Survey participation vital for Purdue Extension custom rates guide

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue Extension's Agricultural Economics Focus Group is recruiting farm survey participants to provide data for the 2013 Indiana Farm Custom Rates guide.

The annual guide is a free resource that helps farmers and landowners work out prices for different types of custom work, including tillage, fertilizer application, planting and harvest operations, farm equipment rental and more. But without survey respondents there can be no publication, said Alan Miller, Purdue Extension farm business management specialist.

"The guide is completely dependent on those farmers, custom rate operators and professional farm managers who are willing to take the survey," he said. "Without them, we have no data."

The two-page survey is available online at http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/extension/prices/custom_rates.asp or through any of Purdue Extension's 92 county offices. A map of county offices is available at http://www.extension.purdue.edu

Educators also will ask winter workshop attendees to participate.

Last year's guide generated responses from 272 survey participants statewide. Miller said he hopes at least that many will participate in the 2013 survey.

Questions focus on what respondents would pay or were paid for different types of custom work, such as running combines or baling hay.

"We're trying to gather a ballpark range of custom rates paid or received," Miller said. "While the resulting guide isn't representative of all rates, it gives users an idea."

The 2013 guide will be available in late-April or early May. The 2012 version is available via Purdue Extension's The Education Store at http://www.the-education-store.com

Writer: Jennifer Stewart, 765-494-6682, jsstewar@purdue.edu

Source: Alan Miller, 765-494-4203, millerwa@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Keith Robinson, robins89@purdue.edu
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