Farm and home visits are an effective extension method for disseminating knowledge to farmers. Such visits involve face-to-face meetings between extension agents and clients at their farm or home. To make visits effective, planning, execution, and follow up are important. Planning includes setting an appointment, clear purpose, and technical preparation. Making the visit means being punctual, starting positively, encouraging discussion of problems and solutions, demonstrating skills, and taking notes. Follow up requires recording notes, supplying requested information, assisting with unsolved problems, and arranging future visits. Farm and home visits provide direct, intensive contact between agents and farmers to collect information and increase confidence through practical problem solving.

1. EFFECTIVE
FARM/HOUSE VISIT
Shelton Darnilo

2. Introduction
• Farm and home visits are one of the
extension methods used to disseminate
knowledge to farmers and this practice has
proven, in various instances that is very
effective.

3. Farm/house Visits
• These are among the types of individual extension
methods which involve face to face contact by the
extension agents and the clients who are such as
family members and various learners on the farm
or at his or her home place for extension purposes.
• There are various practices that can be
implemented to make the farm visits effective. We
have grouped them into three (3) broad categories:
a) Planning the visit
b) Making the visit
c) Follow ups

4. Planning the Visits
i. Suggest a convenient time and making a firm
appointment as well;
ii. Decide in advance the clear purpose of the visit;
iii. Check any technical information that may be
required on the visit (refer to literature or
specialist if necessary)
iv. Arrange series of visit within an area to save time
and travel costs.
v. Consider in advance the best form to approach
others.

5. Making the Visit
i. Be punctual and follow local customs (e.g. Greetings and
other customs);
ii. Try to find something to comment on favorably to start the
discussion and let the person and his family talk about their
problems at length;
iii. Encourage them to ask for possible solutions to their
problems and give any relevant information to support any
suggestive solution - admit where more information is
needed before any response can be given;
iv. Demonstrate any skills if required or appropriate and confirm
any essential information in writing or in diagrams either on
spot or as soon as possible;
v. Make careful notes on what has been discussed or achieved
on the visit and encourage family members to join in any
suitable group activities in the area.

6. Follow Up
i. Enter the notes made during the visit on the
record card or in the visited person´s file as
soon as possible.
ii. Supply any relevant literature requested by the
visitor.
iii. Call on assistance of subject matter (specialist
to help on any problem which could not be
solved by local resources);
iv. Plan and arrange follow up visits and add them
to the activities diary.

7. Conclusion
• Farm and home visits is a very effective way of
interacting with the households or farmers as it gets the
extension agent in direct and intensive contact with
them (farmers).
• Due to that, they should be arranged and well prepared
because they tend to collect intensive information for
problem solving or learning purposes.
• This type of interaction is highly recommended because
it also increases confidence to extension agents, as it
puts them to show some practical skills or prove that
some practices have already been successful in other
places.

8. END OF PRESENTATION
Thank You