Presentation Type
Oral Presentation - Campus Access Only
Category
Social Sciences/Humanities
Abstract/Artist Statement
Over 83,000 farms operate in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, accounting for approximately thirty percent of the land area and contributing over forty percent of the nitrate, phosphorous, and sediment that enter the bay through rivers and streams. In 2014, The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement became the first agreement signed by representatives from the entire watershed setting ten goals and thirty-one outcomes to be achieved by 2025. Many of these goals will require farmers in the watershed to adopt conservation-friendly practices such as planting trees in riparian areas or cover crops. Despite this need, there is limited knowledge available on how to promote uptake of these behaviors. To address this need, our research team conducted an online survey of 598 farmers in the watershed and analyzed results using logistic regression to identify the most important factors determining farmers’ past adoption of conservation-related practices. Results indicate conservation identity and resource assistance are significant for planting trees in riparian buffer zones. For cover crops, benefits of planting, farming for the lifestyle, and efforts of other farms are significant factors. This presentation will discuss sampling methods, important insights revealed by descriptive statistics, logistic regression results, and how these results will be used within our larger project and by conservation practitioners in the watershed.
Mentor Name
Alexander L Metcalf
Predicting Conservation Adoption on Farms in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Over 83,000 farms operate in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, accounting for approximately thirty percent of the land area and contributing over forty percent of the nitrate, phosphorous, and sediment that enter the bay through rivers and streams. In 2014, The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement became the first agreement signed by representatives from the entire watershed setting ten goals and thirty-one outcomes to be achieved by 2025. Many of these goals will require farmers in the watershed to adopt conservation-friendly practices such as planting trees in riparian areas or cover crops. Despite this need, there is limited knowledge available on how to promote uptake of these behaviors. To address this need, our research team conducted an online survey of 598 farmers in the watershed and analyzed results using logistic regression to identify the most important factors determining farmers’ past adoption of conservation-related practices. Results indicate conservation identity and resource assistance are significant for planting trees in riparian buffer zones. For cover crops, benefits of planting, farming for the lifestyle, and efforts of other farms are significant factors. This presentation will discuss sampling methods, important insights revealed by descriptive statistics, logistic regression results, and how these results will be used within our larger project and by conservation practitioners in the watershed.