Call for Applications Editor of Choices Magazine

The AAEA Board is seeking applications for a co-editor of Choices Magazine to help further the strategic goals of the publication as a resource for readers interested in the policy and management of agriculture, the food industry, natural resources, rural communities, and the environment. Choices magazine currently reaches over 2700 non-member subscribers, but there is room to grow.

Seeking Innovative Approaches to Choices
As an online-only publication, Choices Magazine is well positioned to evolve along with advances in communication channels and tools. As such, the AAEA Board is interested in considering innovative approaches to the development and distribution of content via the Choices Magazine.

Applications
Applications should include a narrative describing innovative approaches to the development and distribution of Choices content. Additionally, applicants should provide a statement of support from their host institution and a current CV. AAEA will provide a small honorarium and financial assistance for Choices-related travel.  

Applica­tions should be sent electronically in a single document to Jessica Weister, at jweister@aaea.org by Wednesday, April 20. Third-party nominations of potentially interested candidates who can then be solicited for their materials are also welcome.

Responsibilities
Choices editors are responsible for the development and coordination of all content published in the e-magazine. The editors provide leadership, coordination, and oversight of all aspects of publishing in conjunction with the Choices Editorial Council and AAEA Business Office. Once new editors are selected, the editors will divide the editorial responsibilities as appropriate.

Terms and Membership Requirement
Editor terms will be determined at the time of appointment but will not exceed four years. Terms will be staggered in order to smooth the transition of future editors. According to AAEA policies, all editors must maintain current AAEA membership while serving as an editor.

AAEA Member Blog: Mykel Taylor

Mykel Taylor, Kansas State University | Choices Theme Organizer | June 6, 2019

The field of Farm Management Extension has been a mainstay of applied and agricultural economists for decades. Today it holds unique challenges and opportunities for economists. New technologies affect both our stakeholders and how we communicate with them, making it imperative to embrace these technological advances while still applying sound analysis to assess their impact. Additionally, our audiences are changing as farmers require information at a faster pace and filtered through an objective lens.

As noted by Langemeier and Shockley, “There is still demand for traditional extension meetings. However, many of the topics that will need to be addressed, due to the complexity of the topics and time needed to learn the concepts, are better suited to workshops spread over several weeks, webinars, and distance education. The nature of the topics places a premium on programs that extend beyond state boundaries, and the involvement of multiple economists with various specialty areas.” This demonstrates how universities will need to work together to meet the demands of stakeholders.

Part of meeting these evolving needs of the field is recruitment and training of new extension specialists. More and more our candidate pools are not comprised of people with a U.S. agricultural background. How we grow those candidate pools with diversity and extension-ready skills will determine our success in meeting the latest evolution in farm management.  Getting students on the grad school track toward a career in extension economics begins with attracting them to the profession. Often, those students ask about real world application of economics. “Look no further than extension economists to showcase real world economics that impacts private decisions and public policy,” observe Lawrence, Hadley, and Henderson.

If we can recognize the changes occurring in our profession and among the stakeholders we serve, then we can be successful going forward with our educational efforts. Farm management extension economics is just as vital a part of our profession as it ever was and this most recent edition of Choices Magazine challenges readers to think of creative ways that they might help their universities move forward to serve a dynamic agriculture industry. 

Articles in this theme include:

• Theme Overview: The Future of Farm Management Extension
  Mykel Taylor
• The Farm Management Extension Audience of 2030
  Alejandro Plastina, Kelvin Leibold, and Matthew Stockton
• Impact of Emerging Technology on Farm Management
  Michael Langemeier and Jordan Shockley
• Training the Next Generation of Extension Economists
  Mykel Taylor and Wendong Zhang
• The Future for Extension Farm Management Economists: The Director’s Cut
  John Lawrence, Gregg Hadley, and Jason Henderson

