Data to Serve 21st Century Agriculture: Expanding ARMS

St. Louis, Mo.Dec. 4-5

ARMS Conference Stakeholder Discussion

State Government

Data needs/uses

Expand cost of production surveys across non-program crops, quantify/track GMOs, identify non-citizen producers, changes in production totals due to out-sourcing overseas, web-based availability in downloadable format.

Usefulness to respondents

Legislative accessment, prespectives on the big picture and comparisions with other groups/commodities/states.

State Government

Additional Measurements Needed in ARMS

Annual costs of regulatory compliance and licensing, measure returns to management through recordkeeping, compliance or licensing costs, source and cost of capital

State Government

Value-added/rural development

Whole layer of value added, costs of direct marketing, impacts of value-added ag, producer income tied to value-added ag, crops used in energy production.

Emerging Key Issues

Farmland preservation, business continuity plans, transition, retroactive property taxes

Farm Organization/Interest Groups

How will ARMS data at the state level assist you in your work?

– Impact of property taxes on farms and rural areas

– Studying value-added enterprises, i.g. ethanol

– Increased information on issues surrounding CAFOs

– Cost of Production

Farm Organization/Interest Groups

What else should ARMS measure?

– Correlate with RMA crop insurance data/FSA– Value-added activities- propensity to invest– Enhance rural development portion of ARMS– Future plans of the operation (retirement, structural

changes)– In-depth information on CAFOs and technological

implementations for resource management and conservation

Cost share rates for states to implement for participation Utilization and impact of voluntary programs

– Data to consider what is a commercial operation

Farm Organization/Interest Groups

What kind of summaries of ARMS data would be most useful to you? How should it be made available?

By State, By Commodity, By Issue area (e.g. CAFOs) Make Available by Print, Web, and Other. What other data do you use in your work?

NASS, RMA, Census, Ag Census, CARD, University record systems (FBFM, KFMA), SWAG, FAPRI, AFPC

How can ARMS be used with these other data sources to be used together?

To backstop each other, enhance the picture of agriculture and rural communities that is available, and provide more extensive ability to utilize smaller data set.

Farm Organization/Interest Groups

What can be done to better demonstrate the value of this survey to farmers and encourage them to participate?

Demonstrated impact of data on policies affecting respondents (personal impact is important)

Need factual information for policy issues Chemical use survey – to maintain access to

chemicals for crops Have you made any connections today that will help you do your job?

Yes

University – Research/Administration

How will ARMS data at the state level assist you in your work?

Optimism for state data, specific data is better, some need monthly/weekly data.

What else should ARMS measure?

Conservation/environmental practices, marketing, different contracting arrangements

University – Research/Administration

What kind of summaries of ARMS data would be most useful to you?

Summaries less useful How should it be made available?

Greater and more detailed web access, more printed documents

What other data do you use in your work?

IMPLAN, BEA, Department of Commerce

University – Research/Administration

What can be done to better demonstrate the value of this survey to farmers and encourage them to participate?

Better discussions on how it is used, work with commodity organizations, develop state impact document, communicate outcomes, 15 state media effort, get on conference programs

CHALLENGE- ensuring confidentially of farmers while increasing use of data by researchers.

University - Extension

How will ARMS data at the state level assist you in your work?

Bench marking, econometric analysis/estimation, structural analysis, extension budgets

What else should ARMS measure?

Where do you sell (local, other), motivations for being a producer, custom rate information

University - Extension

What kind of summaries of ARMS data would be most useful to you?

More detail on fruit and vegetable crops How should it be made available?

Internet with ability to download to Excel

What other data do you use in your work? Commodity, price, production, etc. How can ARMS be used with these other data sources to be used together?

Enhanced compatibility across different data sources

University - Extension

What can be done to better demonstrate the value of this survey to farmers and encourage them to participate?

Access to Internet questionaires Testimonials Heads up by state statistician Have you made any connections today that will help you do your job?

Yes

Banks/Farm Credit/Consulting

How will ARMS data at the state level assist you in your work?

Use limited at present, but could be used for risk assessment of industry, farm household spending, company research of market potential or market performance

What else should ARMS measure?

State level estimates, family living expenses, alternative commodities, and business structures, What is a family farm?

Banks/Farm Credit/Consulting

What kind of summaries of ARMS data would be most useful to you?

State and commodity summaries How should it be made available?

Interactive web-based data set What other data do you use in your work?

Farm management data, industry data, FSA data

How can ARMS be used with these other data sources to be used together?

Periodic discussions with data-user groups to reconcile data and application

Banks/Farm Credit/Consulting

What can be done to better demonstrate the value of this survey to farmers and encourage them to participate?

Convince producers data has positive financial impact, will help and not hurt, and bring cookies.

Have you made any connections today that will help you do your job?

Connections to survey administrators and others for further collaboration and data use.