Exploring small-scale farmers’ perceptions and needs for non-formal leadership education

Rachel Biderman; Laura Greenhaw; Amy Harder

doi:10.37433/aad.v4i3.341

Authors

Rachel Biderman University of Florida, USA https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9738-5896
Laura Greenhaw University of Florida, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1562-9798
Amy Harder University of Connecticut, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7042-2028

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v4i3.341

Keywords:

small-scale farmers, self-perception theory, qualitative research, agricultural leadership educators

Abstract

Small-scale farmers serve in leadership roles within their operations and beyond, though it is not widely known whether they view themselves in this capacity. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the ways in which small-scale farmers perceive themselves as leaders, and to characterize their self-perceived leadership style. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants on their farming operations and utilizing Zoom. Observations and collection of supplemental materials were used for triangulation of data. Findings indicated that this population does view themselves as leaders, and that small-scale farmers characterize their leadership approaches differently, though some commonalities were found. Moreover, a desire for leadership education was expressed by participants. A needs assessment is recommended to better understand small-scale farmers' leadership education needs, followed by non-formal leadership education programming.

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