, the teams are also commonly made up of county extension professionals, as well as on-campus specialists. While this is also somewhat non-traditional, it has worked well for a number of reasons. One of the most important benefits of this type of presentation is that it gives participants exposure to specialists and the wealth of information they can provide, as well as familiarizing them with the local ‘agent’ who can access specialists, but who is also a capable, knowledgeable educator in their own right. In a word, this program markets the incredible wealth of skills and expertise available from the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service.