National Academies Press: OpenBook

Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century (2010)

Chapter: Appendix F: Grain Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview

« Previous: Appendix E: Dairy Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview
Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Grain Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview." National Research Council. 2010. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12832.
×

F
Grain Farms Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview

Elements of “Success” and Barriers and Broader Assessments of the Sustainability of the Farming Systems

1.

What factors have contributed to progress or success for your farm/company?

2.

In what important ways has this operation changed over the last 5 years?

3.

Overall, how would you assess the performance of your farming systems on some broader indicators of sustainability—

 

3.1.

Local ecosystem sustainability (for example, water, soil, air, biodiversity and critical species

 

3.2.

Global ecosystem sustainability (for example, energy use, climate)

 

3.3.

Social sustainability (for example, quality of life, labor, economics, community)

 

3.4.

Food system sustainability (for example, food quality, nutrition, affordability and access)

4.

What are the main opportunities you have to improve your farming operation? What are the main risks?

5.

How have you overcome problems or decreased risks? (provide examples)

6.

Do you do research or experimentation on new methods? If yes, what kind? Do you work with other organizations/people that do this work? If yes, with whom?

7.

Do you have any specific problems that might benefit from more (or better) scientific research?

8.

What do you think is the future outlook for your own farming operation/enterprise?

9.

What factors will most influence your long-term viability? What do you think is the future outlook for sustainable systems/organic farming?

10.

Do you foresee any barriers to continuing to farm sustainably, or to developing additional strategies to enhance sustainability?

11.

What are you proudest about when you think of your farming operation?

Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Grain Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview." National Research Council. 2010. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12832.
×

1.
Production Practices

YIELDS
  1. What are the approximate yields per acre for major crops raised?

PRACTICES

1.

For farms primarily producing field crops (e.g., grains and legumes)

 

1.1.

List the major rotations, including all cover crops and fallow periods (including duration and timing)

INPUTS

1.

What are the most important purchased inputs you use on your operation?

 

1.1.

Crop production

 

1.2.

Livestock feed

2.

Do you apply manure or other waste materials to your land?

3.

Where/how do you get inputs for farming?

4.

Has that been a problem or barrier to your success?

PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT
  1. What do you do to manage pests and diseases?

  2. How satisfied are you with your ability to manage pests and diseases?

  3. What do you do to manage weeds?

  4. How satisfied are you with your ability to manage weeds?

PASTURE/GRAZING MANAGEMENT

1.

What approaches do you use to manage pastures or grazing on your operation?

2.

How satisfied are you with your grazing management practices?

3.

What are your biggest problems or obstacles to managing your pastures/rangeland more effectively?

4.

For farms producing both livestock and field crops

 

4.1.

Do you rotate hay or pasture?

 

4.2.

Do you produce hay?

 

4.3.

What advantages and/or disadvantages do animals provide in production of your field crops?

 

4.4.

What proportion of your grain crops is feed?

 

4.5.

Do you feed/graze cover crops or crop stubble?

 

4.6.

How does the presence of animals change your grain crop rotation?

SOIL RESOURCES
General Soil Characteristics (for the major soil types only)
  1. Please describe the soil types on your farm.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Grain Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview." National Research Council. 2010. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12832.
×
  1. Relate soil characteristics to specific enterprises/crop rotations, vegetation management

  2. Highlight any limitations (for example, are soils erodible, subject to flooding, poorly structured, sloped, etc.)?

  3. What do you like best about your soil? How do you respond to challenges to soil quality (compaction, erosion, periodic flooding, poor structure, slope, etc.)?

Soil Management Practices

1.

Fertility and nutrient management practices

 

1.1.

Do you have a nutrient management plan on file with NRCS?

 

1.2.

Do you use manure on your operation?

 

1.3.

What are your tillage management practices

 

1.4.

Do you have an overall erosion control program?

 

1.5.

Is your erosion risk primarily from wind or water?

 

1.6.

What are your off-season soil management practices?

 

1.7.

Any other conservation practices or benefits?

 

1.8.

Do you use protected agriculture—high tunnels, greenhouses, plasticulture, row covers, hoop houses?

WATER RESOURCES
Quantity
  1. What is the average rainfall?

  2. Do you irrigate?

  3. How adequate is the water supply for your operation?

  4. Have you made significant changes in your operation to adapt to water scarcity?

Quality
  1. Have water quality concerns been raised in your area?

  2. How have these concerns impacted your farming operation?

  3. Have you made significant changes in your operation to adapt to water quality concerns?

  4. What specific steps have you taken to protect water quality in your area?

CLIMATE
  1. Have there been any major droughts, storms, or other weather events that have impacted your operation in recent years?

  2. How do you feel your operation has been impacted by climate change or global warming?

  3. How do you think this might impact your operation in the future?

Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Grain Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview." National Research Council. 2010. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12832.
×
CARBON FOOTPRINT ISSUES
  1. To what degree are you aware of greenhouse-gas emissions (CO2 or equivalents) resulting from farm production (fuel usage of machinery, application of fertilizers and the use of synthetics, including plastics)?

  2. What specific steps have you taken to address potential concerns?

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
  1. Do you use any other forms of renewable energy (wind, solar, etc.) in your operation?

  2. How well have these systems worked for you?

  3. What are the best aspects of these systems?

  4. What are the worst aspects of these systems?

  5. Do you have an energy management plan?

EQUIPMENT
  1. How has your equipment changed over time? Has your energy use increased or decreased over time?

  2. Do you have any specialty equipment? Where do you get this equipment?

  3. Do you use any contract equipment operations?

  4. What portion of your equipment maintenance do you perform on-farm? (Do you consider maintenance as a major part of your operation for cost saving/income?)

