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Abstract
Using the 2001 ARMS, we
investigate farm operator
expectations regarding the
continuation of government
payments. Given the farmer
expects payments to continue, we
further investigate the expected
direction of changes in payments.
The 2001 Farm Bill was being
debated at the time of the survey
while the previous Farm Bill, the
1996 FAIR Act, was more marketoriented
than previous legislation.
Following the significant changes
in the previous bill, this data
provides an interesting glimpse
into how the changing nature of
the previous legislation influenced
expectations for future agricultural
policy. Significant variables
influencing a farmer operator’s
expectations for continued
government payments and level of
support include education, age, offfarm
income of primary operator,
off-farm income of the spouse,
farm type, increased farm debt
since 1996, and usage of risk
management strategies.