Impact Analysis of Auburn Related Services on Farmers in Alabama

Abstract

This thesis studies what factors influence farmers' decisions to use services provided by Auburn University and how these programs affected the performance of farmers in Alabama. The study is based on survey data collected in Fall 2010. I apply classical statistical tools such as two samples test statistics, discrete choice models and generalized linear models to analyze the relation between AU related services and the performance of farmers in Alabama. Finally, I determine how total gross value of sales, value of total assets, education, age, return of investments, years of farming experience and years of the current farming operation affect choices of farmers to use specific AU related services. The results show that farmers benefit from some services such as AU research stations, County or Regional extension agents, AU professors and AU website. Farmers in User-group are more likely to perform better than those in Nonuser-group. Farmers using these Auburn University services had more total gross value of sales than those in Nonuser groups. Using such services as AU research stations, County or Regional extension agents, AU website and Climate Forecasts at agroclimate.org, farmers had more chance to earn an increase in return of investments than those in Nonuser groups.