Thank you for participating in the Women in Agriculture survey. Your information will
be tabulated and combined with other WIA survey responses. The information from the
survey will be used for program reports, program planning and promotions.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is conducting a survey of
individuals who participated in the Women in Agriculture conference
from 2009-2011. The objective of the survey is to discover your
opinions about the conference and learn about its effectiveness in
meeting conference objectives.
If you would like a copy of the final report, please write your name and address on the
back of the return envelope. Envelopes will be separated from the survey to ensure
your confidentiality.
Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
cooperating with the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the
University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.
Women in Agriculture
Department of Agricultural Economics
303 Filley Hall
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, NE 68583-0922
Survey Administrators:
Marilyn Schlake
Ph: 800.328.2851/402.472.4138
Becky Vogt, Ph: 402.329.6251
After 26 years, the Women in Agriculture (WIA) program continues to provide
educational opportunities for Nebraska’s women agriculturalists. It is has been a
privilege and honor to work with so many individuals who have helped to lay the
foundation of today’s agriculture. The following questions provide opportunity for us
to learn more about you, the Women and Agriculture participant, and how WIA can
assist you and Nebraska’s agricultural future.
This is the first ever comprehensive survey of the WIA program and thus is a little
longer than most surveys. However, the entire survey should require only 20 minutes of
your time. There are three parts to the survey: Part 1 asks about your experiences with
the WIA conference; Part 2 asks about your agricultural and/or business operations; and
Part 3 asks for demographic questions. We thank you for taking the time to respond to
the WIA survey.
Q33. Are you Spanish/Hispanic/Latino?
a. Yes
b. No
Q34. Please write the county in which you reside:
If you have additional comments you would like to share, use the space below. Your
comments are very much welcomed. No names will be attached to any comments used
in publications.
Part I: About the Women in Agriculture Conference
Q1. How many years have you attended the WIA conference? (Please write the
number below.)
Years:
Q2. What is your role within the agricultural industry? (Circle the corresponding
letter for each role that applies.)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
1
Farmer
Rancher
Consultant
Value-added, rural business owner
Agricultural service provider
Other _______________________________________
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Part III. Demographic Questions
Please provide the following information. The combined numbers are used for
background information for summary reports and conference fundraising.
Q28. What is your gender?
a. Male
b. Female
Q29. What is your age?
Years:
Q30. What is your level of education?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Less than high school graduate
High school graduate – diploma or GED
Some college, no degree
Associate’s degree
Bachelor’s degree
Graduate or professional degree
Q31. What is your marital status?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Married/Domestic Partner
Never married
Divorced/separated
Widowed
Q32. Please indicate your race.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
13
American Indian or Alaska native
Black or African American
White
Asian or Pacific Islander
Other (specify)
Q3. For each of the following statements, please indicate its importance as to why
you attended the WIA conference with 1 meaning not important and 5 meaning most
important.
Not
Important
To know more about:
▼
a. Overall farm and ranch operations
1
b. Agricultural production practices
1
c. Health and well-being
1
d. Regulatory and policy issues
1
e. Estate planning options
1
f. New business opportunities
1
g. Marketing traditional and alternative crops 1
h. Other (specify)
1
To improve my farm/ranch skills in:
i. Financial management
j. Production records
k. Organization of overall operations
l. Computers, including use of software
programs
m. Other (specify)
To enhance my personal skills in:
n. Communicating/advocating for
agriculture
o. Balancing farm and ranch life
p. Networking with others
q. Renewing commitment to farm/ranch
r. Other (specify)
Not
Important
▼
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
Most
Important
▼
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
Most
Important
▼
5
5
5
5
2
3
4
5
Not
Important
▼
1
1
1
1
1
Most
Important
▼
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
2
Q4. As a result of your attendance at the WIA Conference, what steps did or will you
take to improve or enhance your farm/ranch/business operations. First, select the
appropriate answer to the right of the statement by placing an “X” in the appropriate
column. Second, if you would like additional training on this topic, place an “X” on the
line in the shaded column.
