A newer, more environmentally friendly best management practice (BMP) adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing focuses on grazing cattle in a way that improves animal and forage productivity while potentially sequestering more soil organic carbon than other grazing methods (Stanley et al., 2018). AMP is an intense grazing style in which lightweight, portable fencing systems are used to move animals strategically around a large pasture, allowing for dense grazing interspersed by long periods of recovery for the land. Current AMP research is limited and focused on the environmental and production benefits of the practice. It is unknown what producers know or think about AMP or their willingness to adopt (WTA). The purpose of this thesis is to better understand current utilization, knowledge, perceptions, and WTA AMP. We find most producers (78%) already know of AMP (78%) or are familiar with the concept (17%). Additionally, one-third of our sample self-identifies as AMP grazers and 62% would frame AMP as a BMP. Using a single bounded dichotomous choice question, we find producers are willing to adopt AMP for a $12.96 per hundredweight premium (or cost reduction). We recognize BMP adoption among beef producers remain lower than anticipated (Prokopy et al., 2008). Current findings focus on the effect of socioeconomic factors on adoption and reasons for adopting or not. In effort to lead more effective adoption of AMP, and BMPs broadly, we step back to analyze why beef producers have implemented their current management practices. Using latent class models, we find heterogeneity in producer motivations. "Passing on the land," "enjoying life," "maximize profit," and "caring for the land" all surfaced as the most important motivation for at least one producer class.
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