The Forage Rotation Survey
The Forage Rotation Survey, conducted through the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan, benchmarks the progress made in forage production over the past 30 years. Much like its sister-survey, The Crop Rotation Survey, the purpose of this project is to evaluate farmers’ progress towards sustainable on-farm practices. The data will be used to inform governments and the public about the improvements in forage production sustainability.
The Forage Rotation Survey will collect information on all aspects of farmers’ forage production, from seeding, fertilizer, tillage, and chemical application to end product, during both the 1991-1994 and 2016-2019 periods. All participation will take place online, and farmers are invited to complete the survey from home. Though we will be collecting information from both 1991-1994 and 2016-2019 time periods, farmers do not need to have been farming in both periods in order to participate. Participants of the Forage Rotation Survey will receive up to $200 in compensation.
In the fall/winter period of 2021-2022, The Crop Rotation Survey launched for farmers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. This year, we are launching The Forage Rotation Survey, which helps Judson Christopherson complete his Master’s thesis, although is currently only open to Saskatchewan producers. (Farmers who have completed The Crop Rotation Survey are also eligible for The Forage Rotation Survey.) If you are a current or former producer in Saskatchewan who has included a forage in your growing rotation, and have not yet participated in the survey, please consider helping Judson collect his research.
Click on the linked text if you would like to learn more about Judson’s research. Unfortunately, the 2023-2024 survey collection period has ended. Stay tuned for more exciting research opportunities!
When registering, you will be given the choice of month you receive the survey online. It will likely take between 2-4 hours to complete all components of the survey however, you will be able to save your progress and return to the survey at the later time.
Those who complete the survey(s) and have not already completed The Forage Rotation Survey (or someone else on your farm), will be compensated for your participation.
More Information and Registration
Participation in The Forage Rotation Survey helps give farmers a voice when it comes to GHG emissions, carbon sequestration, and land and soil stewardship. While farmers are working hard to adopt innovative and sustainable practices, their efforts are often overlooked by the government and the public. This is especially true for forages, where the benefits are largely seen on-farm opposed to in the marketplace. The adoption of many of these sustainable practices have taken place in the absense of intervention, yet agricultural and environmental policies tend to ignore their contributions. Participation in this survey will help shape policy in a way that recognizes the steps already taken by Canadian farmers towards improved sustainability.
To register for the online survey, please click here. For more information and updates on The Forage Rotation Surveys, please visit our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, or reach out to one of the following researchers from the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics:
Stuart Smyth, Ph.D.
Associate Professor & Research Chair in Agri-Food Innovations
E-mail: [email protected]
Judson Christopherson, M.Sc. Candidate
Research Assistant
E-mail: [email protected]
Claire Williams, M.Sc.
Research Assistant
E-mail: [email protected]