10
modify the FSR/E procedures to make them more effective; 3) through technology generation or modification, help 'left-behind' farmers improve their farm operation by means which fit within their resource constraints and the available or modifiable infrastructure." Field trials could begin as early as February, 1981 should the project be approved, Fig. 1.
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Figure 1. Initial Nurth Florida FSR/E Team Programing Schedule.
The paper also discussed international farming systems work
at Florida, including technical assistance to foreign projects and training to be conducted through Florida faculty.
USDA/O1M (William Ho al, Don Fergusen) approved initial funding support for a domestic FSR/E Project at Florida shortly .afterwards. (The funding was later extended to cover a three year period.) French then joined the project. By the end of October, during an administrative meeting, questions were raised as to how farming systems differs from what IFAS presently is doing. These differences were suggested: 1) FSR/E offers a more collective and interdisciplinary (versus a departmental/commodities) approach; 2) it offers better integration at the delivery point of technology to the farm; 3) it pays greater attention to social variables; and 4) it goes beyond farm management in that it considers technology and constraints of the system as variables to be addressed by research.. The point was underscored that the approach is not intended to change what IFAS is doing, but only to "zero in" on specific farm needs, especially those of small-scale farms.