Beginning Farmers | Virginia Small Farms Resource Center

General Information
This is an initial survey that is being used to gather benchmark information about your new or current farm operation
Name*
First Last
Farm Name*
Address*
Street Address City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code
Email*
Phone*
Farming Experience
1. What is your farm related background?*
- I do not come from a farm background, and I have little or no knowledge or hands-on experience.
- I do not come from a farm background, but I have farming experience and knowledge.
- I grew up on a farm.
2. Please choose the statement that most closely matches your beginning farmer or rancher status.*
- Prospective or explorer farmer: Individuals interested in starting a farm or ranch. This includes next-generation farm family members as well as those who do not come from a farming background.
- Startup Farmer: Individuals who are in the early stages of their agricultural operation.
- Re-strategizing farmer: Farmers who are making changes to their operations after an initial period of farming. These individuals usually have increased decision-making responsibility and commitment to farming.
- Establishing Farmer: Farmers who are expanding, diversifying, and stabilizing their farming operations.
- Transitioning Farmer: Individuals who are family farm members who have decision-making roles on the farm without having primary farm operator status. Also referred to as heritage farmers.
- Urban Grower
3. Please indicate how many years you have farmed or have been farming (Please select one)*
- 0 years
- 1-5 years
- 6-10 years
4. What type(s) of agricultural enterprise are you currently interested in/involved with? (Check all that apply)
- Dairy
- Beef
- Sheep/Goats
- Swine
- Equine
- Poultry
- Other Livestock
- Fiber
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Feed Grains
- Nursery
- Flowers
- Grains, Dry Beans, Oil Seeds for Human Consumption
- Forages, Hay Seed Production Ethic Crops
- Greenhouse
- Aquaculture
- Other
(Check all that apply)
Other: What type(s) of agricultural enterprise are you currently interested in/involved with?*
Farm Business Planning and Management
For the following questions, please indicate your level of disagreement or agreement with each statement.
I know the pieces necessary for developing a farm business plan*
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strong Disagree
I know how to plan and keep good business records*
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strong Disagree
I feel confident in my ability to apply for FSA or other loans*
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strong Disagree
Have you developed a business plan for your farm business?*
- Yes
- No
What is your business structure?
- Family Farm
- Sole Proprietorship
- Partnership
- Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- Corporation
- S-Corporation
- Nonprofit Corporation
- Other
Other: What is your business structure?*
Have you applied for FSA or other loans?*
- Yes
- No
If yes, list type*
Do you participate in any USDA (FSA, NRCS, RD, ETC.) programs and VDACS programs?*
- Yes
- No
If yes, list which ones*
Including yourself, how many people will provide labor for your farming operation?*
Please enter a number
How many hours per week is this labor available?*
Please enter a number
Is this labor available daily or only on weekends?*
- Daily
- Weekends Only
Do you have any knowledge of your farming equipment needs?*
- Yes
- No
If yes, explain.*
What is your net profit goal each year from farming?*
- $0 - $999
- $1,000 - $4,999
- $5,000 – $9,999
- $10,000 or more
What are your financial plans to begin your farming operation?
- Use Personal Funds
- Secure a startup loan
(Check both if applicable)
Production Practices
I know my options for alternative, environmentally friendly production practices*
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strong Disagree
I feel confident in my ability to operate small farm tools and equipment*
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strong Disagree
Marketing
Please indicate the market outlets you currently utilize or plan to utilize. (Check all that apply)*
- Commodity markets
- Community supported agriculture (CSA)
- Home delivery
- Wholesale
- Farmers markets
- Marketing coop/food hub
- U-Pick
- Restaurants
- Institutional sales (e.g. farm to school, farm to hospital, farm to prison)
- Roadside stand
- Retail store
- Retail store on-farm
- Produce auction/broker program
- Livestock auction
- Agritourism
- Internet sales
- Other (List)
- None
Other (List)*
Approximately how many miles away is your primary market or intended market? (Please select one)*
- I sell/intend to sell my products at my farm
- 0-15 miles
- 16-25 miles
- 26-49 miles
- 50-100 miles
- 101-150 miles
- 151-200 miles
- 200+ miles
- Do not know/Have not decided
