xt7n8p5v8h4f https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7n8p5v8h4f/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. 1960 journals 093 English Lexington : Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Kentucky Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Progress report (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n.93 text Progress report (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n.93 1960 2014 true xt7n8p5v8h4f section xt7n8p5v8h4f K e nt ucky
Farmers° Need s and Sources
  of I nfermat ion  
*2;;; 1Ei%‘TSE,93
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
KENTUCKY AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

 KENTUCKY FARMERSY NEEDS AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION
By A, Nc Ha1ter*
What kinds of information do Kentucky farmers use in setting up and
operating their farms? How important are those kinds of information to
them? How and where do Kentucky farmers get information they need? What
kinds of information do Kentucky farmers find difficult to get? These and
other questions concerning Kentucky farmersh needs and sources of informa»-
tion will be discussed in this report, 1
Although the data presented in this report do not apply to all Kentucky
farmers, let us look at the characteristics of the Kentucky farmer whose
needs and sources of information we will be discussing, He is about 50 years
old and has more than two dependents, a three—·year average gross farm
‘ income of $6, 600, an average net worth of $36, 000, total assets of over
$43, 500, and over $2, 200 worth of debts,
Of the Kentucky farmers that you might see like him, 9 out of 10 of
them have grown up on a farm, 7 out of 10 have farming as their only source
of income, 8 out of 10 are not former members of a 4-H club or F F A,
chapter, 55 out of 100 attend two or more county agent and extension spe T
cialist’s meetings each year, and 5 out of 10 attend two or more farm organi——
zation meetings,
This Kentucky farmer manages about 216 acres of land, of which he
owns 150 acres and rents 66 acres, Out of 100 of this kind of farmer, 33
consider tobacco their main crop, 32 consider hogs their main livestock
product, 24 consider grain or livestock other than hogs their main product,
and the remainder call some other product their main one
*Former staff member; now at Oregon State College, Corvallis,
1The data for this report came from a survey taken in 1954 in Daviess,
Henderson, McLean, Union, and Webster counties. The farmers interviewed
were those living on non urban commercial farms with a gross income of
$2. 500 or more and who were considered as the sole managers of their farms.
A simple random sample of area segments based on the 1950 census was
drawn, and every farmer in the segment fitting the above description was
interviewed, Thus, the information presented in this publication is con
sidered representative of the entire population with the same characteristics
The needs and sources questions were part of a larger questionnaire concerned
with the decision imaking process A total of 124 farmers were interviewed;
however, some questions were asked only of a portion of the total. See each
section for the number of farmers asked specific questions

 rgi
With reference to the type of farming they are doing, 32 out of 100 are
in fat stock farming, 30 have tobacco and fat stock, 26 have cash crops and
fat stock, and the remainder are either dairy farmers or general farmers,
You would also find that this Kentucky farmer has operated a farm for himself
for more than 21 years and has run the place that he is living on for almost 16
years. Also he has had almost 9 years of formal education, but 8 out of 10
chances he has not had additional training outside of school,
Information This Kentucky Farmer Would Use in Setting Up a Farm
In response to the question, "What should a farmer find out before setting
up a farm in a strange area for a strange fa2mily’?", five kinds of information
were mentioned in the following frequency.;
Price information 3
Production information 54
Information about new technical developments 1
Information about farmer or self, self environment of farm,
other individuals, neighbors as a group, community
populace as a group 35
Information on institutions 25
Total 118
It is interesting to note that at least one of the five kinds of information
was mentioned by Z3 out of 100 farmers, two kinds were mentioned by 46 out
of 100, three by 26 out of 100, and only 5 out of 100 mentioned none of them,
The frequency of specific content for each kind of information mentioned
was
Price information
Cost of living and farming 3,
Production information .
Breeds of livestock — 1; water supply 7; varieties of crops »— 3; fertilizer
and fertilizer use —~ 3; irrigation possibilities 1; general nature of soils 8;
handling characteristics of soils - 4; topography and profile of soils »· 6; types
and kinds ofsoils »— 7; productivity of soils 24; fertility and acidity of soils —
10; drainage and tiling - 6; moisture in soils l; history of the use of soil — 2.;
2Asked of 61 farmers

