Relationship between characteristics of Grade A dairy producers, their farming operation and their use of management practices, and the number of contacts they had with extension

This survey-type study was conducted to determine the relationships between the Characteristics of 651 Tennessee Grade A dairymen and their farm operations, their farm operations, their use of recommended dairy practices, and their participation in Extension educational programs. Personal interviews were conducted by agents in 34 major dairy producing counties. Pearson "r" correlation coefficients and the analysis of variance F-test were used. Major findings included the following: 1. The average interviewee was 50 years of age, dairy farm owners, had completed high school, had been milking 23 years, had the help of one employee, milked 65 cows with herd average of 450 pounds of butterfat, 12,000 pounds of milk, had 350 acres of cropland with 70 acres of silage and 90 acres of improved pasture, produced 14 tons of silage per acre which he stored, raised his own replacement heifers, and kept recommended breeding and production records. 2. The size of the dairy operation (i.e., number of cows in milk and acre of cropland operated) and management (i.e.. Average pounds of milk and butterfat, Number of years planning to continue dairying, Silage yield, Changes in herd average pounds of milk previous 5 years, Educational level, Percent change in herd size previous 5 years) were significant (i.e., positive) related to six of seven dairy practice use bundles studies (i.e.. Characteristics of the dairy operation, Forage production, Breeding and production record keeping, Farm record keeping, Changes in the use of groups of practices, and Total number of recommended dairy practices). Age of operator and Number of years having sold milk were significantly but inversely related to the six bundles of practices. 3. Extension farm visits, Office visits, Group meetings, and Total Extension contacts were significantly related to size of the dairy operation (i.e., positive), management (i.e., positive), and age of the operator (i.e., inverse) variables, and were stronger than those for most other agencies studied (i.e., PGA, Vocational Agriculture, SCS, Milk Companies, and FHA) . 4. All Extension contacts were significantly related to all seven practice use bundles (i.e.. Herd management was the seventh bundle). Implications also were drawn and recommendations made for use of findings and further study.