Backyard Farmer-More Than 50 Years and Still Growing.

The “Backyard Farmer (BYF)” concept originated as a live Q and A television program in 1953 on KFOR-TV in Nebraska.  In 1954 it was moved to Nebraska public television where it resides today. It is the longest running, non-syndicated TV show in history and second only to the “Meet the Press” (November 6, 1947) in continuously broadcast TV productions. During the growing season, the BYF panel has provided help, in a live TV format, with gardening questions for more than 50 years. The panel consists of University of Nebraska Extension Specialists and Educators who specialize in horticulture, plant pathology, turfgrass and entomology.  In the past 10 years, Backyard Farmer has averaged 75,000 to 82,000 households each week. In 2003, an additional program was produced, called Backyard Farmer Extra. BYF-Extra was developed in response to the overwhelming number of email inquires and is taped and then rebroadcast. Podcasts and an interactive website (www.byf.unl.edu) were also added in 2003. Both productions can be viewed on the website, either live or via a searchable archive. BYF and BYF-Extra have had a documentable impact on client behavior. Participant surveys have indicated that, as a result of the information presented on BYF, 45% of the viewers had decreased pesticides use; 77% were selecting better adapted plant material; 65% used water more efficiently in their lawns and gardens; and 65% reported increased use of alternative (non-chemical) pest control methods. BYF and BYF-Extra have delivered research based information about sustainable horticulture, helping consumers make informed landscape management decisions, for more than five decades. It has proven to be an effective method of technology transfer and a positive personal relations venue for extension efforts at the University of Nebraska.