By Jamie Martin
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has released two research briefs exploring Midwestern farmers’ views on farm financial programs and conservation efforts. Based on a 2024 survey of 527 farmers across eight states, the findings aim to inform policy development related to farming support systems.
“Billions of dollars from the U.S. Farm Bill support farming in the form of crop and livestock insurance, loans and conservation cost-share programs. We wanted to know how farmers view these programs, and which farmers perceive these programs as most helpful and satisfactory,” says Adena Rissman, professor in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, who led the development of the two research briefs. “The goal is to provide information that can help guide the development and improvement of our nation’s policies in these areas.”
The survey, conducted between December 2023 and April 2024, reached 3,215 farmers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. With a 16% response rate, the study reveals varied opinions on how these programs impact different farming operations.
According to Yu Lu, a graduate student who contributed to the research, "While insurance, loans, and cost-share programs are widely viewed as helpful for row crop operations, farmers with forage and livestock operations see fewer benefits."
The conservation findings showed that farmers prioritize soil and water conservation, though adoption rates for practices like pollinator and tree planting are lower. "The conservation survey results show that farmers are clearly prioritizing soil and water conservation," Rissman commented, adding that there are opportunities to enhance support in these areas.
Key findings on farm financial programs:
- Crop insurance is seen as more helpful by row crop farmers (79%) than grass-based livestock farmers (30%).
- Similar trends are seen for loans (80% vs. 53%) and cost-share programs (54% vs. 40%).
- A majority of farmers support income caps for these programs (62% for crop insurance, 57% for cost-share) to target aid.
- Reducing paperwork burden is desired by a majority (53% for loans/insurance, 52% for cost-share).
- Two-thirds of farmers support lower loan interest rates (65%).
Key findings on conservation practices:
- Most farmers (85%) used conservation tillage.
- Fewer adopted pollinator planting (15%) or tree planting (15%).
- Drought, heavy rainfall, and soil erosion are top concerns for farmers (85%, 79%, and 70% respectively).
- Water quality impairment and pollinator decline are also concerns (67% and 66% respectively).
- Most farmers consider minimizing soil erosion (93%) and nutrient runoff (90%) essential qualities of a good farmer.
This research was funded by the National Science Foundation. You can find more details in the full reports at https://rissman.russell.wisc.edu/2024-farmer-survey-farm-financial-programs/ and https://rissman.russell.wisc.edu/midwest-farmer-perspectives-on-conservation/.
Photo Credit: istock-ligora
Categories: National