THE MICHIGAN FARMER, GENERALLY A "CO-OP" MEMBER, MUST RESPOND TO THE PROBLEMS OF RETAINING HIS TRADITIONAL, LOCALLY CENTERED LIFE, OR AFFILIATING, WITH HIS COOPERATIVE, IN SOME WAY WITH TODAY'S LARGE, COMPLEX PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS. TO HELP DETERMINE HIS RESPONSE TO THIS PROBLEM, A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 30 COOPERATIVES WAS…

Comparison of a survey of agriculture journalists in 1988 (n=148) and 1998 (n=151) examined power relationships within the agricultural publishing triad: advertisers, periodicals, and producer readers. Results revealed increasing advertiser-related pressure on journalists and perceived harm to the profession, publication policies; responses varied…

Samples of farmers who employed indentured apprentices, Technical and Further Education (TAFE) college teachers, and trade committee members were asked their attitudes about the Farm Apprenticeship scheme versus agricultural colleges. The results show a high degree of division of labor and mutual recognition between teacher in TAFE colleges and…

A mail survey of Iowa farmers with membership in Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI), a sustainable agriculture organization, was used to examine the attitude-behavior relationship of these farmers and the role social influences played in this relationship. Results indicate that when controlling explanatory factors, the attitude-behavior relationship…

This report compares several farm characteristics of the mid-1980s with those of a decade earlier to document the real amount of change in the farm sector. Farms are stratified into five groups based on their farm income: rural residence, small family, family, large family, and very large. Sources and levels of farm operator income and wealth are…

The paper's purposes were to: 1) identify some of the major tenets of agrarianism and the linkages among them; 2) construct an attitudinal index from these tenets; and 3) explore the characteristics of farmers expressing varying degrees of agreement to this ideology. (NQ)

Describes the development of an elementary school curriculum on farms to give students a knowledge and appreciation of the farm as a food source and of the steps involved moving food from the farm to the table. Specific activities are suggested, and appropriate book titles are recommended. (Contains 10 references.) (LRW)

This United States Department of Agriculture summary report focuses on the revenues, costs, and finances of specialized cotton farms in 1986. The report also provides general information on all farms producing cotton. The data on which the report is based are from the 1986 Farm Costs and Returns Survey. Some of the conclusions drawn from the study…

How farmers evaluate farm information sources, the views they hold of sources, and the relationship of views held to the use made of them were studied. The research was undertaken from two different vantage points: (1) determining how farmers view farm information sources, and (2) determining how views of farmers about sources are related to the…

Describes the historical and social events which accompanied the rise of the agricultural advisor in France. (Text is in French.) (AM)

A study addressed the issue of farmers failing to see the relevance of research and researchers being frustrated by slow adoption of their findings. Interviews with 30 Queensland (Australia) farmers showed that their understanding of the topics was poor because the farmers saw no need for the information. (Author/JOW)

An agricultural innovation (nitrogen testing) had been used by 127 of a sample of 220 farmers. Adoption of the technique was influenced by information and change agents' attitudes. Adopters were also motivated by cost savings. Both adopters and nonadopters either did not have or use soil sampling skills needed to perform the test correctly.…

Surveyed a national sample (n=3135) of adults to examine the structure of agrarianism among the U.S. public and its relationship to U.S. values. Identified four tenets of agrarianism: family farm; agrarian fundamentalism; yeomanship (economic independence); and farm lifestyle. Each of the first three dimensions expressed a different social ethic…

Describes the University of California's Small Farms Program, which aims to support the sustainability of small farms by providing small-scale farmers with state-of-the-art information, research, support networks, and technical assistance in technology adoption and decision making. Profiles four successful small farms that grow strawberries,…

This report presents agricultural information for each state and the United States as a whole for the years 1981-1985. Included are data on population, land use, agricultural production, farm income, value of assets on farms, and selected characteristics of farms. The primary data sources are the "1982 Census of Agriculture," the…