• Georgia Farm Profitability Survey

    The purpose of this effort is to better understand farm profitability and economic conditions for agricultural producers in Georgia. The information collected will help document the financial realities farmers are facing and provide data to inform decisions and policies that support long-term profitability and sustainability.

    Many producers are experiencing increasing financial pressure. Gathering this information will help show what is driving those challenges and where support is most needed. 

    • This survey is intended for farmers, ranchers, or agricultural producers in Georgia who are 18 years of age or older.
    • Participation is voluntary and open to all eligible producers. There are no membership or organizational requirements, and all types of operations are encouraged to participate. Though, it may be most relevant for individuals directly involved in managing or making decisions for the farm, such as owners or operators.
    • The questionnaire takes about 10–12 minutes to complete.
    • Participation is voluntary, and you may skip any question or stop at any time.
    • All responses are anonymous. Individual answers will not be connected to you or your operation, and results will only be reported in summary form.

    This study is being conducted in part by the University of Georgia College of Public Health and has been approved by the Human Subjects Office at the UGA Institutional Review Board (IRB). This project is supported by the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture and the Georgia Farm Bureau, with technical assistance provided by The Hive Research Collective.

    Please contact info@gafoundationag.org with any study related questions. 

  • Are you a farmer, rancher, or agricultural producer in Georgia?*

  • Thank you for your interest in this survey.

    At this time, the survey is limited to individuals who are currently farming in the state of Georgia. Based on your response, you do not meet the eligibility criteria, so no further questions are required.

    If you believe you received this message in error, you may close this window and restart the survey to review your responses.

    Thank you again for your time and interest in this study.

  • How many years have you been involved in agricultural production?
  • Are you a first-generation producer?
  • What is the highest level of education you have completed?
  • Is your degree in agriculture or a related field?
  • Race and ethnicity (select all that apply)
  • Gender
  • Which of the following agricultural organizations are you currently a member of? (Select all that apply)
  • What is your on-farm role?
  • Would you consider your operation to be a family farm?
  • What was your operation’s approximate gross farm income in the most recent year?
  • Total acres farmed
  • Commodities produced
  • Primary business structure of the farm operation
  • Do you rely on off-farm income to support your household or farm operation?
  • How would you characterize current commodity prices for your operation?
  • Compared to one year ago, how has your farm’s overall profitability changed?
  • Compared to three years ago, how has your net farm income changed? (note: net farm income is total farm revenue minus farm-related expenses)
  • Over the past three years, how has your use of operating loans changed?
  • Over the past three years, how has your access to operating capital changed?
  • After a major loss event, how many consecutive years could the operation remain viable without outside financial support?
  • After covering input costs and debt obligations, how much operating margin typically remains?
  • How would you describe your current farm debt level relative to your operation size?
  • During a typical year, how often do you experience cash flow shortages during the year?
  • Over the past 30 days, how often did financial pressure from the farm affect your personal stress?
  • Over the past 30 days, how often did you feel stressed or overwhelmed?
  • Overall, your level of stress related to the farm operation is

  • If you or someone you know needs support, help is available. You can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or contact the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) at 1-800-715-4225. Additional resources for agricultural communities are available through the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Farm State of Mind campaign.

  • Which risk management strategies does your operation currently use? (Select all that apply)
  • Have you made any changes to your operation in response to financial pressures in the past 12-months? (Select all that apply)
  • Overall, how significant are input costs as a financial challenge for your operation?
  • Rows
  • Are you able to access adequate supplies of needed inputs?
  • Are transportation or logistics a challenge for your operation?
  • Have limitations in processing or storage capacity affected your operation?
  • Overall, how significant are labor and workforce costs as a financial challenge for your operation?
  • Rows
  • Compared with three years ago, how have your labor costs changed?
  • Is your operation currently experiencing labor shortages or hiring difficulties?
  • Which types of labor are most difficult for your operation to hire? (Select all that apply)
  • Does your operation use H-2A labor?
  • Overall, how significant is market volatility as a financial challenge for your operation?
  • Rows
  • Overall, how significant are operating and overhead costs as a financial challenge for your operation?
  • Rows
  • Overall, how burdensome are regulatory requirements for your operation?
  • Which policy or regulatory areas are of greatest concern to your operation?
  • How predictable are current agricultural policies for planning your operation?
  • How would you describe your overall outlook for agriculture in Georgia?
  • How confident are you that the next Farm Bill will address the needs of Georgia farmers?
  • Georgia state policymakers are concerned about the well-being of family farms
  • Federal policymakers are concerned about the well-being of family farms
  • Over the past three years, how have weather patterns affected your operation?
  • Which environmental conditions have been the most significant for your operation? (Select all that apply)
  • How would you describe access to irrigation on your farm?
  • Which precision agriculture tools do you currently use? (Select all that apply)
  • Which of the following, if any, have limited your ability to adopt new technology? (Select all that apply)
  • How would you describe access to broadband or internet service on your farm?
  • What are your plans for your operation over the next five years?
  • Do you have a succession plan in place?
  • Could the next generation in your family realistically afford to take over the operation under current conditions?
  • Should be Empty: