Change Request for CEAP Questionnaire

Change Request for CEAP Questionnaire (0535-0245)

This is a request for a non-substantive change to the CEAP docket 0535-0245. The survey was conducted in the Chesapeake Bay area in year 1 and the Western Lake Erie Basin and Des Moines River Basin in year 2. Now, in year 3, we are rotating to the West Coast region. The 2 states that will be surveyed are California and Oregon.

Through numerous discussions with NRCS (client) and after conducting cognitive pretests with 5 operators in the California area, we will need to make several non-substantive changes to the questionnaire to apply to the farmers in that region. Also, since there is a significant amount of irrigation in this region, compared to the previous regions we have surveyed, we need to modify the Irrigation section (Section H).

Based on enumerator experience, discussions with NRCS, and pretesting efforts, requested changes will be grouped into 3 categories. These categories will be referenced when looking at the questionnaire and explaining the reason for a change.

1. Comments from enumerators based on their experience on past CEAP surveys as well as discussions with NRCS. (Changes were made to clear up any confusion or to improve the general feasibility of administering the questionnaire)

2. Uniqueness of California Agriculture. (California agriculture is especially different from the regions we have surveyed in the past. In years 1 and 2, most of the operators focused on more row crops as opposed to California, where fruits, nuts and citrus are prevalent and encompass nearly half the nation’s production of those commodities.)

3. Changes to Irrigation Section only. (With California being so diverse in Agriculture, it is expected that different production practices are more common in this region. California’s agricultural abundance includes more than 400 commodities. The need for irrigation for many of these crops is essential. With that, there are differences in irrigation systems, sources of water, and testing in this region. Also, with increased regulations in this region, it is important to capture how these regulations affect operator’s decisions on this survey.)

Page 1

Will remove “Rephrase in your own words” from this page

Page 2

Question 2- Categories A and B

Question 3- ** There actually was no change to this question (exactly the same as 2012)**

Page 3 - Section A (Field Characteristics)

Questions 1a, 1d, 1e, and 1f - Categories A and B

Question 2- Category A

Enumerator Note – Category A

Page 4 - Section B (Conservation Plan)

Question 1, 1a (vii) – Category B

Question 2a (v) - Category B

Page 5 - Section B (Conservation Plan) cont.

Question 3 (table- sources) - Category A and B

Page 7 - Section B (Conservation Plan) cont.

Question 4n (i) - Category A (the reason it was moved to this section)-
Category B (the new questions)

Question 7o- Categories B and C

Pages 8, 9, and 10 - Section C (Cropping History & Conservation Practices)

“Crops planted or Land Use”- Category A

Question 1.6- Category B

Question 1.7- Category B

Question 1.9- Categories A and B

Question 1.14 (a)- Categories A and B

Page 11 - Section C (Cropping History & Conservation Practices) cont.

Question 3 (Table)- “Other small grain/Winter annual” ** There actually was no change to this question (exactly the same as 2012)**

Question 4- Category B

Question 5- Category C

Page 12 - Section D (Commercial Fertilizer Applications)

Question 4- Categories A and B

Page 13 - Section D (Commercial Fertilizer Applications) cont.

Question 5b (table)- Categories A and B

Page 20 - Section E (Manure Applications)

Question 1- Categories A and B

Page 21 - Section E (Manure Applications) cont.

Question 2- Codes for Manure Source- Categories A and B

Page 22 - Section E (Manure Applications) cont.

Question 5- Category A

Enumerator Note – Category A

Question 7- Category A

Page 32 - Section H (Irrigation)

Questions 1a (i, ii, iii)- Categories A and C

Question 2- Categories A and C

Question 4- Categories A and C

Question 5- Categories A and C

Page 33 - Section H (Irrigation) cont.

Question 6- Categories A and C

Question 8- Categories A and C

Question 9- Categories A and C

Question 10- Categories A and C

Question 11- Categories A and C

Question 12- Categories A and C

Page 34 - Section H (Irrigation) cont.

Question 13- Categories A and C

Question 14- Categories A and C

Question 15- Categories A and C

Question 16- Categories A and C

Question 17- Categories A and C

Page 35 - Section I (Field Operations)

Question 1a- Category A

Page 36 - Section I (Field Operations) cont.

Question 1b- Category A

Page 37 - Section I (Field Operations) cont.

Question 1c- Category A

Page 39 - Section K (Operator and Operator Characteristics)

Question 6 (Farm Type Codes)- Category B