Nutrient Management Use at the Rural–Urban Fringe: Does Demand for Environmental Quality Play a Role?

There are relatively few federal regulations that influence U.S. agricultural production. However, local concerns over environmental quality may influence the management practices on farms. A detailed analysis of corn farms yields insight into this relationship and its implications for the use of cropland best management practices. Our findings suggest that increased contact between working farms and suburban and exurban populations likely increase the use of nutrient management plans, a management-intensive conservation practice. However, nutrient management practices were not found to be associated with waters listed as impaired because of nutrient pollution.