Do you sell or intend to sell your farm products directly to consumers (i.e. not through a third party)?*
- Yes
- No
I know about markets in my area that I can/do utilize to sell my farm products
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strong Disagree
For the following questions, please indicate your level of disagreement or agreement.
I know how to find new markets to sell my farm products
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strong Disagree
For the following questions, please indicate your level of disagreement or agreement.
I know about value added farm products and which products I can utilize in my farm business
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strong Disagree
For the following questions, please indicate your level of disagreement or agreement.
I know about food safety techniques and government rules and regulations regarding food safety
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strong Disagree
For the following questions, please indicate your level of disagreement or agreement.
Land Access
Select type of land you have or plan to acquire
- Farmland
- Forrest
(Check both if applicable)
Do you currently own, rent or plan to have farmland transferred to you?
- Own
- Rent
- Plan to acquire land
If yes, how many acres do you currently have/manage or plan to acquire?
- None (planning to farm)
- Less than 2
- 2-5
- 6-10
- 11-20
- 21-50
- 51-100
- 101-200
- Over 200
Is there a pond, lake or any other water source on the property?
- Yes
- No
How many acres of forestry land do you own?
Demographic Information
Please check all that applies to you:
Demographic Information
Please check all that applies to you
- Limited resource: A limited resource person is a person with direct or indirect gross farm sales not more than $180,300 (for FY2020) in each of the previous two years. A person with a total household income at or below the national poverty level for a family of four or less than 50 percent of county median household income in each of the previous two years.
- Small Farmer: An operation with gross cash farm income under $250,000
- Farm worker: An individual who contributes to the labor of the farm but does not owner/operator status.
- Male farmer: A farmer who identifies self as a male operator
- Female farmer: A farmer who identifies self as a female operator.
- Socially disadvantaged: A socially disadvantaged group is a group whose members have been subject to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity with a group, without regard to their individual qualities: Blacks or African Americans; American Indians or Alaska Natives; Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino Origin; Asians; Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders.
- Urban Grower
Please check the category or categories that best describe(s) you.
Check all that apply
- American Indian or Alaska Native
- Asian
- Black or African American
- Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
- Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino Origin
- White
- Other race(s)
Other race(s)*
What is your age range?*
- 18-19
- 20-24
- 25-29
- 30-34
- 35-39
- 40-44
- 45-49
- 50-54
- 55-59
- 60 +
What is your gender?
- Male
- Female
- Prefer not to say
U.S. Military Veteran Status: Have you ever served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, Reserves, or National Guard?*
- Yes
- No
Which branch of military did you serve?*
- Army
- Air Force
- Navy
- Marine Corps
- Coast Guard
Personal Goals
(check all that apply)
What are your goals for participation in this program?*
- Increase knowledge of farming and successful farming practices
- Improve my time efficiency
- Reduce labor costs
- Improve knowledge of pests, disease and/or weed management
- Improve knowledge of soil health
- Improve financial business management practices/net profit
- Increase knowledge of government funding programs/sources
- Increase access to market
- Increase profit
- Start-up and manage a farm efficiently
Additional Information
Please provide any additional information that you would like to share with us
Acknowledgement*
The information I have provided in this New, Re-strategizing Farmers / Rancher benchmark evaluation Program entry evaluation document is true and accurate. By signing this document, I hereby acknowledge that I will participate in the agricultural education programs provided by Virginia State University (VSU) Small Farm Outreach Program (SFOP) and work with the Small Farm Program Assistants in my area. I grant VSU SFOP permission to assist me with the outreach, training, technical assistance that is needed to develop, implement and improve my farming operation.

General Information

Farming Experience

Farm Business Planning and Management

Production Practices

Marketing

Land Access

Demographic Information

Personal Goals

Additional Information