Effects of Large-Scale Livestock Facilities on Social Climate Within a Community

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Katie Dallam and Kimberly Ratliff.
Dr. Michael Seipel, Faculty Mentor, 2000.

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The changing face of rural America can be attributed to various issues, including concentration within the livestock industry. Large-scale livestock facilities are a source of debate and divisiveness in many rural communities. Residents (N=771) of four northern Missouri counties—two with large-scale swine facilities (Mercer and Putnam) and two without (Knox and Shelby)—responded to various questions concerning the social climate of their communities. Respondents living in Mercer and Putnam counties indicated by a margin of ninety and eighty-five percent, respectively, that there are issues that have divided the community over the past few years, with the most common answer being large-scale swine facilities. Thirty and thirty-eight percent of respondents from Knox and Shelby counties, respectively, reported division within the community. The presented research will show whether the divisive issues affected community member’s trust among neighbors, relationships with neighbors, and overall feelings about the community.