  
adaptability of soils to crops ~ 24; management practices for soils ~ 3;
tillage practices for soils —— 1; weather   6; farm buildings   3; fencing —· 4;
machinery and equipment   3; diseases and insects   1; crop yields —- 2;
kinds of crops grown   1; general history of farm   3; farm composition   5;
type of farming area ·— 2; kind and quality of farm —— 3.
New technological information
Machinery, equipment, and labor—saving devices and practices —· 1,
Farmer or self, selfenvironment of farm, other individuals, neighbors
as a group, community populace as a group
General personal qualities ~~ 6; education and experience —» 6; credit rating
and financial status —— 5; work attitudes and orientation »- 3; managerial ability -
7; health and age —· 1; religion and religious practices — 1; general and specific
aspects of his preference system — 5; family characteristics -~ 6; location and
setting — 4; businessmen —» 1; general characteristics of neighbors as a group —
5; general characteristics of community populace   5.
Information on institutions
Neighborhood -4 4; general structure and service facilities of community —·
2.; community as a unit -~ 3; kind and quality of school   1; general character of
schools — IO; general character of churches -, 9; distance to and location of
markets ~~ 3; kinds and quality of market », 1; general character of markets - 4;
transportation systems ~ 4; taxes —— 2; policies and programs of federal govern,
ment ~ 1; labor market and general labor situation —» I,
Information this Kentucky Farmer Would Use in Operating a Farm
In response to the question, "What kinds of information do you think a
farmer ought to keep up with in order to operate a going farm business to get ___,
the greatest profit?", five kinds of information were mentioned in the follow I
ing frequency;3
Price information 62
Production information 71
Information about new technical developments I6
Information about farmer or self, self environment of farm,
other individuals, neighbors as a group, community
populace as a group 5
Information about institutions 2.2
Total 176
EAsked of 105 farmers,

 ..4..
/
ln regard to these major information categories, 42 out of 100 farmers
mentioned at least one of them; 42 out of 100 mentioned two; 13 out of 100,
three; 2 out of 100, four; and only one out of 100 did not mention any. V
The frequency of specific content for each kind of information mentioned 1
was
Price information
General interest in prices   4; prices paid by farmers ~ 8; prices
‘ received by farmers   19; support price information — 3; long~range trends in
prices - 2; general economic outlook — 3; seasonal prices —· 1; current prices
and short term trends · 13; past prices   1; cost of living and farming — 4;
current market conditions ~ 23; supply outlook P 10; demand outlook — 4; price
lookout 5; grade of product ~ 1; time of marketing — 1.
Production information
General livestock production ·— 1; breeds of livestock ~ 1; grains and
roughage feeds -~ 1; feeding rates and practices —— 6; water supply — 1; general ,
crop production -1 2; varieties of crops ~» 13; timing of crop production »— 2;
crop rotations »· 6; crop insects and diseases and weeds   2; crop manage—
ment » 4; fertilizer and fertilizer use —» 26; general soil information — 2;
handling characteristics of soil · 1; topography and profile of soil — 1; type
and kind of soil ~· 1; productivity of soil - 6; fertility and acidity of soil ·· 11;
drainage and tiling 4 1; soil moisture —· 2; adaptability of soil ~— 6; management
practices for soil — 8; tillage practices e 3; erosion »— 1; weather ·» 2; farm
buildings —~ 2; fencing —» 1; machinery and equipment —· 1; diseases and insects —»
4; general crop outputs P 1; kinds of crops   2; general livestock output — 1;
kinds of livestock » 1; marketing weights of livestock —~1; information on which
crop will do best — 1; other livestock information ~ 2; other crop information i-
1; unspecified production methods and factors » 6; enterprise combinations ee
2; general interest in category without specific content l 7.
lnformation about new technical developments
Disease, insect, and weed control 1; machinery, equipment, and labor—~
saving devices and practices -— 3; fertilizer and fertilizer rates 4; crop and
soil production practices 5; livestock production practices 1; buildings,
fencing, and non land real estate 1; general interest without specific
references —» 7. ,
Inforrnation about farmer or self, self environment of farm';.
other individuals, neighbors as a group, and community populace
as a wroup
Education and experience 1; credit rating and financial status » 1;
nianagerial ability 1; county agents 2; watch hired hands 1

 _5.i
Information about institutions
Distance to and location of markets ~ l; kinds and quality of markets — 3;
general reference to markets —· 9; transportation systems ~ 1; politics and
political parties ~ 2.; national government unspecified — l; policies and programs
of national government — 6; national government organizations   2; private credit
arrangements — 2; non~»government organizations ~- 1; foreign and world news
and affairs ~ 2.; ·
In response to the question, "What kinds of information do you think a
, farmer ought to keep up with in order to operate a going farm business for
the greatest satisfaction of his entire familg/?", five kinds of information
were mentioned in the following frequency:
Price information 4
Production information 8
Information about new technical developments 2
Information about farmer or self, se1f—-environment of
farm, other individuals, neighbors as a group,
community populace as a group 5
Information about institutions 18
Information about home technology 9
Cannot think of anything 18
Miscellaneous 6
The frequency of specific content for each kind of information mentioned ·-·
was
Price information
General economic outlook — 1; cost of living and farming l; supply
outlook —» 2.; demand outlook ·~ 1.
Production information
Breeds of livestock ·- 1; fertilizer and fertilizer use I l; general reference
to soils »~ l; productivity of soils 1; adaptability of soils I l; managment prac-
tices on soils » 3; labor uses ~ l, farm buildings — 1; enterprise combinations
1; general interest in category I lt, .
Asked of 54 farmersi

 -6-
Information about new technical developments
Crop and soil production practices — 1; new ways of building up ’
farm — l. y
Information about farmer or self, self—environment of farm, other
individuals, neighbors as a group, community populace as a group
Managerial ability —- 2; interest in farming   1; food and clothing   1;
high school agriculture teacher   1; sociability of neighbors as a group —- l;
cooperativeness of neighbors as a group   l.
Information about institutions
General structure and service facilities of community ~ 1; community
activities -· 2.; kind and quality of schools —- 3; school activities — 2; school
politics »· 1; general reference of schools ·· 4; church activities ~ 3; general
reference to churches —~ 5; social, recreational, and entertainment facilities
and activities — 4; national government policies and programs — 1; private
credit arrangements — 1; non~governmental farm organizations — 1; foreign `
and world news and affairs — 2.

