A new initiative aimed at gathering public perceptions and input about the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has been launched by the PIE Center. The project, called Optimizing IFAS, will use surveys, focus groups, and artificial intelligence to analyze stakeholder feedback.
The effort is designed to turn conversations between farmers, county agents, students, professors, producers, researchers, and UF/IFAS leadership into research that guides future priorities. According to the announcement: “We have thousands of conversations a year – farmer and county agent, student and professor, producer and researcher, President Smith and me.”
The PIE Center has previously worked on projects that measured which issues are most important to Floridians, assessed how effective vegetable farmers are on social media, and tracked changes in consumer buying habits. With Optimizing IFAS, the center plans to collect data from a wide range of participants across Florida—including ranchers, landscapers, Farm Bureau members, and members of the general public.
“The PIE Center’s past work includes quantifying and ranking the issues Floridians care most about, measuring the effectiveness of vegetable farmers’ social media practices, and studying consumers’ changing purchasing patterns.”
Collected data will be organized into dashboards with graphs that highlight trends in concerns or needs. There is also discussion about developing a public value index for IFAS programs—similar to a consumer confidence index—that would summarize public perception with an overall grade.
“The PIE Center has launched Optimizing IFAS, a two-year scientific effort to weave thousands of strands of individual opinions, perceptions, recommendations and requests into a fabric of wisdom that can guide us to doing a better job meeting the needs of Floridians, including the specific needs of the Florida cattle industry.”
Organizers emphasize that participation from all stakeholders—not just those involved in agriculture—is essential for shaping UF/IFAS’s future efforts. They encourage everyone who receives an invitation for surveys or focus groups to participate.
“We’re going to be asking everyone, not just Farm Bureau members. Not only will we be asking ranchers and landscapers, we’ll be asking the general public, including those who don’t know a cow from a sow and don’t think much about where their food comes from.”
Researchers led by Telg plan to discuss the project further at upcoming events such as the annual meeting in Daytona Beach. The listening process will continue through various channels like farm visits and leadership check-ins with Farm Bureau representatives.
“Optimizing IFAS will help us chart a course for a future in which your land-grant university works on what matters most. Let’s chart that course together.”
