Information sources and risk attitudes of large-scale farmers, farm managers, and agricultural bankers

Views of large-scale farmers, professional farm managers, and agricultural bankers on sources of information as well as sources of and responses to risk in agriculture are explored. The groups rated nine or more information sources at 3.0 or higher on a 5-point scale for production decisions. Fewer sources were rated as important for marketing and financial decisions. Internal information sources such as records, tenants, or borrowers were highly rated. In contrast to large-scale farmers, both farm managers and agricultural bankers rated professional colleagues as important information sources. Responses were similar with respect to sources of and managerial responses to risk, and in their self-assessment of management skills.