Farm journals were used to complement site visits and researcher observations. Their purpose was two-fold. First, while farm visits were occasional, the journal provided a means to 'track' farming activity, most especially bird use, on a daily basis. Second, the journal encouraged each farmer-collaborator to record his or her own thoughts and observations relative to bird use. The underlying assumption was that farmers are astute observers of their natural environment and the interactions therein. A journal provided a way to retrieve and review this knowledge in a systematic manner.
Each farmer-collaborator was given a hard-covered journal in which to record what was happening 'on the ground' throughout the season. Instructions were delivered verbally, as well as attached to the front cover of each notebook . While, these instructions provided examples of possible observations, no rigorous guidelines or requirements were imposed. It was left up to each farmer-collaborator to determine what was or was not significant. It was understood that these observations were inherently valuable. Journal entries were reviewed and discussed during each farm visit.
Farmer's use of the journals was sporadic. Entries were not made on a daily basis, nor did they continue for more than two to three months. Those entries that were made, however, reflected differing interests in on-farm bird use and in the overall research objectives of the project. Some farmers recorded their insights on the impact of geese and/or chickens on the soil, on weeds, and on food plants and suggested areas for further investigation. Still others focused on the project's appropriate technology and suggested improvements in the electric poultry fencing given to every farmer-collaborator. [With respect to the fencing, it was the experience of every farmer that the electrical system was inadequate. The battery packs recommended by the manufacturer were found to be too weak to keep predators out or birds in and they lost their charge within a few days. One farmer argued that a solar battery should have been provided with the satisfied with the result.] By contrast to these analytical concerns, one collaborator sought only to comment on the behavior and individual personalities of the birds themselves.
The keeping of a farm journal is a useful methodological tool as long as it has a clear problematic focus and doesn't become (or seem to be) an invasion of privacy. It is also clearly labor and management intensive like the small farms themselves. It requires deliberate input and discussion on the part of both farmers and researchers if the observations and creative lines of inquiry presented are to be fully understood and developed. Without this attention, the keeping of a journal can quickly devolve into another 'chore,' an unreasonable demand on a farmer's already limited time.