a Personal Profile
Farmers make decisions every day, and each one has a price. Monetary or not. Small decisions and big decisions. Decisions that cost $5 and decisions that cost $500,000. So how do farmers consider each factor that goes into making those decisions? They might base their …
What is your definition of the word mindset? My interpretations: A position that your mind is set in. A state of being. A way of life that your behavior emulates. The reasoning behind why you behave in a specific way. In my experience, when a …
There are many reasons why a farmer might feel the need to change up their management or farming practices. They might have identified a problem and want to figure out how to fix it. Or they might have seen a new way of doing something, therefore, optimistically wanting to also implement the idea on their farm also. Either way a farmer thinks about changing their current practices, they go through a process of adopting and implementing the new idea. This process is called, the innovation-decision process, coined by the theorist Everett M. Rogers (2003).
Making any type of change on a farm is not taken lightly. The farm is, in and of itself, a direct reflection of a farmers’ livelihood, and therefore, not an easy one. It can be a small, quick decision that doesn’t need a whole lot of mental capacity, or it could be a major decision that can impact the future of the farm and the generations that follow. Either way, farmers go through the innovation decision process, a five-stage process that the farmer is actively participating in, whether they acknowledge they are or not. The a five stages include: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation). Some farmers might stay in one stage longer than others due to their own personal experience, outlying factors, etc., but as they move through the process individuals ultimately have a change in belief and way of life.
During the knowledge stage of the process, farmers will become aware of the innovation and begin to understand it. Gathering information during the knowledge stage can be done passively or actively. Passive awareness happens when the farmer learns about the innovation first, before they realize they might consider adopting the innovation. They might become aware of the innovation from other farmers, funding opportunities, attending a conference or meeting, their local extension agent, or their next-door neighbor. Active awareness is when a farmer identifies an issue and engages in behavior that leads them to consider adopting the innovation. They are actively seeking information about the new idea. The farmers might more specifically engage in selective exposure, where they begin to form their own thoughts about the topic, putting themselves in situations where they can gain more knowledge about the topic. Additionally, they also might use selective perception, where as they gather information they are using preexisting beliefs to understand and interpret the information they are gaining. During the knowledge stage, their perception about the innovation when gathering information about it, can elicit a change in their mindset.
When the farmer has gained a bit more information about the innovation, they move on to the persuasion stage of the process. In this stage, the farmer, importantly, forms a favorable or unfavorable attitude toward the innovation using evaluation characteristics. They begin to psychologically imagine the innovation being applied to their present or anticipated future management ideas. The farmers think about the compatibility of the innovation, relating the innovation to his or her own farm management, personal values, and personal experiences. They evaluate the relative advantage of the innovation, in which they understand whether or not the innovation is better than what their current farm management practices are. They decide whether or not the innovation can be tried or experimented on in their own personal farm situation, maybe by experimenting with test plots or renting a drill to seed on their land. They evaluate if the innovation has the ability to be observed, they want to know if they can see tangible results or not.
Ultimately, when the farmer makes a connection between their existing land management situation and the implementing the new innovation, they begin to form their own thoughts about what full adoption might look like in the future. This is when the farmer mentally reviews the consequences of the innovation. Some innovations, that can make a large-scale impact on the farm, are costly investment, and often, not an instant gratification process. The innovation might take multiple cropping seasons and many years to actually see a benefit. However, even after evaluating these consequences on their own the farmer typically seeks further education about the innovation. They might reach out to early adopters or opinion leaders of the innovation or change agents to evaluate those consequences on their own farm situation. Importantly at this stage, farmers make the decision to accept or reject the innovation. If a farmer feels the need to further explore the innovation, they move on to the decision stage, where they make major leaps to attempt the innovation.
At this stage, a farmer typically engages in activities that lead them to a choice of adopting or rejecting the innovation. Such activities include attending specific workshops, conferences, or talk with other farmers about the innovation. Attending local Extension events and field tours can help farmers get a better real-world applicability of the innovation. Although at each stage of the innovation-decision process a farmer can reject the idea, the decision stage is when an actual yes or no answer must be made. For example, if a farmer has thought about adopting the innovation and seen with their own eyes that it did not produce enough positive benefits, they might actively reject the innovation. On the other hand, a farmer might passively reject the innovation, in which the farmer does not consider the innovation because they have no belief in implementing it or trying it at all. If the farmer does believe that the innovation could work, and is willing to give it a try on their land, the farmer is ready to move to the implementation stage.
