2022 Farm Conservation Practices Survey

Counties in red to be surveyed in 2022.

Starting January 18, 2022, farmers in 14 of the 43 Pennsylvania counties in the Chesapeake Bay watershed will have a chance to self-report conservation practices implemented on their farms by completing a survey from Penn State.

Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences is leading the survey effort, in partnership with Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, PennAg Industries Association, Pennsylvania Farmers Union, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission, the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and local county conservation districts.

The survey follows a successful effort undertaken in 2016, when farmers across Pennsylvania’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed were invited to fill out a similar survey. Nearly 7,000 did, resulting in many conservation practices reported and credited in Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts.

In 2020, the survey was repeated in the four Phase 3 WIP pilot counties of Lancaster, York, Franklin and Adams, with nearly 1,800 returns. Again, many additional conservation practices were reported and credited toward Chesapeake Bay goals.

This year’s survey will focus on remaining Tier 2 and 3 counties, specifically: Bedford, Centre, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lebanon, Lycoming, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, and Tioga Counties.

The survey will open January 18, 2022, when farmers in the 14 counties will be mailed an invitation letter and link to a secure online form for filling out the survey. Farmers will be encouraged to fill out the survey online, but will also have an option for filling out a paper version. All responses will be kept completely confidential and results reported will be in summary fashion without names or locations of participants. 

The survey provides an excellent opportunity to get a broader baseline of data relevant to conservation practice implementation and meeting Chesapeake Bay Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan (Phase 3 WIP) and Countywide Action Plan (CAP) goals for agriculture. Farmers in the 14 counties are encouraged to fill out the survey today.