Electricity on Farms in the Eastern Livestock Area of Iowa

Excerpts from the report: Farm electrification has made rapid progress in the part of Iowa that comprises the eastern livestock-producing type-of-farming area. Farm after farm has been quickly added to the number that have electric service and the actual use of electricity in farm homes and service buildings has steadily expanded. Supplying farmers with electricity and electrical equipment has become a big business in eastern Iowa. The study here reported is one of a series of related studies that deal with certain economic aspects of farm electrification. In their broad aspects, these studies are being made to develop information leading to more economical distribution systems in rural areas and to assist farmers in effecting labor savings in the production of crops and livestock in various farming areas. This study in Iowa was undertaken to make available to farmers and to suppliers of electricity the experiences of farmers who have used electricity for some time, as a basis for evaluating farm-use potentialities in the field. Another purpose was to examine the relationships between certain economic and physical farm conditions as they relate to the use of electricity; the principal conditions considered were type of farm, size of farm, size of specific enterprises, farmer's income, and tenure of operator. A third purpose was to analyze the costs of using electricity including the costs of the energy used, of farmstead wiring, and of electrical equipment and appliances. A fourth purpose was to discover some of the principal effects of electrification on the organization and operation of the farms, with special reference to changes in productive enterprises and uses of power resulting from electrification.