Many commercial growers have backed away from buying “direct” and instead prefer to buy from local retailers. More than half of the growers surveyed said they are willing to pay slightly more for inputs from local suppliers.

When buying crop protection products, growers buy more often based on price and convenience than on brand.

When buying seed, growers give equal weight to several factors, such as convenience/location, customer service, price and performance.

Equipment purchase decisions vary by size of operation. The larger the producer's operation, the more likely he will be to base his decision on equipment performance. Growers with mid-size farms lean towards service.

And last, producers find farm magazines to be the most useful source of information, even more useful than their local dealers. Of course, we at Farm Industry News like to hear that.