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Attn Farmers (attachment)
Saneters:
The following is the questionaire I referred to in my previous
message. Thanks again for your participation.
Jenn Crawford
Friends of the Earth
e-mail: crawfoj@rtk.net
fax: 202-783-0444
phone:202-783-7400, ext. 237
Questions for Case Studies on
Pesticide/Agriculture/Groundwater Project
THE BASICS
1. How many acres and what crops are you currently farming free
>from or with lower levels of insecticides, fungicides, and
herbicides than you previously used? Please explain.
2. When did you begin growing pesticide free or with levels of
pesticides lower than those of conventional growers?
3. To your knowledge, what pesticides and at what application
rates do conventional farmers use for farming the crops you grow?
4. What pesticide control methods are you using for each crop?
[please explain]
-crop rotation, -other herbicides, -fungicides, -insecticides, -
reduced application of pesticides (quantity, delay), -other
5. What are the biggest barriers you face to farming pesticide-
free or with reduced rates of pesticides?
6. What are your fertilizer application rates, if any? Do you
do soil tests prior to application?
GROUNDWATER:
7. Do you know which pesticides present a threat or have
contaminated groundwater in your area?
8. Do you believe the a) current standards for pesticides, b)
testing of water quality, and c) enforcement of pesticide
standards in groundwater are adequate?
a)
b)
c)
9. Would you like more information on pesticides and water
quality?
COMMON PRACTICES
10. To your knowledge, how many other farmers in your region are
also farming the same crops that you do without pesticides or
with reduced amounts of pesticides?
conventional farmers:____________
organic farmers:__________________
reduced-pesticide farmers:________
11. Has this changed in the past 5 to 10 years?
12. What are the attitudes of fellow farmers/colleagues of your
farming practices?
13. What crops are easier to farm without pesticides? Why? For
what crops is finding alternatives more difficult?
14. What might help you to reduce your pesticide use?
PERFORMANCE
15. From your crops that you are growing free of pesticides, are
you making a profit? Are you making a profit from the pesticides
that you are growing with reduced level of pesticides? For each
of your crops, what are your . . .
a) annual input costs:
b) crop yields:
c) annual revenue:
16. For each of your crops, how do your annual input costs, crop
yields, and annual revenue compare to before you changed methods?
a) annual input costs: (worse than/equivalent/better than)
b) crop yields: (worse than/equivalent/better than)
c) annual revenue: (worse than/equivalent/better than)
17. How do your annual input costs, crop yields, and annual
revenue respectively compare with those of equivalent farmers
who use pesticides?
a) annual input costs: (worse than/equivalent/better than)
b) crop yields: (worse than/equivalent/better than)
c) annual revenue: (worse than/equivalent/better than)
19. What other benefits (ie: improved soil quality; reduced pest
problems; changes in health) do you attribute to your farming
practices?
20. Anything else you would like to contribute? (feel free to
use the back of the page)
Dear Farm Manager:
I am a fellow at Friends of the Earth in Washington D.C. and
could use your help. We are working on a project designed to
protect our nation's groundwater. Part of the study involves
identifying pioneers such as yourself who have already or are in
the process of reducing or eliminating pesticides. I am writing
to ask you to participate.
We want to include in our study on pesticides in groundwater
evidence of alternative farmers who are minimizing the use of
pesticides that leach to groundwater. By participating in our
. . . . .
Thank you again for your participation.