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Farming Basics

Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Evidence Tier:EVALUATED

Assessed for usability and quality

For:General Public & Enthusiasts
Free
Download on the App Store

App Summary

Farming Basics from Alabama Extension is an educational tool for small and beginning farmers, providing crop and pest information, management tactics, and calculators for fertilizer and irrigation. An evaluation (N=120 events) of the provider's related virtual outreach programs found they reached thousands of direct and indirect participants, including many new clients. The associated research concludes that such digital channels are effective for delivering useful and timely horticultural information to support producers.

App Screenshots

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Detailed Description

Functionality & Mechanism

Developed by Alabama Extension, Farming Basics functions as an informational and decision-support tool for agricultural producers. The interface provides access to distinct modules containing crop descriptions, data on major insect pests and diseases, and general management tactics. The system integrates dedicated fertilizer and irrigation calculators to facilitate input optimization. Additional features deliver crop and pest alerts, furnish location-based contact information for further consultation, and display a calendar of relevant professional meetings and field days.

Evidence & Research Context

  • The developing institution, Alabama Extension, provides educational and technical support to a rapidly expanding specialty crop industry, as detailed in associated research.
  • An evaluation of the developer's virtual outreach programs demonstrated significant engagement with the target audience, reaching 2,271 direct participants across 120 events.
  • This evaluation identified new and beginning farmers as a key demographic that found the institution's timely delivery of agricultural information to be highly useful.

Intended Use & Scope

This application is designed as a foundational reference and decision-support tool for small-scale and beginning farmers. Its primary utility is to provide rapid access to fundamental crop data, pest information, and discrete calculators. The tool is not a substitute for comprehensive agronomic consultation and is not intended for whole-farm financial or logistical management.

Studies & Publications

1 publication

Peer-reviewed research associated with this app.

Evaluation Study

Alabama Extension Commercial Horticulture Virtual Events and Social Media Evaluation System During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Majumdar et al. (2022) · Journal of the NACAA

Virtual events successfully delivered timely horticulture information to over 2,000 farmers during the pandemic.

Alabama has a rapidly growing specialty crop industry valued at $165 million in direct sale and $103 million in value-added products. The demand for fresh fruits and vegetables remained high during the COVID-19 pandemic. To support producers with timely information, the Alabama Extension Commercial Horticulture Team used three different social media (SM) events along with a unique monitoring and evaluation system as formative evaluations. Overall, 120 virtual events via a Facebook channel and a farmer group page reached 2,271 direct and 57,000 indirect participants with many new clients and beginning farmers that found the information useful and timely.
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In the Media

Meet Alabama Extension's New and Improved Farming Basics App

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System at Auburn University developed Farming Basics to serve small and beginning farmers by providing comprehensive agricultural information through a smartphone application, with a major update released in 2022. "The most exciting part of the new app is the reorganization of the materials, creating a one-stop shop for specialty crop producers," said Ayanava Majumdar, coordinator of the Alabama Extension Alabama Beginning Farmer program. The updated app includes rapid communication tools like push alerts and social media integration, available as a free download on iOS and Android devices.

SpecialtycropgrowerRead article

Alabama Extension Launches Farming Basics App

Alabama Extension developed Farming Basics to serve as a science- and research-based information gateway for small and beginning farmers, functioning as a pocket guide for everyday field questions. "The Beginning Farmer Program is a statewide effort to support new farmers with emphasis on military veterans and underserved communities," said Alabama Extension specialist Ayanava Majumdar. The app includes pest and disease information, fertilizer and irrigation calculators, and location services connecting farmers with regional Extension agents.

BibbvoiceRead article

Farming Basics

Free

iOS