Including New and Beginning Farmers
Aaron M. Yoder, PhD – ayoder@psu.edu
Julie Sorensen, NE Center for Agricultural and Occupational Health
Dennis J. Murphy, Penn Sate University

Discuss how social marketing techniques, in particular the concepts of barriers and motivators, can be used to influence producers to manage human and legal risks.
Review other projects at Penn State that address managing human and legal risks.

Research to guide approaches to effective interventions
Finding out what the target population’s barriers and motivators to behavior adoption are
Design intervention to target those behavior influences

The eight essential social marketing components
(Lefebvre and Flora)
1. A consumer orientation to realize organizational
(social) goals
2. An emphasis on the voluntary exchanges of goods and services between providers and consumers
3. Research in audience analysis and segmentation strategies
4. The use of formative research in product and message design and the pretesting of these materials

The eight essential social marketing components
(Lefebvre and Flora)
5. An analysis of distribution (or communication) channels
6. Use of the marketing mix—utilizing and blending product, price, place and promotion characteristics in intervention planning and implementation
7. A process tracking system with both integrative and control functions
8. A management process that involves problem analysis, planning, implementation and feedback functions

“It takes discipline to follow the process and hold back.”
Lynda Barfield
Associate Director, Strategic
Behavioral Communication at Family Health International

You have a BEHAVIOR you want to change in a population.
“It is not what we think they need. It is what they want.”
– Bill Smith
Executive VP retired at Academy for Educational Development

Rigorous vs. Less Rigorous Behavior Selection
Rigorous Less Rigorous
Impact  Technical
Review
Survey
Experts
Probability  Case Review Survey
Audience
Penetration  Observations Survey
Audience

A target audience is selected through
segmentation, a process to divide a broad audience (population) into homogeneous subaudiences (groups), called audience
segments.

An audience segment is identified and aggregated by the shared characteristics and needs of the people in a broad audience, including similar demographics, psychographics, geographics, behaviors, social networks, community assets, and stage of change.

TARPARE Model
T – Total Number in segment
AR – proportion At Risk
P – Persuability
A – Accessibility
R – Resources to meet needs
E – Equity

It is ideal that a social marketing campaign focuses on one primary target audience, but secondary audiences are often identified, based on the marketing problem, purpose, and focus of the campaign.

*Also know as Doer/Non-Doer

An estimated size and informative description of the target audience(s) is needed.
An ideal description of the target audience will make you believe that if a member of the audience walked into the room, you would
“recognize” him or her.

To develop messages and materials, you need to describe a typical member of this target audience.
Think about this person’s self esteem, risk-behavior taking tendencies, and beliefs.
Then, develop an audience profile that is realistic and vivid.

When all think alike, no one thinks very much.
Walter Lippmann
(1889-1974)

What do you know this person thinks/feels/believes about the
DESIRED BEHAVIOR? (social norms, levels of awareness, key attitudes about the desired behavior)
What are barriers from the person’s point of you to performing
DESIRED BEHAVIOR?
What does this person believe would happen if he/she performs the DESIRED BEHAVIOR? (perceived consequences).

How easy is it for you to make a behavioral change?
I want to change _______ !
“Behavior change needs to be made fun, easy and popular.”
– Bill Smith,
Executive VP retired at Academy for Educational Development

Barriers are obstacles that prevent individuals from changing or adopting behaviors and are often referred to as the “cons” or “costs” of doing something.
Financial cost and time are two commonly referenced barriers in agricultural safety and health.

These barriers can be removed by:
Offering monetary compensation,
Demonstrating how the recommended behavior will save time, or
By reducing the time required to engage in the activity.

Motivators, on the other hand, are factors that encourage individuals to change or adopt behaviors and are often referred to as the “pros,” “benefits, or
“influencing factors” of doing something.
Personally experiencing a near miss could motivate a farmer to follow recommended safe practices about riding extra on tractors.

Considering both barriers and motivating factors is like coming at a single problem from two different angles.
– For example, if financial cost is identified as a primary barrier to adopting a recommended behavior, then removing that cost may seem like the only thing necessary to achieve an effective behavioral intervention.
– However, effectively changing behavior often requires the strategic application of incentives that make the behavior easier AND rewarding.

Just because you address major barriers to ROPS retrofitting such as financial costs and time constraints, you don’t necessarily achieve the best intervention results.
The greatest change in farmers intentions to install ROPS came from farmers exposed to a rebate (addressed barrier to behavioral change) and a targeted promotional campaign
(addressed motivating factors for behavioral change).

• The Transtheoretical Model of Health Behavior Change (TTM) is one of several behavior change theories that carefully consider the combination of barriers and motivators to effect behavioral change.
• The TTM assesses an individual's readiness to engage in healthier behaviors, and provides strategies, or processes of change to move the individual through the stages of change to action and maintenance.
• It is often referred to as the “Stages of Change” Model.

identified by Prochaska & Velicer
Stage Definition Example*
Precontemplation
People are not intending to take action in the foreseeable future, and are most likely unaware that their behavior is problematic
Parents are unaware of how serious the consequences are of having a child as an extra rider on a tractor.
Contemplation
People are beginning to recognize that their behavior is problematic, and start looking at the pros and cons of their continued actions
Parents realize that having a child as an extra rider is hazardous but don’t change the practice.
Preparation
People are intending to take action in the immediate future, and may begin taking small steps towards change
Parents of children who are extra riders are thinking about stopping the practice; may decline the practice a time or two.

identified by Prochaska & Velicer
Stage
Action
Maintenance
Definition
People have made specific overt modifications in their life style, and positive change has occurred
People are working to prevent relapse: a stage which can last indefinitely
Example*
Parents have discontinued allowing children as extra riders and have set up safer alternatives.
Parents have developed and are sticking to selfmandated rules relating to no extra riders.
Termination
Individuals have zero temptation and 100% self-efficacy: they are sure they will not return to their old unhealthy habit as a way of coping
Parents do not allow children as extra riders under any circumstance.

