Why Do Farmers Adopt Conservation Practices?

Many in farm country know the type, and extent of, conservation practices being employed by farmers.

“But the next logical step is to understand why producers are adopting or not adopting conservation practices.”

Dan Mullarkey with NRCS said to try to answer that question, USDA surveyed 34,000 crop producers as well as livestock confinement operators this spring and summer.  And the USDA has just released some of the results.  First among crop producers the top two conservation practices being used irrigation system management and improvements and various conservation tillage practices between 84%-90% of farmers reported using those practices.

Why?

Most producers said it was because technical assistance was available and that they thought the benefits would outweigh the cost.

When it comes to confinement livestock operators top two practices: 1.) runoff control and diversion structures 2.) construction of manure storage facilities.  Reasons given for those included the ideas that the benefits on and off the farm outweighed the cost.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-9791, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com