To determine the decisionmaking and communication patterns of disadvantaged farm families (DFF) and the linkage between interpersonal sources of information used by them and research-based information sources, a pilot study was conducted with the following focus questions: (1) Who are North Carolina's DFF and what are their characteristics? (2) What kinds of farm and home decisions are DFF making and how rational are the processes utilized by them in making these decisions? (3) What communication media are available to DFF, the major sources utilized by them in making farm and home decisions, and what credibility they assign to these sources? (4) What is the degree of linkage between interpersonal information sources used by DFF in making farm and home decisions and research-based information sources? and (5) What is the relationship between selected sociopsychological variables and the degree of rationality in decisionmaking; the availability, usage, and credibility of media (i.e., interpersonal, mass, publications); and the degree of linkage between interpersonal information sources used and research-based information sources. The population was drawn from DFF residing in three northeastern North Carolina counties and was screened to obtain a sample that met the criteria for income, size of farm, and family. A research instrument was constructed, and data gathered by interview teams were analyzed through the use of several statistical procedures. The report includes (1) summary, implications, and recommendations; (2) technical report (background, methodology, and results); (3) list of references and glossary; and (4) appendixes, which contain research questionnaires, categories and definitions of DFF decisions, and additional data. (WL)