WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two USDA agencies are asking farmers to participate in a survey about their conservation practices.

The deadline is Aug. 19 for producers to fill out the Conservation Practice Adoption Motivations Survey. The survey will help assess the adoption rates of various conservation practices, USDA said.

The project is a joint effort between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), according to Ty Kalaus, deputy regional director of the NASS Great Lakes Regional Office. NASS is conducting the survey and NRCS was involved in designing it, he said.

“Farmers are the front line of conservation in U.S. agriculture,” Kalaus explained. “We need to hear their stories and experiences so USDA can deliver the programs that can help them.

“(The results) will help guide implementation of future NRCS programs, what the use and awareness of those programs are,” he said. “They’re trying to make sure they’re providing the services farmers need.”

Nationwide, 34,000 farmers received one of two surveys – one for crop practices or another for confined livestock practices. They were all mailed a paper questionnaire with a prepaid envelope for return, but have been encouraged by USDA to fill out the survey online. The surveys were mailed at the end of May.

The number of farmers who received a survey varied by state. For example, just under 400 Ohio farmers were asked to participate, as were nearly 300 in Indiana and more than 150 in Michigan, Kalaus said. About 500 received surveys in Illinois, as did 676 in Iowa, according to the NRCS offices in those states.

The survey for crop practices is 48 pages; the livestock survey is 32 pages. Depending on the survey, respondents are asked their reasons for choosing conservation practices and if they received technical assistance from federal, state or private sources. They’re also asked about their experiences with technical assistance. There are questions on cover crops, facilities for manure storage and animal mortality, and nutrient, pest and drainage water management.

“Gathering information about farmers’ and ranchers’ motivation for and adoption of conservation practices allows USDA to understand the use and awareness of its programs,” Greg Thessen, director of the NASS Upper Midwest Regional Field Office, said in a press release. “Effective implementation of USDA programs helps both producers and conservation efforts.”

The agencies want to know what’s important to farmers and how USDA can make conservation solutions easier for them to implement, said Ivan Dozier, Illinois state conservationist.

“Your responses will help us learn why you select certain practices and how we can get you the information and technical help you need to solve issues you face on the farm,” he said in a press release.

All information shared by producers will be kept confidential, USDA said. To complete the survey online, respondents can visit www.agcounts.usda.gov and use the 12-digit code mailed with the survey.