Farmers are now willing to give the innovation a try by physically implementing it on their personal management situation. This stage comes with a lot of uncertainty and worry, due to the consequences of the innovation, and can often last for a long period of time. It truly depends on the nature of the innovation, since some management practices might take multiple years to see a direct benefit.
This stage of the innovation-decision process is critical. If the farmer already has an unsure attitude coming into the implementation stage, they could easily leave when direct results are not obtained within a short amount of time. Therefore, leaving the persuasion stage with a change of heart and belief in the innovation is important for a successful implementation stage. Ultimately, their value and belief in the innovation is their main driver to see the innovation through to light of direct benefit.
The final stage of the innovation-decision process is the confirmation stage. Here, farmers are seeking reinforcement to ensure they have made the right decision, which can be repeated consistently. If they do not find reinforcement and are exposed to negative repercussions they might feel conflicted, named cognitive dissonance. This is an uncomfortable state of mind that farmers feel when trying to justify their decision to adopt and implement the innovation. If a farmer is feeling good about their innovation, they will have less cognitive dissonance and be fulfilled with their decision. However, if the farmer sees negative benefits from the innovation, they will feel uncertain and potentially let the innovation go. This is rare, as the farmer would have already decided to not implement the innovation in the first place. Typically, the farmer’s belief and attitude towards the innovation is strong.
Adopting a new innovation on a farm can be overwhelming, time consuming, and costly. Farmers are always assessing their decisions and changing things when they deem necessary. Again, it ultimately depends on many factors. Including the nature of the innovation or idea, how relatable and compatible it is to their current farming situation or biological factors of their land, having a community of people who are also using the innovation, being able to observe the innovation being currently implemented somewhere else, and even the personal beliefs and characteristics of the farmer making the decisions to implement the innovation. Most major farm management decisions require the farmer to truly believe and accept the innovation as a way of life and a way forward in the evolution of their farm.
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). New York, NY: Free Press, Simon and Schuster.
This story is ultimately about love. Love for your land and tending to something greater than yourself during your lifetime. Love for others, and the family you grow into over the years. Love for standing up for what you believe in, and the struggle that comes with that passion.
Does stress alter your ability to breathe? I does for me and I notice it big time. This book wasn’t on my “to read” list, but it was just what I needed to turn into my body and reflect on the impact stress has on my breathing.
Twin sisters, Stella and Desiree Vignes, grew up in a small black community in the south. Although they were considered black, the color of their skin showed differently. Desperately wanting to leave the confining community with dreams of living in the city, the girls ran away from home.
There, Stella, smart yet less ambitious than Desiree, passes as a white woman and begins living a separate life from her sister. Stella vanished– not telling her sister her plans for a better life. The girls’ lives take them in different directions, where they never speak to each other and even worse, don’t know where the other one is.
The next generation of Vignes women are weaved into the story, but are they able to reconnect their mothers and make peace with the past?
I love the timeline of this story. Beginning with the twin’s lives and eventually, Bennett brings in their daughters’ lives. I like how the daughters explore their own relationship and uncovering that of their mothers.
I appreciate the exploration of love and the emotional processes that come with loving someone different and new (or someone from the past). Because of when the story is set, having unconventional love or different life on the weekend is looked down upon. So I like that Bennett brought that into the characters.
This story has a different lens on black people in the 1950s than I have read in other books. The way Stella is written, passing as a white woman, Bennett displays the wants, needs, aspirations, of black people living in a free world.
It wasn’t until later in the story when Stella’s view is brought to life, that I truly wanted to understand her better. Stella convinced everyone around her, including herself, that she was a white woman.
“White Stella.”
“…she closed her eyes and slowly became her. She imagined another life, another past.”
“She let her mind go black, her while whole life vanishing, until she became new and clean as a baby”
Once Stella explored that opportunity, she knew she could live a new life. A free life — freely walking into museums, restaurants, and businesses. She ended up marrying a white man, living a life without monetary worries and had a white daughter.
For her entire life, Stella keeps her secret of being black, from everyone — her husband, daughter, and neighbors. She purposefully distances herself from being close with others, so her secret isn’t exposed. This secret haunts her mental capacity and is shown in her behavior.
