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Are Farmers of the Middle Distinctively “Good Stewards”? Evidence from the Missouri Farm Poll, 2006

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Abstract

In this paper we consider the question of whether middle-scale farmers, which we define as producers generating between $100,000 and $250,000 in sales annually, are better agricultural stewards than small and large-scale producers. Our study is motivated by the argument of some commentators that farmers of this class ought to be protected in part because of the unique attitudes and values they possess regarding what constitutes a “good farmer.” We present results of a survey of Missouri farmers designed to assess farmer attitudes and values regarding a variety of indicators of farmer stewardship, such as the most important issues in agriculture, environment, and treatment of farm animals, perspectives on the past and future of agriculture, and ethical behavior. We find little evidence that farmers-of-the-middle are particularly noteworthy in these regards. We do find evidence, however, that middle-scale farmers are more pessimistic and anxious about their role in the future of agriculture.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the constructive comments of an anonymous reviewer on an earlier version of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri, 146 Mumford Hall, Columbia, MO, 65203, USA

    Harvey S. James

  2. Department of Rural Sociology, University of Missouri, 200B Gentry Hall, Columbia, MO, 65203, USA

    Mary K. Hendrickson

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  1. Harvey S. James
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  2. Mary K. Hendrickson
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Correspondence to Harvey S. James.

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James, H.S., Hendrickson, M.K. Are Farmers of the Middle Distinctively “Good Stewards”? Evidence from the Missouri Farm Poll, 2006. J Agric Environ Ethics 23, 571–590 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-009-9228-8

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