FARMERS ATTITUDES ABOUT FARMING AND THE ENVIRONMENT - A SURVEY OF CONVENTIONAL AND ORGANIC FARMERS

Farmers have been characterized as people whose ties to the land have given them a deep awareness of natural cycles, appreciation for natura l beauty and sense of responsibility as stewards. At the same rime, th eir relationship to the land has been characterized as more utilitaria n than that of others who are less directly dependent on its bounty. T his paper explores this tension by comparing the attitudes and beliefs of a group of conventional farmers to those of a group of organic far mers. It was found that while both groups reject the idea that a farme r's role is to conquer nature, organic farmers were significantly more supportive of the notion that humans should live in harmony with natu re. Organic farmers also reported a greater awareness of and appreciat ion for nature in their relationship with the land. Both groups view i ndependence as a main benefit of farming and a lack of financial rewar d as its main drawback. Overall, conventional farmers report more stre ss in their lives although they also view themselves in a caretaker ro le for the land more than do the organic farmers. In contrast, organic farmers report more satisfaction with their lives, a greater concern for living ethically, and a stronger perception of community. Finally, both groups are willing to have their rights limited (organic farmers somewhat more so) but they do not trust the government to do so.