  
Importance of Five Kinds of Information to this Kentucky Farmer
The question was asked, "In the light of your own experience in getting
information to set up and run your farm to get the most out of life, which of
these types of information have you found to be the most important to you?"
The frequencies of the different degrees of relative importance attached to
the five kinds of information are shown in Table I,
TABLE 1 — NUMBER OF FARMERS ASSIGNING DIFFERENT DEGREES OF RELATIVE IMPORTANCE TO THE
FIVE MAJOR INFORMATION CATEGORIES
 
Degree of Importance by
Kind of Information Number of farmers
 
Most important
Prices 48
Production information 30
New developments 7
Human informationa 7
Information about institutions 14
Second most important
Prices 22
Production information 36
New developments I3
Human informationd I3
Information about institutions I5
Least important
Prices 9 ·~·
Production information 7
New developments 26
Hurnan informattioné 32
Information about institutions 17
All equally irripqrtant I2
Qould not rank any. 4
Question not Qswerled 2
Number of farmers interviewed 124
aRefers to farncier or self, self environment of farm. other individuals,
neighbors as a group. community populace as a group

 Mgr
Source of Information that this Kentucky Farmer Uses in Getting Information
The Kentucky farmer that we described uses both communicative and
non communicative ways of getting his informationi Under connunicative I
source he can use mass media, public supported sources, private supported
sources, and other individuals for information By noncommunicative ways
he can use his own or others; past experience, experimentation or reasoning
to get information The number of farmers using these sources of informa—~
tion and ways of getting information about the five major categories are
shown in Tables 2. to 6
TABLE 2 — NUMBER OF FARMERS USING MASS MEDIA TO OBTAIN FIVE KINDS OF INFORMATIONa
 
Kind of Media
Farm News~ Mai.l
Kind of Information Magazines papers Radio TV Advertising
Prices received
Past and trends 17 9 9 1 1 ‘
Current and changes 6 26 31 3 2
Outlook 2.2. 18 15 2 2
Prices paid
Past and trends 6 5 3 1 1
Current and changes 3 8 6 3 2.
Outlook IZ 9 6 2. 2
Production factors
Existing varieties of
crops and livestock 15 6 4 O 1
Existing methods of
production 15 5 3 O 1
Climate. soil, and
disease conditions 10 9 10 2. l »
New developments 18 6 5 O O
Human factors
People you have to
deal with O 1 O O O
People whose reactions _
are important O 1 O O O
Inforrnation about institutions
General economic I
conditions IO 19 14 l l
Local informal groups l 4 O O I
Non governnient groups 3 5 1 O 1
Federal. state. and
local government 7 14 8 O 1
aAsljfjm 0 —•
mq ‘ °"” ~
D ~‘Y$ {D'?-L)  N
0   ~·
"` ·-G M CD
ag EUJCU -4 O
°°¤‘°¤.; —< m~
D Q
04 ·9‘§D§ ~
0 U¤T3 0 —· ¤
._ 'H O
E EEZ fi H O
gg ggwu; I-1 O O
uodwq, N \0 0
U) Gi Q;
M G).-4‘> xD
>~p'_*; {5
Q Ewgg —< LO
MK! '.`3m.¤ .-1 on O
Z §¤g¤a‘: N
{IO 0.¤0 N
[-*-4.. :>¤s-4 ·-<
LNB-4 MIL OO Q N
0 °” 0** ¤
Ll r—1 »—|
EW " ~  
m0 @ ®
2% M <=~
Dv--1 (Q (O C
Zh i‘· O .
O O
NW
[JJ Q [\ G
A .O m
"" (*7
m 4-J U)  0 ”"‘“ F1
[L 73+, U . (U q)
OZ, ·§_>.zm0°’g gg mg E
O *gj·E*¤EEO if 0 *:0 pj
5?~E%g¤“° as,     g
2Q€:§·°"  E S8 ·*?¤ E
0, 0** ¤* mh *‘¤~>m¤0
> 033 *4-0208
ig §"> F§ gggbgng *
i
gcflg ¤¤0’é’5§¤§
Z YUOCL ¤U gi H
EQO O
;g¤·® ;:;,~E¤1;E
O" *g~·~’63i:;$s
,0 ¤•-·
s..¤mO__:,d,
E,‘”0°0