Call for Article Submissions: Choices Themes, Opinion, and Single Articles

The Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) welcomes proposals for themes, and opinion and individual articles to be published in Choices Magazine. Choices, a free, online-only publication, is the principal outreach vehicle of AAEA. Choices articles broadly communicate the results of quality economic analysis applied to issues and challenges faced by public and private sector decision makers in ways that enhance public understanding of and appreciation for the work of agricultural economists. While Choices articles are based on economic concepts, the information should be presented in the context of a policy issue without using economic jargon. Articles must be written so they are easily understood by a general-interest audience. Choices editors are looking for three types of submissions: Proposals for thematic groupings of papers,  Individual articles on any food, farm, resource or rural community issue, and Opinion articles. All manuscripts are subject to peer review for publication consideration. Theme groupings of papers allow for in-depth coverage of important topics and showcase the different perspectives of agricultural economics analyses. To submit a proposal for theme-based articles, please complete the Theme Proposal submission form.  Submitted articles must be prepared according to the Manuscript Style Guidelines. Single articles provide an opportunity to address timely and important relevant issues or to present new aspects of established issues. Please complete the Individual Article submission form and follow the guidelines for preparing articles for the review process. Submitted articles must be prepared according to the Manuscript Style Guidelines. Opinion articles are appropriate when an author would like to share a personal interpretation of an issue or view of a timely and important topic based on sound economics and logic. Opinion articles will be reviewed and published at the discretion of the editor and can vary from 2-12 pages. Please complete the Opinion Article submission form and follow the guidelines for preparing articles for the review process. Submitted articles must be prepared according to the Manuscript Style Guidelines. Submissions may occur any time. Reviewed and accepted Choices material is compiled into quarterly issues. Subscribers and AAEA members are notified of new material through email announcements and social media postings. If you have any questions about submitting to Choices Magazine, please contact the editors: Kynda Curtis at kynda.curtis@usu.edu and Alison Davis at Alison.Davis@uky.edu.

Call for Applications: Editor of Choices Magazine

The AAEA Board is seeking applications for a co-editor of Choices magazine to help further the strategic goals of the publication as a resource for readers interested in the policy and management of agriculture, the food industry, natural resources, rural communities, and the environment. Choices magazine currently reaches over 2700 non-member subscribers, but there is room to grow.

Seeking Innovative Approaches to Choices

As an online-only publication, Choices magazine is well positioned to evolve along with advances in communication channels and tools. As such, the AAEA Board is interested in considering innovative approaches to the development and distribution of content via the Choices magazine.

Applications

Applications should include a narrative describing innovative approaches to the development and distribution of Choices content. Additionally, applicants should provide a statement of support from their host institution and a current CV. AAEA will provide a small honorarium and financial assistance for Choices-related travel.
Applica­tions should be sent electronically in a single document to Kristen McGuire, AAEA Executive Director, at kmcguire@aaea.org by June 15, 2017. Third-party nominations of potentially interested candidates who can then be solicited for their materials are also welcome.

Responsibilities

Choices editors are responsible for the development and coordination of all content published in the e-magazine. The editors provide leadership, coordination, and oversight of all aspects of publishing in conjunction with the Choices Editorial Council and AAEA Business Office. Once new editors are selected, the editors will divide the editorial responsibilities as appropriate.

Terms and Membership Requirement

Editor terms will be determined at the time of appointment but will not exceed four years. Terms will be staggered in order to smooth the transition of future editors. According to AAEA policies, all editors must maintain current AAEA membership while serving as an editor.

Choices Magazine Celebrates 30 years of AAEA Outreach

The premiere edition of Choices magazine was published in 1986.  Then, Choices was a quarterly, glossy magazine. Lyle Shertz, retired from the Economic Research Service, served as its first editor.  That first issue stated that Choices was being launched because "food, farm and resource issues have become more important to everyone." From today's vantage point, it's easy to see just how prescient that observation was 30 years ago! While Choices presentation format has evolved over time, its motivation and mission have remained steady:   To serve as the principal outreach vehicle of the AAEA by providing high quality articles exploring the economic implications of current food, farm, resource and rural community issues directed toward a broad policy audience.

