Motivations of Macon County, Tennessee, Manufacturing Milk Producers. A Research Summary of a Graduate Study.

A study was conducted to: (1) determine the characteristics of Macon County manufacturing milk producers and their farms; (2) find out which research verified, recommended manufacturing milk production practices were being used by those in the different butterfat production thirds; and (3) try to establish which factors were influential in producer adoption of the practices. A random sample of 60 producers of the population of 571 was personally interviewed. A profile of the average Macon County manufacturing milk producer was compiled, and statistics concerning the adoption of practices relating to breeding and herd replacement, record keeping and use, feeding and feed production, health and sanitation, and general management were compiled. A comparison of the average high and low producer revealed that the former: (1) was slightly older; (2) was better known to the interviewer; (3) had about 39 percent greater income; (4) had considerably higher per cow butterfat and milk production averages for 1965; and (5) had 10 acres more cropland. A comparison of adoption practices showed that high producers had higher ratings on 17 of 23 practice studies and tended to feed a slightly higher protein ration and that fewer high producers had hay ground. "The regular income" was rated first by 88 percent among things liked about the occupation. Statistics on non-adoption and sources of dairying information were also compiled. (Author/KM)