Purdue News
Purdue News
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March 10, 2000 Visitors will chart financial vital signs on the farmWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – They won't see stethoscopes or blood-pressure gauges, but some Indiana farmers will be getting house calls through the end of March. The on-farm visits from members of Indiana's Agricultural Statistics Service are designed to gauge the financial health of Indiana farms. About 500 Indiana farmers already have gotten letters that explain the survey and encourage them to participate. The data gathered in Indiana and in other states will directly influence the next farm bill to come out of Congress, according to Andy Higgins, associate statistician for Indiana. "We will be collecting information on farmers' income and expenses, assets and liabilities, cost of producing various commodities and the risk-management strategies they're using," Higgins said. He said that because only 500 farmers were chosen at random for the survey, each response will be important. "Each one of these operations is representing many other operations like it," he said. In addition to providing information to Congress about the state of farming, the data will be used to help educate farmers about effective strategies for increasing productivity and efficiency, and to help producers assess the feasibility of expanding or changing the nature of their operations. CONTACT: Higgins, (765) 494-8376, ahiggins@nass.usda.gov Compiled by Beth Forbes, (765) 494-2722, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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