In the anthropological world, it has long been understood that knowledge transmission is a function of interpersonal relations and structures within a society. In agriculture, social networks between farmers and other actors can influence information flow, knowledge exchange, and adoption of farm technologies. Nevertheless, social network analyses have rarely been used to understand how farmers make pest management decisions. In this study, we assessed the social networks of 32 vegetable farmers across 6 states in the Great Lakes region to understand linkages between network characteristics and practices used to manage economically important pests such as carrot weevil (Listronotus oregonensis), pepper weevil (Anthonomus eugenii), and carrot fly (Chamaepsila rosae), among others. Our findings suggest that, while the degree of network overlap between respondents was low and varied by state, extension specialists, crop consultants, and “intermediary” growers served as important conduits of pest management knowledge for vegetable farmers in the Great Lakes region. Using regression analysis, we did not find evidence of significant relationships between farmers’ degree centrality (i.e., a measure of the number of direct links between farmers and other information actors) and type (curative vs. preventative) or diversity of pest management practices utilized. Our findings highlight the important role of extension in dissemination of pest management information, and suggests that farmer groups are also critical actors in network facilitation and transfer of pest management knowledge.
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