The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in partnership with the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), is currently gathering farm conservation data from nearly 400 farmers, ranchers, and agricultural landowners across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
The 2024 Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) survey is an effort to gather in-depth information about the conservation practices Southeast farmers and ranchers use. CEAP assessments quantify the environmental outcomes associated with implementation and installation of conservation practices on agricultural lands. Findings are used to guide conservation program development and support conservationists, agricultural producers, and partners in making informed management decisions backed by data and science.
Local NASS representatives are visiting farmers and agricultural landowners now through September to determine if their operations and properties meet the criteria to be considered eligible candidates for the survey. Then, eligible farmers and landowners may be contacted between November 2024 and March 2025 and asked to participate in the survey. Typical questions will discuss farm production practices; chemical, fertilizer, and manure applications; tillage; irrigation use; and installed conservation practices.
Information provided to NASS and analyzed by NRCS is kept confidential, as required by federal law. The agencies only publish data in aggregate form, ensuring that no individual respondent or operation can be identified.
For more information about conservation programs available for your operation, contact NRCS at your local USDA Service Center.