The continued existence of Choices is a testament to the value it provides to its readership and the support it has received from AAEA leadership, editorial staffs, and contributing authors. In 1982, AAEA President Ed Schuh raised the question in his presidential report of "whether there is some vehicle by which we can bridge the communications gap to make the results of our research available to a broader audience in a more expeditious manner" (Barkley, 2010, pp. 145-147).  In addition to Ed Schuh and Lyle Schertz, senior AAEA members will also recall the names and early contributions to the establishment of Choices by others: Leo Polopolus, Neil Harl, Herb Stoevener, and Neil Shaller.

Choices is online and free to readers.  AAEA leaders and members have recognized the importance of extending the work of the profession by addressing important economic issues facing society through production of Choices.  The importance of the social sciences, in general, in addressing public policy challenges is well recognized, e.g., see the 2015 World Development Report. The Agricultural Economics profession, in particular, has a rich tradition of producing public policy analysis. Some have even argued that social and behavioral sciences have a unique social responsibility to create an understanding of the value in using all of the sciences in the policy process (Prewitt and Hauser, 2013). 

The challenge for the Choices authors and editors is to make sure those who should be aware of the knowledge generated by the profession are provided relevant information in an accessible form. The challenge bears reflection—relevant and accessible. This requires that authors and editors be informed of the current policy dialogue. Choices' close cooperation with the Council on Food, Agriculture & Resource Economics (C-FARE) currently facilitates attaining that goal. A successful outreach program also requires that the profession, and individuals, take ownership of Choices by contributing to the content. To do less, is shirking the responsibilities the profession has to those who provide support to our public and private workplaces.

Incoming co-editors, Kynda Curtis and Janet Perry, will begin posting content in January 2017. Their ability to produce a high quality publication, like editors before them, will depend on the AAEA members sharing in the responsibility to "connect the dots" of agricultural economic knowledge, policy agenda issues and timelines, and the form in which policy makers and others in the Choices audience can access information. It will be interesting to see where AAEA member owners take Choices in the next 30 years—and impactful for members who step up to be contributors. 

References

• Barkley, P. 2010. A Centennial History of the AAEA.  AAEA.
• Prewitt, Kenneth, and Robert Hauser. 2013. "Applying the Social and Behavioral Sciences to Policy and Practice." Issues in Science and Technology 29, no. 3.
• World Development Report. 2015. Mind, Society, and Behavior.  Wash., D.C.: The World Bank.

Call for Applications: Editor of Choices Magazine

The AAEA Board is seeking applications for two (2) editors of Choices Magazine to help further the strategic goals of the publication as a resource for readers interested in the policy and management of agriculture, the food industry, natural resources, rural communities, and the environment. Choices magazine currently reaches over 2700 non-member subscribers, but there is room to grow.

Seeking Innovative Approaches to Choices

As an online-only publication, Choices Magazine is well positioned to evolve along with advances in communication channels and tools. As such, the AAEA Board is interested in considering innovative approaches to the development and distribution of content via the Choices Magazine. 

Applications

Applications should include a narrative describing innovative approaches to the development and distribution of Choices content. Additionally, applicants should provide a statement of support from their host institution and a current CV. AAEA will provide a small honorarium and financial assistance for Choices-related travel.  

Applica­tions should be sent electronically in a single document to Brian Mondragón Jones, AAEA Executive Director, at bmjones@aaea.org by April 4, 2016. Third-party nominations of potentially interested candidates who can then be solicited for their materials are also welcome.

Responsibilities

Choices editors are responsible for the development and coordination of all content published in the e-magazine. The editors provide leadership, coordination, and oversight of all aspects of publishing in conjunction with the Choices Editorial Council and AAEA Business Office. Once new editors are selected, the editors will divide the editorial responsibilities as appropriate.

Terms and Membership Requirement

Editor terms will be determined at the time of appointment but will not exceed four years. Terms will be staggered in order to smooth the transition of future editors. According to AAEA policies, all editors must maintain current AAEA membership while serving as an editor.