Farmland owners will be surveyed about challenges of ownership as per USDA

Dec 30, 2014

Landowners should receive survey forms soon if they haven’t already

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

Over 80,000 farmland owners and product producers across the United States will, or have already received Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) survey forms.

The forms, being distributed to 48 states by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), are designed to measure financial impacts and challenges associated with owning farmland.

“The latest Census of Agriculture (2012) helped us determine that more than 350 million acres of farmland in the United States are rented or leased, but it has been more than a decade since we spoke to individuals who own that land,” said Jay Johnson, Director of NASS’ Census and Survey Division. “Today’s economic conditions change so quickly that we constantly have the need for new and updated data, which reflect the true conditions in agriculture sector.”

The TOTAL survey will be given to farmers and landlords who are not farmers, to get a better and complete scope of the finances, resources, and demographics involved with ownership. The response are required by law and the individual responses will be kept confidential. People who don’t respond can expect calls from interviewers around February to help them along.

“I know this is one of our lengthier surveys, but there is a tremendous amount of value in the information farmers and landowners provide,” said Johnson. “I hope all individuals who receive the TOTAL survey form will take the time to respond.”

Farms.com will publish The TOTAL survey results when they become available.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.