Agricultural production in Texas and the nation has been characterized by two major trends: farms are getting larger in size and fewer in number, and more farmers are seeking off-farm employment. For those who remain in farming, technology is becoming more complex, the industry is becoming more highly structured, and the market for their agricultural products is being affected by international events. Today\u27s farmers must have strong managerial skills and be aware of modern agricultural technologies if they are to succeed. The purpose here is to identify and measure characteristics of ranchers and related activities as organizational units; and to determine herd, pasture, and forage management practices followed by producers. Also examined is the relationship between agricultural technology utilization and selected personal and farm characteristics. Data are derived from a proportionate random sample of beef cattle producers in the gulf coast region of Texas. The sampling was designed to provide an accurate picture of the 10,000 organizational units of the gulf coast region and each county in the region with percent responses ranging no more than - +7% with a 95% confidence interval