Not
applicable
Changes in crop management:
a. Use of new/additional tools for
marketing grain.
b. Reduce risk exposure with
new/additional crop insurance tools.
c. Develop crop budgets/enhance record
keeping.
d. Apply precision agriculture
technology on the farm.
No plans or
already
doing this
prior to the
conference
Have or
currently
modifying
practices
Plan to
start this
within the
next 1-2
years
Would
like
more
training
Agricultural Industry Services
Q24. Do you provide agricultural services as an employee for a government or private
organization? (i.e., Natural Resource Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency,
Farm Bureau, etc.)
a. Yes
Please specify the organization:
b. No [skip to Q28]
Q25. What is your role within the organization? (Please describe, i.e., agriculture
lender, policy maker, advocate.)
Role:
e. Other (specify)
Changes in livestock management:
f. Use of new/additional tools for
marketing livestock.
g. Implement animal ID/tracking
processes.
h. Implement new grazing practices.
i. Add value to cow/calf enterprise by
changing management practices.
j. Other (specify)
Q26. What types of service do you provide the agricultural crop and livestock
producers?
Service:
Q27. To your organization/company, what is the benefit of you attending or
participating in the WIA conference? (Circle all that apply.)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
No benefit to the company/organization
Network with potential customers
Increase awareness of products/services
Increase leads and sales
Further staff education/training
Other (specify)
Please continue to Section III
3
12
Not
applicable
Q21. What is the status of your business? (Full-time is equivalent to 35 hours or
more of business activity.)
Not in
operation
Full-time
Part-time
Seasonal
Business 1
Business 2
Business 3
No plans
or already
doing this
prior to
the
conference
Have or
currently
modifying
practices
Plan to
start this
within
the next
1-2
years
Would
like more
training
Changes in business operations:
k. Use computer-based tools to aid in
decision making.
l. Develop an estate plan.
m. Implement new safety practices.
n. Adapt or adopt tax planning strategies.
Q22. How many employees does your business currently employ? (Please write the
number in each appropriate category.)
No
employees
Full-time
employees
Part-time
employees
Seasonal
employees
Business 1
Business 2
Business 3
Q5. As a result of your participation in the Women in Agriculture conference, to
what extent did the changes you made on the farm/ranch/business lead to the
following..? (Place an “X” in the column that best fits.)
Q23. What is your primary market? (Please place an “X” in the appropriate
category.)
Local/state
market
Business 1
Business 2
Business 3
o. Develop a business plan.
p. Start a niche business using nontraditional crops or livestock.
q. Other (specify)
Great Plains
Region
United
States Only
Global
No impact
Slight
impact
Moderate
impact
High
impact
Not
applicable
a. Increased profit for the farm or ranch.
b. Improved farm/ranch sustainability.
c. Improved family health.
d. Enhanced safety for family and
employees.
e. Increased value-added/alternative
business activity.
f. Increased effectiveness in business.
g. Increased use of agricultural
networks/resources.
h. Other (specify)
3
11
12
4
Q6. If you indicated either a Moderate or High impact in Q5, please provide an
explanation of what you did to create the change and the estimated dollar value of the
change, if applicable.
High or Moderate Impacts
Estimated
$$ Value
Changes Implemented
a. Increased profit for the farm or
ranch.
b. Improved farm/ranch
sustainability.
c. Improved family health.
