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The Influence of Dairymen's Knowledge on Their Success and Actions¹

Department of Agricultural Economics, Pennsylvania State University

ABSTRACT

The results of a knowledge test, which quizzed 151 central Pennsylvania dairymen over selected dairy management practices, suggest that a high proportion of our dairymen lack much of the basic knowledge required for proper decision making. Scores on the test ranged from 96 down to 10 with an average score of 66 and a Standard deviation of 18. The gap between the present state of knowledge of many dairymen and that required to actually adopt improved practices is apparently greater than frequently appreciated. The importance of overcoming knowledge deficiencies is suggested by the fact that the 44 operators who made high scores on the knowledge test had herds averaging nearly 1,000 lb. higher production per cow, with $40 higher returns above feed costs per cow, and were operating farms earning labor incomes averaging $2,000 over those farms operated by the 45 operators who made lower scores on the same knowledge test.

Knowledge is particularly important for dairymen operating with high capital investment. The associated response in labor incomes to improved knowledge was four times as great on farms operating with a high capital investment as on farms operating with a low capital investment. Likewise, the operators making the higher scores possessed many other characteristics or traits usually considered desirable, had adopted more of the recommended dairy management practices, were anticipating future increases in milk production, and were seriously concerned about taking measures to further improve their dairy operations.

¹ Authorized for publication on March 25, 1954 as Paper No. 1867 in the journal series of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station.