A RECRUITING CHALLENGE FOR EXTENSION EDUCATION: A COMPARISON OF NONPARTICIPANTS AND PARTICIPANTS IN HOMEOWNER LANDSCAPING PROGRAMS

Abstract

This study examines factors which influence homeowners’ participation in a Cooperative Extension Service (CES) yard care program. A survey was administered to two groups of homeowners -- program participants and nonparticipants from the same area. Six hundred fifty-two participants who attended one of 24 CES workshops completed a survey during Spring, 2000. The comparison group, a random sample of homeowners, was selected from the list of single-family residences from the same area. A total of 462 homeowners returned usable surveys for the comparison group. The data show that some market segments were better represented among participants, including persons with a college degree, using an irrigation system, a high level of sharing information, less concern about neighborhood norms, and more frequent use of CES services, than nonparticipants. No significant bias was found for environmental behavior. The findings suggest that improved recruiting can expand CES’ outreach efforts.