AbstractSoil degradation threatens environmental quality and sustainable food production. As a result of efforts to promote soil conservation, farmers in Canada are thought to be reasonably aware of both the importance of conservation and the existence of remedial and preventive practices. Despite this, the adoption of conservation practices has been less than overwhelming. Forces other than awareness and positive attitude seem to be constraining many land managers from employing available conservation methods. This paper presents the findings from an empirical investigation of the use of soil conservation practices and barriers to their adoption in the southwestern region of Ontario, Canada. The analysis is set in the context of literature on technology adoption. A scheme for measuring farm‐level conservation effort is developed, and barriers to adoption are derived from an analysis of a range of independent physical, personal, and economic factors, and from the obstacles or constraints identified by producers themselves. Key barriers relate to economic pressures, the complexity and compatibility of practices, and perceptions regarding the actual need for practices. The findings have relevance for the design of public policies and programs, notably the importance of supplying information on farm‐level implications of conservation methods and the need for a stable economic environment for agriculture to allow longer‐term pla