[Apple-Crop] Future of Extension Assistance to Apple Crop

[David A. Rosenberger]

Hello, Con —

Thanks for the comment and link that you provided. As indicated in the Buzzfeed news item, no one has any idea right now about how things will unfold over the next four years.  However, the dictum from Trump will only affect scientists employed by USDA, and so far as I can recall, they have never participated very much with this discussion group.  In fact, with a few prominent and excellent exceptions, they have had relatively little interface directly with fruit growers, although they have provided valuable networking interactions with university scientists and extension folks at professional meetings. In fact, USDA scientists have always had more restrictions on releasing information to the public than do university scientists.  Most of the scientists and extension folks who have contributed to this discussion list have been employed by either states or counties, usually in affiliation with our land-grant universities.

Theoretically, scientists employed by universities have great lattitude in what they say and with whom they can speak because they are protected under the concept of “academic freedom.”  However, the only real protections under academic freedom apply to tenured faculty within universities, whereas other employees, including most in extension, are often subjected to more pressure to avoid contentiious statements or even contentious subject matter.  In many universities within the US, scientists being hired to do applied work are now being hired into non-tenured professional positions rather than into tenure track positions as was the tradition over the prior 100 years. That means that they no longer have the full "academic freedom” protections and could be subjected to the same limitations on communications that Trump has announced for USDA scientists if their university or extension supervisors should choose to apply a gag order.

However, even tenured faculty really do not have complete “academic freedom”, especially in the early phases of their careers.  Saying or publishing information that puts your administrators in a bad light or generates push-back from the public will often create so much tension (or reduction in funding and future opportunities) that most scientists, even when tenured, will think carefully about what they say, what subject matter they will investigate, or what parts of their research they will eventually release. Thus, although we as scientists like to believe that we are always in pursuit of the truth, those who wish to remain employed will usually find that there are limits concerning which truths they pursue and/or release to the public. So in reality, I’m afraid that there really is no such thing as “pure science” or “untainted facts.”  Nevertheless, I hope and believe that most of what we as scientists produce has more credibility than the “alternative facts” that are now in vogue in Washington.

One parting shot: Many of those who voted for Trump claimed to favor a strict and narrow interpretation of our constitution. How ironic, then, that within a few days of taking office, Trump is already limiting free speech among those over whom he can exert direct control :)  Stay tuned, there will be much more to come :(

Dave Rosenberger
Plant Pathologist (retired) at Cornell’s Hudson Valley Lab
Highland, NY

> On Jan 24, 2017, at 8:16 AM, Con.Traas <Con.Traas at ul.ie> wrote:
> 
> Hello to all from Ireland.
> We're having a very mild winter but trees still dormant at the moment, and at least pruning is progressing well.
> I note from the article below that the ability of public sector staff to contribute via a group such as this may become limited. 
> However I would be very hopeful that all growers make good on any deficit that might arise. I look forward to many years of happy discussion of all things apple.
> Con Traas
> The Apple Farm
> Ireland
> 
> 
> https://www.buzzfeed.com/dinograndoni/trump-usda?utm_term=.swOPx7BX7#.dsPjm5B85
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