Farm Operators' Preferences for Soil Conservation Service Information: Results from Three Tennessee Watersheds

Abstract

Recent water quality legislation requires that the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) reach a more diverse range of farm operators, especially small farm operators. With few, if any, additional resources, the effectiveness of the SCS's efforts to communicate soil conservation information to new audiences is critical. Thus, a better understanding about farm operators' predispositions toward SCS information may help SCS personnel reach these new audiences more efficiently. This study examines the extent to which farm and farm operator characteristics can be used to predict farm operators’ attitudes about the usefulness of soil conservation information supplied by the SCS. The results of this study indicate that farm operators contacted by SCS and extension personnel, who also participate in government commodity programs have an increased likelihood of considering SCS information useful. Although regional influences negatively affect the likelihood that farm operators will consider the SCS soil conservation information useful, farm size, gross sales, years of education, and other farm and farm operator characteristics were not found to be significant factors. Research Question Recent water quality legislation requires that the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) reach a more diverse range of farm operators. With few, if any, additional resources, the effectiveness of the SCS's efforts to communicate soil conservation information to new audiences is critical. Thus, this study examines farm operators' attitudes about the usefulness of soil conservation information supplied by the SCS. Literature Summary Although farmers' attitudes toward SCS information may be influenced by unobservable factors, such as their perceptions about erosion and water quality risks, the c1.assification of operators by identifiable characteristics, such as age, edcuation, and off‐farm employment, may aid in the development of approaches designed to begin reaching less receptive groups. If farmers' potential receptiveness can be foreseen with some confidence, then techniques could be developed to address farmers' predispositions about the usefulness of SCS information; this, in turn, might lead to increased success in the promotion of soil conservation practices. A wide variety of studies on farmers' information needs and preferences exist in the farm management literature. However, these studies often differ by their objectives and analytical techniques, thereby making generalized statements about farmers' information preferences difficult. For this study, we drew upon two types of research. The first group of studies focused on the broader marketing and production information needs and preferences of U.S. farmers, and tended to rely on probability models in their methodologies. The second category of literature focused more specifically on soil conservation behavior of U.S. farmers, and provided rich descriptions of the factors that influence farmers' behaviors. Studies comprising the first set of literature were explored for their methodological contributions as well as for making comparisons across a broader range of farmers' information source preferences. Study Description In 1991 and 1992, data were collected on farm production and financial characteristics, and farm operator characteristics from 214 farm operations through personal interviews of farm operators in three Tennessee watersheds. Each watershed was chosen for this study because of its high potential for soil erosion and nonpoint source pollution, and because of its location in one of the state's three diverse geographic/agricultural regions (east, middle, and west). The information “usefulness” question on the survey asked respondents to indicate the perceived usefulness of soil conservation information by ranking information from the SCS, Extension Service, supply store personnel, and farm magazines. A binomial (useful/not useful) regression model was used to estimate the influence of farm and farm operator characteristics on farm operators' perceptions about the usefulness of SCS soil conservation information. Because the ranking system did not allow for consistent rankings across respondents, multinomial or ordered probit/logit analysis could not be used. However, logit or probit regression analysis was considered appropriate because the main concern was in classifying respondents in terms of their basic attitudes about the usefulness of soil conservation information provided by the SCS. Applied Question Can farm or farm operator characteristics be used to predict which farm operators will consider soil conservation information supplied by the SCS useful? The results of this study indicate that contacts by SCS personnel and extension service personnel, participation in government commodity programs, and off‐fm employment by the operator and spouse increase the likelihood that farm operators consider SCS information useful. Although regional influences across the state negatively affect the likelihood that farm operators would have a positive attitude, age, education, acres farmed, gross sales, years of education, and other farm and farm operator characteristics were not found to be significant factors.