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HARRISBURG -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is collecting data from over 2,000 Northeastern farmers and ranchers for its annual Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). The survey looks at all aspects of U.S. agricultural production, the well-being of farm households, farm finances, chemical usage, and various farm production characteristics. The survey also collects detailed information on production practices, costs, and returns for different commodities on a rotating basis. In 2023, the survey will take a closer look at barley and oat production in the northeastern United States.
"The annual data from ARMS are used to gauge the financial health and resource use of today's producers," King Whetstone, director of the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office, said. "The information gives us an annual snapshot of the role of the farming industry in the U.S. economy."
The information producers provide through the survey will inform national and state policy decisions. In addition, ARMS data are used to calculate the farm sector portion of the Gross Domestic Product, which is an important measure of the U.S. economy.
The survey is conducted in three phases from May 2023 through April 2024. The first (current) phase screens participants to ensure they have the commodities of interest that are needed to accurately represent the entire U.S. farm sector. During the second phase, NASS will collect information on production practices and chemical use for specific commodities. In the final phase, NASS will survey producers on farm income and production expenditures.
All information from respondents is kept confidential as required by federal law, and reported so that no individual operation or producer can be identified. For more information on how NASS protects information, visit nass.usda.gov/confidentiality.
ARMS is a joint effort of NASS and USDA's Economic Research Service. For more information about the survey, visit nass.usda.gov/go/ARMS. For information on how these data are used in this region, or if you have any questions about this survey, please call the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office at (800) 498-1518.