THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ‘GOOD FARMER’

Summary The Significance of the ‘Good Farmer’ As a part of a research project on the communication of new farm practices, carried out in 79 rural communities in east and central Poland, 8543 farmers were asked to select those farmers that were in their opinion ‘good farmers’ in their own communities. In 45 communities one or more farmers collected 20 per cent or more of the votes. In the other communities no ‘good farmers’ were mentioned or the votes were too dispersed. The results of this enquiry were compared with findings concerning progressive farmers in the same communities, measured according to objective economic criteria. In the more developed communities, nearer to towns and industries, the subjective evaluation of the ‘good farmer’ correspond more closely than in the more traditionalistic communities with the judgment based on economic criteria. Most usually, no ‘good farmer’ was chosen in the traditionalistic communities, and where one was chosen he was generally not the most progressive farmer. The conclusion is that in the less advanced regions of Poland non‐economic and nonprofessional criteria play a greater part in evaluating leaders. Although innovators rank high in all regions, the innovators chosen in the less‐developed regions are usually not good producers.