Dr. Anne Heinze Silvis
Extension Specialist, Program Development Director,
UIUC Laboratory for Community and Economic Development
M.B.A. UIUC Business Administration (with honors),
College of Commerce
222 Bevier Hall
905 South Goodwin Avenue
Urbana, Illinois 61801
(217) 333-5126
asilvis@uiuc.edu
Social Acceptability of Energy Crops
An important factor for the successful introduction of energy crops is the social acceptance of such crops, which present a radical change from current cropping systems. How growers make crop option decisions, and what they know about energy crops will be important factors to consider in providing information that will be useful as these crops are introduced. With the Northwest Illinois Ag Coalition (NIAC) and the White County Illinois Farm Bureau, two surveys were administered to Illinois Farmers to determine which factors are most important in their decisions regarding energy crop production and the best ways to provide information to potential growers. The survey was designed and tested using focus groups in Havana, Illinois. Project partners also provide feedback regarding the survey in its pilot phase. The survey was followed by three focus group discussions to provide some insight into farmers perceptions of the risks and benefits of growing Miscanthus as an alternative to conventional crops.