Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll: 2015 Summary Report

The Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll is an annual survey of Iowa farmers. The survey project collects and disseminates information on issues of importance to agricultural stakeholders across Iowa and the Midwest. The Farm Poll has been conducted every year since its establishment in 1982. It is the longestrunning survey of its kind in the nation. Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach, the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and the Iowa Agricultural Statistics Service are partners in the Farm Poll. The information gathered through the annual survey is used to inform the development and improvement of research and extension programs and is used by local, state, and national leaders in their decisionmaking processes. We thank the many farm families who responded to this year’s survey and appreciate their continued participation.https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/extension_communities_pubs/1027/thumbnail.jp

Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll: 2007 Summary Report

Iowa farm families have both hopes and concerns associated with changes unfolding across the state, especially those related to the rapid development of the “bioeconomy.” The increasing focus on renewable fuels, especially ethanol and biodiesel, brings both great expectations for grain prices and economic growth as well as worries about impacts on the environment and the structure of agriculture. The 2007 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll asked questions about these issues and related topics such as land use and future farm plans. The poll was created in 1982 by Iowa State University Extension, the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. It partners Extension and research programs with the needs of farm families. Data collected on issues of importance to the farming community provide input to local, state, and national leaders in their decision making process. We thank the many farm families who responded to this year’s survey and appreciate their continued participation in the poll.https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/extension_communities_pubs/1015/thumbnail.jp

Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll: 2008 Summary Report

Established in 1982, the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll is conducted through a partnership between Iowa State University Extension, the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Generally known as “The Farm Poll,” this annual survey effort collects and disseminates information on issues of importance to rural communities across Iowa and the Midwest. The Farm Poll serves to inform the development and improvement of extension and research programs and is used by local, state, and national leaders in their decisionmaking processes. We thank the many farm families who responded to this year’s survey and appreciate their continued participation in the poll.https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/extension_communities_pubs/1017/thumbnail.jp

Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll: 2010 Summary Report

The Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll is an annual survey that collects and disseminates information on issues of importance to rural communities across Iowa and the Midwest. Conducted every year since its establishment in 1982, the Farm Poll is the longest-running survey of its kind in the nation. Iowa State University Extension, the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and the Iowa Agricultural Statistics Service are all partners in the Farm Poll effort. The information gathered through the Farm Poll is used to inform the development and improvement of research and extension programs and is used by local, state, and national leaders in their decision-making processes. We thank the many farm families who responded to this year’s survey and appreciate their continued participation in the Farm Poll.https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/extension_communities_pubs/1020/thumbnail.jp

Farmer identities and responses to the social–biophysical environment

Row crop production in the United States (US) Midwest is responsible for a myriad of water pollution issues in the Mississippi River Basin and the Gulf of Mexico. US federal and state governments have spent billions of dollars since the 1930\u27s to understand and develop biological and geophysical practices that will reduce the negative impacts of agriculture on these landscapes and water bodies. However, significantly fewer resources have been applied to understanding the human factor within this social–ecological system. Recently the social psychological framework known as farmer identity as been used to better understand how farmers view themselves as they perform their role as farmer. To empirically test this concept in the US state of Iowa, a farmer identity question was developed and data were collected as part of an annual survey of Iowa farmers. Four farmer identities (Productivist, Conservationist, Civic-minded, and Naturalist) are identified using principal components analysis and tested for their ability to predict support for farm policy scenarios related to soil and water resource protection. Results show that Productivist, Conservationist, and Naturalist identities were likely to be activated by soil and water policies; and the Civic-minded identity was not activated by soil and water policies in general but was significantly against more money for conservation because it might mean more regulation