Ag producers are 800% more likely to die on the job than the average worker
Tractor rollovers are leading cause of death
7 of 10 families have to sell farm
ROPS are 99% effective

1300 tractors retrofitted
Messages
Rebates
800 Number
NY, NH, PA, VT and WI

4 research and intervention studies that directly
reference social marketing in agricultural safety and health;
2 studies that identify reasons why parents allow
their children to be exposed to hazardous situations on the farm; and
2 studies that identify reasons why youth engage in
risky behaviors.

However, only 2 studies were found that show evidence of systematically researching specific
behavioral change motivating factors.
These 2 research studies support the need for interventions to address both barriers to behavior change and motivating factors for behavior
change.
They also support the idea that it is important to understand where the
target population is within behavioral change models.

There is evidence from public health fields that research can identify motivators and barriers for adoption of safety strategies.
This same methodology can be used in agriculture to encourage producers to:
Add safety and health to their risk management plan.
Implement the safety and health portion of their risk management plan.

Farm/Agriculture/Rural Management Hazard
Analysis Tool (FARM-HAT)
Safety and Health Best Practices Resource
Manual and Instructor’s Guide for New and
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
Organizing and Conducting a Safe Tractor
Operation Workshop

A gradient scale to evaluate hazards
Insight on how to conduct hazard abatement or correction
Maximize information with minimum amount of text
Quantifiable data
Educational information about physical hazards only

Agricultural Pesticides
Most Protection
Pesticide Storage Areas
1. A secure, separate, storage building, well ventilated with when not in use, approved heat source installed, emergency contact information posted.
2. A secure, separate, lockable storage building, may be left lighting and signage installed.
3. A lockable storage room or cabinet, within another building, locked when not in use, proper signage inside and out, PPE available but not stored in facility.
4. A lockable storage room or cabinet, within another building,
5. Non-lockable storage area, pesticides stored in open building, mechanical equipment, well lighted with proper signage, locked unlocked when not in use, passive ventilation provided, proper unlocked when not in use, poor interior lighting, no signage.
no limited-access, PPE stored with pesticides, no signage.
Least Protection
(also see reverse side)

Safety and Health Best Practices Resource Manual and
Instructor’s Guide for NBFRs
Conduct a safety and health needs assessment
Develop a Safety and Health Best Practices Resource Manual
Develop a Operator/Manager Manual
Conduct train-the-trainer workshops for safety and health best practice principles, strategies and techniques
Promote these resources
This project is supported by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the
National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grant Number 2011-49400-30557.

¾ had 5 years or less of farming experience.
99% indicated a safe and healthful workplace was moderately or very important.
98% indicated they would be willing to assess the safety aspects of their farming operations using a doit-yourself checklist or audit.

70% expressed a need for training
Interest in hands-on workshops:
9 out of 10 - routine tractor maintenance
8 out of 10 - tractor driving/operations
7 out of 10 - connecting hydraulics or PTOs
25% indicated that they had a current certification in first aid and/or in CPR.
Almost 50% of respondents indicated annual gross sales of less than $5,000.

Successful partnerships have been established.
Partnering organizations promoted and facilitated a comprehensive safety and health needs assessment.
Survey results are being applied to the development of manuals and workshops.

Workshops focusing on safe tractor driving and hitching have been conducted.

Operator/Manager Manual on Safety and
Health Management Planning for New and
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
Safety and Health Best Practices Resource
Manual for New and Beginning Farmers and
Ranchers

Introduction: Developing a management plan
Unit 1. Establishing Safety Policies and Procedures
Unit 2. Identifying and Assessing Hazards and Risks
Unit 3. Preventing and Controlling Hazards and Risks
Unit 4. Educating and Training Employees
Unit 5. Evaluating Training Programs and Resources

Organizing and Conducting a Safe Tractor
Operation Workshop
Develop the Organizing and Conducting a Safe Tractor
Operation Workshop manual
Conduct workshops for producers using the Organizing and
Conducting a Safe Tractor Operation Workshop manual
Promote these resources to potential trainers
This project is supported by the Northeast Center for Risk Management Education, NIFA,
USDA, Grant Number 2010-49200-06201.

Organizing and Conducting a Safe Tractor Operation
Workshop manual
Introduction
Part I: Choosing Instructors, Tractors, Machines and
Driving Courses
Part II: Instructional Content
Part III. Conducting Training Workshops
Part IV: Performance Evaluation Forms
Appendix A: Task Sheets

http://www.extension.org/AgSafety

What is the cost of an injury or fatality?
http://eoponline.org

Aaron M. Yoder – ayoder@psu.edu