Organic Survey Part 2

Organic Survey Part 2. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Organic producers in the Pacific Northwest will very soon be receiving a request to participate in the Organic Production Survey, a part of the 2007 Census of Ag.

Chris Mertz, Oregon Field Office director for USDA’s NASS says they want everyone to return the survey.

MERTZ: The office of Budget Management says we need to have an 80% return to conduct surveys that get information from the public so of course we are going to mail the questionnaires out to everybody and give them the opportunity to fill it out by mail or online.

This information will be used much in the same way as the ’07 Census is being used.

MERTZ: Of course it’s going to help shape organic agriculture in terms of farm policy, any allocations, maybe availability of goods and services that will be there to help out organic farmers and also producers themselves, organic or maybe those considering moving into organic to the future of their own operation, too.

Those producers worried about their personal information should not be concerned according to Mertz.

MERTZ: They’re always concerned about the confidentiality of information that they provide us so we want to make sure that all respondents know that guaranteed by law that their individual information is kept confidential. And at NASS, we only use the information for statistical purposes and we only publish data in tabulated totals.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.