  5. Solid waste management?

  6. Other features or comments?

2.
Economic/Market Questions

SALES
  1. How have the gross sales of your farm changed over the last 5 years?

  2. What do you expect the change to be in the next 5 years?

MARKETING
  1. Where do you sell your farm products?

  2. What proportion of your produce is marketed locally?

  3. What would motivate you to seek out local markets for your products (farm profit, local economic development, local food security, farm-to-school or farm-to-cafeteria)?

  4. Do any of your products go outside the United States?

  5. How do you determine what price you are paid for your product?

  6. Do you sell any of your farm products on contract?

Organic Products

1.

Do your farm productions have any other official “certifications” that you use in marketing your product?

2.

If you are a certified-organic grower, please answer the following questions

Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Grain Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview." National Research Council. 2010. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12832.
×

 

2.1.

Do you get organic price premiums for your products?

 

2.2.

Have these premiums increased or declined in recent years?

 

2.3.

How important are these premiums to your ability to use organic practices?

 

2.4.

Are organic premiums important to your decision to use sustainable practices?

FARM ENTERPRISE FINANCIALS
Income
  1. What are your approximate annual gross sales of farm products?

  2. What is your approximate income from government program payments?

  3. Are there other sources of farm income?

Net Income
  1. In how many of the last 5 years has your enterprise made a profit?

  2. Has your net income increased over the last 5 years?

Farm versus Off-farm Income
  1. Does anyone in your family work off the farm (known as public work in the South)?

  2. To what degree does your household depend on the farm for income and benefits?

Debt
  1. Roughly what would you estimate is the current ratio of your farm debts to farm assets? (no debt, debts less than 10 percent assets, debts 10 to 40 percent assets, debts exceed 40 percent of assets)

  2. Are you comfortable with your current debt levels?

LABOR
  1. Do you have workers assisting you on the farm?

  2. Have you been able to find adequate labor to sustain operation and quality of life?

  3. What specific practices do you use to ensure labor is treated fairly?

  4. How do labor issues affect your decisions about which production practices to use?

RISK MANAGEMENT
  1. Do you have crop insurance?

  2. What would cause you to purchase crop insurance?

  3. If you currently have it, how could the policy be improved?

  4. How important is crop insurance to your farm’s long-term financial security?

Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Grain Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview." National Research Council. 2010. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12832.
×

3.
Social and Community Aspects

  1. What motivated you to choose this approach to farming? What keeps you enthusiastic about your approach?

  2. Do your customers/buyers have an impact on how you farm? Do they impact what you produce? If so, what kind of impact?

  3. How do you get information and advice for your farming? (main sources)

  4. Who comes to you for advice about farming?

  5. Do you share information with other farmers?

  6. Do you make an effort to share information about your operation with the public?

  7. Are you involved with any farmers’ groups or other organizations?

  8. Do you work with any government agencies?

  9. What government programs have the largest impacts on your operation?

  10. Are you involved in farm policy issues? If so, how?

  11. How does the way you farm influence the way your community relates to you?

DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE

1.

How much pressure does your operation feel from growth and development in your area?

2.

What opportunities and challenges does urban growth and development present to your farm?

3.

Farm transition challenges—how do you ensure viability of operation across generations/time?

 

3.1.

How to ensure sustainability (values) across generations/time?

 

3.2.

How to mitigate start-up costs for new farmers by removing land (and perhaps some infrastructure) costs through long-term lease and trust arrangements (to replace fee-simple purchase and/or inheritance models by community-based stewardship models)?

 

3.3.

How to connect successive generations to pass on knowledge and practical experience?

 

3.4.

How to secure the older generation while enabling the future of the next generation?

Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Grain Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview." National Research Council. 2010. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12832.
×
Page 559
Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Grain Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview." National Research Council. 2010. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12832.
×
Page 560
Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Grain Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview." National Research Council. 2010. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12832.
×
Page 561
Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Grain Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview." National Research Council. 2010. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12832.
×
Page 562
Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Grain Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview." National Research Council. 2010. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12832.
×
Page 563
Suggested Citation:"Appendix F: Grain Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview." National Research Council. 2010. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12832.
×
Page 564
Next: Appendix G: Specialty-Crop Farms: Topics of Discussion During On-Farm Interview »
Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century Get This Book
×
 Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century
Buy Paperback | $95.00 Buy Ebook | $74.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

In the last 20 years, there has been a remarkable emergence of innovations and technological advances that are generating promising changes and opportunities for sustainable agriculture, yet at the same time the agricultural sector worldwide faces numerous daunting challenges. Not only is the agricultural sector expected to produce adequate food, fiber, and feed, and contribute to biofuels to meet the needs of a rising global population, it is expected to do so under increasingly scarce natural resources and climate change. Growing awareness of the unintended impacts associated with some agricultural production practices has led to heightened societal expectations for improved environmental, community, labor, and animal welfare standards in agriculture.

Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century assesses the scientific evidence for the strengths and weaknesses of different production, marketing, and policy approaches for improving and reducing the costs and unintended consequences of agricultural production. It discusses the principles underlying farming systems and practices that could improve the sustainability. It also explores how those lessons learned could be applied to agriculture in different regional and international settings, with an emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa. By focusing on a systems approach to improving the sustainability of U.S. agriculture, this book can have a profound impact on the development and implementation of sustainable farming systems. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century serves as a valuable resource for policy makers, farmers, experts in food production and agribusiness, and federal regulatory agencies.

READ FREE ONLINE

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!