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. WestbrookeFrom the paper: Bridging Gaps: A Study of Trust and Information Flow in New Zealand Agriculture →