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.