How adversely are farmers affected by high fuel and fertilizer costs? What new production practices are they using to assure a healthy environment and an abundant crop?

These and other questions will be answered when the USDA conducts the 2006 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). More than 400 Nebraska producers will be contacted.

"ARMS is USDA's Primary source of information on the production practices, resource use and economic well-being of America's farm households," says Mark Harris, director of the Nebraska Field Office of USDA's National Statistics Service (NASS).

NASS will continue the survey through December. It will involve personal interviews with nearly 9,000 farm operators nationwide, including over 425 in Nebraska. They will be asked to provide information on their fertilizer, nutrient and pesticide applications, as well as their pest management and irrigation practices.

"This is the second phase of ARMS, where we focus on production practices and costs. This year, we are looking at winter wheat and soybeans, with a special breakout for organic soybeans," says Harris. "During the third phase of the survey, in early 2007, we will follow up with producers to obtain additional economic data."

While ARMS is a lengthy and complex survey, its importance cannot be underestimated, according to Harris. "Virtually every federal farm program and policy is based on ARMS data," he says. "Conservation programs, price support programs, risk management programs, research programs – you name it. All of them rely on information generated through this survey. That's why it's so important that Nebraska producers take the time to participate and ensure that we have accurate and up-to-date information, straight from the source."

Harris assures ARMS survey participants that the confidentiality of their responses is protected by law.

"NASS strictly safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only state-and-national-level data, ensuring that no individual producer or operation can be identified," he says.

For more information about ARMS and other surveys conducted by NASS, contact the Nebraska Field Office at (800) 582-6443.