NASS will only include the grid cells for counties for each state identified as suitable for using in this test as determined by the respective field offices. The NASDA coordinators in each state provided a list of counties to use for the test based on:
1) The counties containing a range of agriculture that is representative of that State, and
2) The enumerator that is assigned to that county is experienced and well trained.
Based on this county subset of the state, grid cells were excluded from selection based on the following criteria:
1) If a grid cell contained a high percentage of urban and/or water (as determine by the NASS Cropland Data Layer) and a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis, or
2) If a grid cell was located within a 1/2 of a mile from a 2014 June Area Survey (JAS) segment as determine by a GIS analysis.
The reason for excluding these two groups is:
These grid cells provide reduced information on agriculture that is representative of that state for the test, and
To reduce the likelihood that a farmer who had just completed the 2014 June Area Survey would also be selected for this test.
Training
Enumerators that will be conducting the tests will first be provided with video training and self administered exercises to familiarize them with the software and the iPAD functions. This will be followed up by formal classroom training in each of the three States (NC, PA and SD) that will be conducting the tests.
This information was provided by:
Claire G. Boryan, Geographer
Head, Geospatial Science and Survey Section (Geo-SSS),
Research and Development Division,
National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | hancda |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-29 |