Farm Panels as a Source of Farm Management Data: The Cornell Producer Panel

Abstract

LTHOUGH panels have been used in consumer research for a number of years, the use of a panel of producers or farmers as a source of farm management data or for studying changes on farms over time is a more recent development. Basically, a producer or farm panel is a group of farmers questioned and revisited over a period of time to obtain various types of information. Studies using the panel technique were initiated at the University of Minnesota [9] and Cornell University [2] in 1959. These panels were directed to analyzing changes over time in the quantity and characteristics of resources associated with changes in milk production on dairy farms and to projecting future changes. At Ohio State, panels have been used as a technique for obtaining input-output data [8]. The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate the Cornell Producer Panel. The sampling technique and cost of obtaining data are discussed. The usefulness of such a panel in determining rates of change in size and technology and in assessing farmer behavior is considered. The advantages of producer panels over other techniques and the future use of a panel of this type are indicated.