Victoria C. F. Westbrooke

Researcher, Department of Land Management and Systems · Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand · New Zealand

Victoria researches farmer decision-making, information trust, and extension effectiveness in New Zealand agriculture, with a focus on how digital and AI-driven information sources are reshaping farmer knowledge networks.

1 published paper

Bridging Gaps: A Study of Trust and Information Flow in New Zealand Agriculture

A qualitative study of 37 New Zealand dairy and sheep/beef farmers finds they increasingly trust informal, digital, and peer-driven information — including AI — over formal institutions, and are struggling with real information overload as a result.

Agri Data ScienceAgricultural ExtensionNew ZealandFarmer Decision-Making

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1 field note

Field notes6 min read

Farmers Don't Trust the Government's Advice Anymore — They Trust Each Other, and Increasingly, AI

A 37-farmer study across New Zealand finds trust has quietly migrated away from formal institutions toward peers, the internet, and AI — not because the science got worse, but because it never adapted to how farmers actually want to learn.

By Victoria C. F. Westbrooke, A. Blake, A. Renwick, and S. M. ThomasFrom the paper: Bridging Gaps: A Study of Trust and Information Flow in New Zealand Agriculture →