by Michael Wallace

RICHMOND
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services advises farmers and ranchers that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will begin gathering information about farm economics and production practices from farmers and ranchers across Virginia. This outreach is the third and final phase of the 2018 Agricultural Resource Management Survey .

From January to March 2019, NASS will distribute the survey to more than 30,000 producers nationwide, including 750 in Virginia. In February, NASS interviewers will begin contacting farmers who have not yet responded, to answer any questions they may have in completing the questionnaires.

ARMS is the only survey that measures the current financial well-being of Virginia producers and their households as a whole. The survey asks producers to provide in-depth information about their operating revenues, production costs, and household characteristics. The 2018 survey includes versions focused on soybean, cattle and calf sector costs and returns.

Results of this survey will help inform decisions on local and federal policies and programs that affect Virginia farms and farm families.

The expense data gathered in ARMS will be published in the annual Farm Production Expenditures report on Aug. 2. That report and others are available at www.nass.usda.gov. More reports based on ARMS data and more information about ARMS is available at www.ers.usda.gov/arms.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Herman Ellison in the Richmond office at (804) 771-8560 or Herman.Ellison@usda.gov.

MICHAEL WALLACE is with the VDACS. Contact him at 804-786-1904.