Security Survey Requests Help Of USDA Farmers

Nov 18, 2008 12:20 PM

Farmers from Lancaster, Pa., and surrounding areas will have the unique opportunity of influencing the USDA's latest food security initiative.

E-magination, a market research company based in Baltimore, is looking for 18 farmers to participate in a focus group looking at USDA software designed to help implement security measures on farms.

According to Lancaster Farming, the software, originally used by the military, has been adapted by the USDA to take a look at farm security.

Farmers who are selected to participate in the focus group will be sent CDs of the software, which take about three hours to review.

They will then be able to critique the program for USDA officials at a meeting lasting a little more than two hours. There is no minimum requirement for size of farm and anyone chosen to participate will be paid $125 for their participation.

Dan Duda, who is handling recruitment for the event, told Lancaster Farming that officials are looking for a wide variety of farmers including those involved in raising crops, livestock, fish and leafy greens. Because of the food safety scares involving crops such as spinach, Duda said organizers have requested at least one leafy green farmer in each session.

The program is open to farmers who are not from Lancaster County as well as those who are.

John Whalen, director of user experience with E-magination, said the program's objective is to get feedback from farmers to possibly make changes to the software.

"I think it really can be effective," Whalen said. "This is very different. This is like a group usability test."

Whalen said the program is a voluntary USDA initiative. Participants will be asked questions about their experience with the software and asked to provide suggestions for improvement.

The decision to come to Lancaster County was based on its diverse group of farmers, according to the USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS).

This is the first and, so far, only area of the country where this type of focus group is being held.

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