ARMS Conference
Stakeholder Discussion
Data to Serve 21st Century Agriculture:
Expanding ARMS
St. Louis, Mo.
Dec. 4-5
State Government
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Data needs/uses
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Expand cost of production surveys across nonprogram crops, quantify/track GMOs, identify noncitizen producers, changes in production totals
due to out-sourcing overseas, web-based
availability in downloadable format.
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Usefulness to respondents
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Legislative accessment, prespectives on the big
picture and comparisions with other
groups/commodities/states.
State Government
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Additional Measurements Needed in ARMS
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Annual costs of regulatory compliance
and licensing, measure returns to
management through recordkeeping,
compliance or licensing costs, source
and cost of capital
State Government
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Value-added/rural development
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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.
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Emerging Key Issues
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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?
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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?
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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
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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?

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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?
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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?
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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
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Have you made any connections today that will help you do your job?
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Yes
University – Research/Administration

How will ARMS data at the state level assist you in your work?
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Optimism for state data, specific data is better,
some need monthly/weekly data.

What else should ARMS measure?
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Conservation/environmental practices, marketing,
different contracting arrangements
University – Research/Administration

What kind of summaries of ARMS data would be most useful to you?
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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?
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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?
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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.
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University - Extension

How will ARMS data at the state level assist you in your work?
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Bench marking, econometric
analysis/estimation, structural analysis,
extension budgets
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What else should ARMS measure?
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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?
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More detail on fruit and vegetable crops

How should it be made available?
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Internet with ability to download to Excel

What other data do you use in your work?
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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?
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Access to Internet questionaires
Testimonials
Heads up by state statistician
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Have you made any connections today that will help you do your job?
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Yes
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Banks/Farm Credit/Consulting

How will ARMS data at the state level assist you in your work?
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Use limited at present, but could be used for risk
assessment of industry, farm household spending,
company research of market potential or market
performance
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What else should ARMS measure?
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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?
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State and commodity summaries

How should it be made available?
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Interactive web-based data set

What other data do you use in your work?
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Farm management data, industry data,
FSA data

How can ARMS be used with these other data sources to be used together?
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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?
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Convince producers data has positive financial
impact, will help and not hurt, and bring cookies.
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Have you made any connections today that will help you do your job?
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Connections to survey administrators and others
for further collaboration and data use.