Perceptions of a NRCS program to remediate decommissioned poultry houses in Northwestern Arkansas
Abstract
Out-of-use poultry houses have accumulated in Northwestern Arkansas, home to the headquarters of many large poultry operations such as Tyson, Inc. These out-of-use structures have been recognized as environmental hazards to the surrounding soils and groundwater reserves. A Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation program called Practice 360 aims to aid farmers in the removal and remediation of these barns and soils, yet has never been used within the state of Arkansas. A qualitative perception study of the area's local farmers and natural resource professionals is the goal of this research, using the Theory of Planned Behavior to frame the variety of ways individuals make voluntary decisions for themselves and their poultry barns, such as whether or not to remove their poultry barn and/or to participate in a conservation program to do so. The results of this study reveal that farmers' decisions regarding their out-of-use barns are affected by a lack of practical and rational incentives for removal of the barns, a lack of knowledge of Practice 360, varying levels of environmental concern, and the historical, social, and political contexts of the barns, including the farmers' relationships with their poultry integrators.
Degree
M.S.