Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Participation of farm operators in public land conservation programs in the Cypress Creek Basin of Crockett County, Tennessee

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  • This research deals with the problem of soil erosion in Cypress Creek basin in West Tennessee and farmer participation in public conservation programs. The study area is marginal to the Tennessee Valley, a region identified in the 1930's as having a serious agricultural soil erosion problem. The four voluntary programs are the Soil Conservation Service, Conservation Reserve, Agricultural Conservation Payments Program administered by the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, and the Cooperative Extension Service. The purpose of the research was to determine if soil erosion is currently a serious problem in the study area, determine if participation in the selected programs is significantly different in the study area than the surrounding region, determine if participation in the non-targeted conservation programs is concentrated in any socio-economic or cultural subgroups of farmers, and determine if the programs have been successful in fulfilling their own goals and objectives. The entire study area was mapped for land use and field size at the 1:20,000 scale using aerial photography flown in 1941 and 1971. The photography was interpreted for the extent of erosion at both time periods. Correspondence with state agricultural officials and county officials in the surrounding region provided information necessary for comparing participation rates. Fifty-five farmers were selected at random and interviewed concerning their opinion of the programs, their participation in the programs, their perception of erosion in the area, and their relationship to twelve independent participation variables. The results of the farmer interviews were statistically treated for the purpose of hypothesis testing by the Crosstabs and Scattergram subprograms of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program at the Oregon State University Computer Center. A judgement of soil erosion was accomplished by the author that includes each field identified as being farmed by the 55 sample farmers. Interpretation of aerial photography, field observations, and interviews with agricultural officials and farmers reveals that soil erosion is currently a serious problem in the study area. Farmer interviews and correspondence with agricultural officials indicates no significant difference between study area participation rates in the selected programs and regional participation rates. Statistical treatment of the interview data reveals that the programs have a representative cross-section of farmer participation, although at a low level. None of the twelve selected variables were significantly related to participation in the four programs. Although each selected program has provided benefits to farmers who voluntarily participated, they have not met their objectives of conservation of soil and water on an area wide scale. There are two apparent reasons for program failure. First, the programs are voluntary and as such farmers are free to make their own choice based on personal preference or any other criteria. Second, the subsidy offered by the programs seems insufficient to induce many farmers to participate. Until there is a basic change in both farmer attitudes and program subsidy levels, it seems likely that the present situation will continue.
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