Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Agricultural Producer Responses To Water Quality Issues, Proposed Water Quality Policy Options, And Related Farm Management Practices, Burton Pflueger, John Cole

Economics Staff Paper Series

Farmers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental consequences of farming practices that have become "conventional" over the last 30 to 40 years. As agricultural producers, they are expressing concern about erosion, ground water contamination, and personal health considerations from chemical use. At the same time, farmers are concerned about the economic viability of their operations. Farmers cannot afford to sacrifice net farm income in order to meet stricter environmental regulations. A software package named Planetor has been developed that can be used to examine the interrelationships between economic sustainability and environmental safety. Researchers working on the Big Sioux Aquifer …