Alternative/Value-added business
Q17. Do you currently have, or plan to have, one or more businesses, that are either
on or off the farm or ranch? (For example, direct beef sales, commercial haying,
consultant trucking, florist, retail shop, etc.)
a. Yes
b. No [skip to Q24]
Q18. What is/are your primary product(s) or service(s)? Please describe each
business. (If you need additional space, please go to the back of the survey to add more
information.)
d. Enhanced safety for family and
employees.
e. Increased value-added/alternative
business activity.
f. Increased effectiveness in
business.
g. Increased use of agricultural
networks/resources.
a. Business 1:
b. Business 2:
c. Business 3:
Q19. What is your role within your businesses? (Please place an “X” in the
appropriate category.)
h. Other (specify)
Sole
Owner
Business
Partner
Cooperative
Founder or
Member
Investor
Only
Other Role: (specify)
Business 1
Q7. As a result of your participation in the Women in Agriculture conferences, to
what extent did the changes you made personally lead to the following? (place an “X”
in the column that best fits.)
No impact
a. Enhanced role in farm/ranch business
management and production decisions.
b. Enhanced role in farm/ranch business
financial decisions.
c. Increased role in agricultural advocacy.
5
Slight
impact
Moderate
impact
High
impact
Not
applicable
Business 2
Business 3
Q20. How many years has your business been in existence? (Please place an “X” in
the appropriate category.)
Planning
Phase
Less than 2
years
2-6 years
Over 6 years
Business 1
Business 2
Business 3
10
Q14. How many acres do you directly own, manage or provide management
consultation to on an annual basis?
a. No acres dedicated to crop production
b. Row crops
Total acres
Please list your primary row crops:
c. Small grains
Total acres
Slight
No impact impact
Moderate
impact
High
impact
Not
applicable
d. Improved role as a service provider
within your organization.
e. Increased participation in agricultural
organizations/networks.
f. Enhanced personal health and wellbeing.
g. Other (specify)
Please list your primary small grain crops:
d. Fruits and Vegetables
Total acres:
Please list your primary fruit and vegetable crops:
e. Sugar Beets
Total acres:
Q8. What was the one thing about the conference that you think has had or will have
the greatest impact on you?
f.
Dry Beans
Total acres:
Please explain:
g. Other (specify)
Total acres:
Q15. What portion of crop land is:
a. Irrigated:
%
b. Dryland:
%
c. Grassland:
%
Q9. Please provide suggestions that you feel would improve the conference or
learning experience for all participants.
Q16. What were your gross farm/ranch sales in 2011?
a.
b.
c.
d.
f.
9
Less than $50,000
$50,001 – $100,000
$100,001 - $250,000
$250,001 - $500,000
$500,001 or greater
6
Q10. Below are some suggested topics that may be of interest to you as either a WIA
Conference session, or as a workshop offered at another time. Please indicate all that
you would be interested in attending by circling the corresponding letter.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
o.
Whole farm enterprise budgeting
Time management
Land and infrastructure planning
Leadership
Communication skills
Planning and goal-setting
Cash management
Refining owner/manager roles
Equipment and workplace safety
Employee management and regulations
Aging/health care
Food security
Tourism and value-added business opportunities
Value-driven farm/ranch enterprise (organic, sustainable, etc.)
Other (specify)
Please continue to Section II
Part II - About Your Enterprise
The following questions help determine who is participating in the WIA conferences
and the types of agricultural or business operations they represent. Your answers will
be combined with other respondents to give an overall picture of the WIA producers
and business women.
Production Agriculture
Q11. What is your role in the farm or ranch operation? (Circle all that apply.)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
Not involved in a farm/ranch operation [skip to Q17]
Single owner
A main partner
Farm/ranch employee
Business manager
Consultant
Other (specify)
Q12. How many years have you been involved with farming, ranching or as a
consultant within the agricultural industry?
Years: ____________
Q13. What is the total number of head of each type of livestock and/or poultry
animals that you directly own, manage or provide management consultation to on an
annual basis?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
7
No livestock and/or poultry animals
Swine – Nursery/Grow/Finish
Swine – Reproductive
Horses Poultry broilers & layers Sheep, lambs, goats Beef feeders Beef cows Dairy cows Dairy replacements Other (specify)
head of animals #
head of animals #
head of animals #
head of animals #
head of animals #
head of animals #
head of animals #
head of animals #
head of animals #
head of animals #
8