Understanding Northeastern Dairy Farmer Adoption of Alternative Management Practices

The Northeastern dairy food system serves important cultural, economic, and nutritional functions in the region. Dairy farmers currently face long term viability and sustainability challenges including changing consumer acceptability of animal agriculture, climate impacts on agricultural systems, scale and intensification pressures, and more. Farmers may make alternative management decisions, such as selling into alternative markets, becoming certified organic, and grazing with these challenges in mind. This research sought to understand the values that influence farmer adoption of alternative management practices, and how farmers self-conceptualize their role and value in society. This understanding was developed first through an exploratory survey of Vermont dairy farmers and stakeholders, which contributed to the formation of a semi-structured interview protocol. Twenty-five interviews were conducted with farmers of varying farm size, location, markets sold to, age, and gender. Using thematic analysis, interviews were coded to develop a hierarchical coding tree, which framed an applied analysis of farmers’ use of alternative management practices, and a theoretical understanding of farmers’ values through their perception of other industry actors. Themes from these interviews included practicality and values contradictions, education to consumers of dairy systems, community connection, farm viability, and farmer singularity. Farmers’ description of their willingness to adopt alternative management practices was conveyed through their perception of the use of these practices as practical or values based, and how the implementation of these practices would impact their farm’s viability. Farmers had complex and varied perceptions and frustrations with other farmers, consumers, and the dairy industry at large, which is reflected as farmer self-perception of their values and worth in society. This research used nuanced and emerging interpretations of farmers’ voices to communicate their values, needs, and worth to support long-term industry resilience.