Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig encourages Iowa horticulture food crop producers to participate in a statewide industry survey aimed at capturing fresh data on the diversity, growth and economic impact of horticultural food crop production in our state. This is the first Iowa survey of its kind in nearly a decade.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is partnering with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) as well as other industry stakeholders on the effort. The goal is to capture feedback from producers of commercial horticultural food crops in Iowa that include fruits, nuts, vegetables, berries, herbs, honey, maple syrup and mushrooms.
This survey was the result of a cooperative effort by several entities. In addition to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and USDA NASS, assistance was provided by Practical Farmers of Iowa, the Iowa Specialty Crop Growers Association and the Iowa Farmers Market Association.
COMPLETING THE SURVEY
The survey, 2024 Iowa Commercial Horticulture Survey for Food Crops, was mailed to approximately 3,500 known Iowa horticulture crop producers late January 2024.
If there are Iowans who did not receive a survey in the mail but whose horticulture and specialty crop production information should be captured, they can acquire a survey by calling 515-242-6239 or by requesting one online through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website.
DEADLINE
The deadline for participating in the survey is April 30, 2024.
Participation is voluntary, but cooperation is critical toward developing an accurate assessment of specialty food crop production and marketing in Iowa. The information provided by producers will be considered confidential and will only be reported as aggregate totals or averages.