This is crazy to me that she can live this life! She completely disassociates two lives. White Stella where she lives freely and black Stella where she remembers the pain and hurt.
Her mother and her sister are not talked about in her life as a white woman. She does not talk to them or talk about them. She is able to push aside her memories, to live a different life.
Is that worth it? To Stella it is.
To Stella, she feels free and happy being someone different. Giving up her family to be who she wants.
At first, I was very upset and hurt by Stella. I wanted her to connect with her sister and mother (probably because I think family is one of the most important aspects of love and life).
She was hurt in her past, how can I be upset with her if putting her old life behind her makes her happy and it’s what she wants to do with her life?
I have never imagined myself being someone other than myself. Especially in the life of a white, black woman. But I understand. I understand why someone would want to live a different life.
Moving forward, I have more understanding and respect for people who do run away from their past. Whether they are black, transgender, or a different nationality; I have more respect, perspective, and compassion for other people’s experiences. I never understood how hard life could be, to run away, but now, I understand.
I also know how much I would (probably) never run away from my family. I believe family is my comfort place. And if anything, I want to run towards them.
Life-long friendships mean accepting those you care about for who they are and being there for them, no matter what life throws at both of you.
Caring for others with mental health issues is important. Even if it means reaching out to the “crazy” woman across the street.
“We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.”
John Dewey
I think one of the most important aspects of life is learning. Learning can be formal, in a classroom. Or informal, in a casual conversation with a friend. No matter how you learn, you should always take a moment to reflect.
Reflection can be defined as the moments in which you think deeply about an experience you had and how it relates to you.
Reflection typically incorporates three elements: having an experience, such as helping your grandmother make strawberry jam. Then you reflect on that experience, where you ask yourself questions (what did I just learn? How can I do it again without grandma there?). Then after reflecting, you go try that experience again.
The key element in it experiencing something and learning from it, is that reflection part. When you don’t take the time to reflect on your experience, you probably didn’t learn anything that will stick with you or impact you enough so that the next time that you experience it again, you are better prepared or can make a positive impact.
Many theorists have explored experiences and reflection. Two of my most favorite theorists are John Dewey and David Kolb. Their theories guide a lot of what university professors, elementary school teachers, and informal educators use to help people through the reflection process. Which is one of the hardest, yet crucial pieces of learning.
The idea of having an experience, reflecting on it, and trying the experience again, is why I find hands-on experiences so important in learning.
Reflection can happen in many different ways. For some people, it is verbally talking about it with a friend. For others it is writing it down in a journal, keeping it to themselves. A lot of the time, we are reflecting and we don’t even know we’re doing it!
But if you have an experience that important or meaningful to you, it is a good idea to reflect on the process so you are better prepared for life.
When you reflect, you want to ask yourself some questions. Sometimes guided questions can help you, either from a friend or a resource you found on the internet. Sometimes the questions are those that you create while you’re in the process of the experience. Here a few that are very common to start the reflection process…
You can in reflect many different ways. You can verbally talk it through with someone, like a friend or a therapist. You can write it down, either written words in a journal or drawing or create a beautiful painting. You can even exercise, like going for a walk or pushing through a strength workout.
Many people find adult coloring books very therapeutic. Probably because they are reflecting and taking time to process their thoughts while they actively process their thoughts.
For me personally, reflection comes in various forms. It really depends on the type experience that I had. For example, if I experience a physical skill, I usually need to talk about it verbally with someone. Asking myself and my instructor questions (is that the correct way? should I try holding the saw differently next time? how can I include this skill the next time I do this?).
Other times, I reflect on a cognitive experience. For example, some of my deepest reflections happen after I read a book. You can learn SO much by reading a book. Fiction or non-fiction, there is a story to be told and an experience to be had and reflected on.
When I read, I am immersed in another world. A world that is only between me and the author. I can get so into a book that I can feel the feelings of the characters. It’s like I am experiencing hurt, happiness, and excitement!
It is these experiences that I reflect on most. The experiences that characters have that I am able to reflect on them as if they have happened to me.
Oftentimes, I picture how they relate to my actual life and what is happening in the world today. That is typically how I process things, by reading experiences and stories and seeing how they apply to my life.
This is why I started this blog. To connect with and reflect on the stories I read and my real-life experiences. These blog reflections help me make meaning of what is going on around me, especially the things I cannot control.
I hope that these reflections can help you process things you are experiencing too!