Part 9: Additional comments

1. General Feedback

• What general feedback do you have about your overall farming experience?

• Are there any aspects of farming that you feel are particularly rewarding or challenging?

• How do you see the future of farming evolving for small acreage farms?

2. Support and Resources

• What types of support or resources do you believe are most beneficial for small acreage farmers?

• How do you currently access support and resources for your farm?

• What additional support or resources would help you succeed?

3. Innovative Ideas

• Do you have any innovative ideas or practices that you have implemented on your farm?

• How have these innovations impacted your farm operations?

• What new ideas are you considering for the future?

4. Policy and Advocacy

• What role do you think policy and advocacy play in supporting small acreage farmers?

• Are there specific policy changes you believe would benefit your farming operations?

• How do you engage with advocacy efforts or agricultural policy discussions?

5. Community Involvement

• How do you engage with your local community through your farming activities?

• What benefits have you seen from community involvement?

• How could community engagement be improved to better support farmers like you?

6. Educational Opportunities

• What educational opportunities have you found most valuable for your farming practices?

• Are there specific topics or areas where you would like more education or training?

• How do you prefer to receive educational content (e.g., workshops, online courses, field days)?

7. Technology and Tools

• What technologies or tools have you found most useful on your farm?

• Are there any technologies or tools that you feel are missing or could be improved?

• How do you stay informed about new technology developments in agriculture?

8. Sustainability Practices

• What sustainability practices do you currently implement on your farm?

• How do you measure the success of these practices?

• What challenges do you face in adopting more sustainable methods?

9. Market Opportunities

• How do you identify and pursue new market opportunities for your products?

• What challenges do you face in expanding your market reach?

• What strategies or support would help you tap into new markets?

10. Collaborative Efforts

• How do you collaborate with other farmers or agricultural organizations?

• What benefits have you seen from these collaborations?

• What additional collaborative efforts would you like to see in the farming community?

11. Risk Management

• How do you manage risks associated with farming?

• What risk management strategies have been most effective for you?

• What support or tools would help you better manage risks?

12. Customer Relationships

• How do you build and maintain strong relationships with your customers?

• What challenges do you face in customer relationship management?

• How could your customer engagement strategies be improved?

13. Financial Planning

• How do you approach financial planning and budgeting for your farm?

• What financial challenges do you encounter?

• What resources or support would help you improve your financial planning?

14. Future Aspirations

• What are your long-term aspirations for your farm?

• How do you plan to achieve these goals?

• What challenges do you anticipate, and how do you plan to overcome them?

15. Health and Well-being

• How do you ensure your own health and well-being while managing your farm?

• What challenges do you face in balancing farm work with personal health?

• What strategies or support could help you maintain better health and work-life balance?

16. Feedback on Current Survey

• How do you feel about the questions in this survey?

• Are there any additional topics or areas that you believe should be covered?

• How could this survey be improved to better capture the needs and experiences of small acreage farmers?

17. Open Forum

• Is there anything else you would like to share about your farming experience?

• Are there specific stories or examples you feel are important to highlight?

• How can stakeholders better support small acreage farmers like you?

18. Adoption of Best Practices

• How do you learn about and adopt best practices in farming?

• What best practices have you implemented, and how have they impacted your farm?

• What barriers do you face in adopting new practices?

19. Technology Wishlist

• What technologies do you wish were available to help with your farming operations?

• How do you envision these technologies improving your farm management?

• What features would be most important in new agricultural technologies?

20. Vision for Small Acreage Farming

• What is your vision for the future of small acreage farming?

• How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?

• What role do you see for yourself in shaping this future?

21. Innovation and Research

• What role do you see for research and development in the future of farming?

• Are there any specific research areas that you believe should be prioritized for small acreage farms?

• How do you stay informed about ongoing research and advancements in agriculture?

22. Networking and Peer Support

• How do you connect with other farmers for knowledge sharing and support?

• What challenges do you face in building and maintaining these networks?

• How could networking opportunities be improved to better support your needs?

23. Mental Health and Well-being

• How do you manage stress and maintain mental health while running your farm?

• What challenges do you face in addressing mental health issues?

• What resources or support would help you better manage your mental health?

24. Sustainable Innovation

• How do you incorporate sustainable innovation into your farming practices?

• What challenges do you face in implementing sustainable innovations?

• What support or incentives would encourage more sustainable practices on your farm?

25. Regulatory Impact

• How do regulatory changes impact your farming operations?

• What challenges do you face in staying compliant with new regulations?

• How can regulatory bodies better support small acreage farmers?

26. Educational Programs

• What types of educational programs have you participated in that were particularly beneficial?

• Are there gaps in the current educational offerings that you think should be addressed?

• How can educational programs be improved to better meet the needs of small acreage farmers?

27. Technology Adoption Strategies

• What strategies do you use to evaluate and adopt new technologies?

• How do you measure the success of technology adoption on your farm?

• What barriers do you encounter in fully integrating new technologies into your operations?

28. Local Food Systems

• How do you engage with local food systems and communities?

• What benefits do you see from participating in local food systems?

• What challenges do you face in strengthening local food systems?

29. Government and Institutional Support

• How do you perceive the support provided by government and agricultural institutions?

• What improvements would you suggest for these institutions to better support small acreage farmers?

• How do you engage with government and institutional support programs?

30. Customer Education

• How do you educate your customers about your farming practices and products?

• What challenges do you face in customer education?

• What strategies or tools would help you better inform your customers?

31. Resilience Building

• How do you build resilience against economic, environmental, and social challenges?

• What strategies have been most effective in increasing your farm’s resilience?

• What support or resources would help you further enhance resilience?

32. Work-Life Balance

• How do you balance farm work with personal and family life?

• What challenges do you face in achieving a healthy work-life balance?

• What strategies or support could help you improve this balance?

33. Access to Funding and Grants

• How do you access funding and grants for your farming operations?

• What challenges do you face in securing financial support?

• What types of funding or grant opportunities would be most beneficial?

34. Community Impact

• How does your farm contribute to the local community and economy?

• What challenges do you face in maximizing your community impact?

• What support or resources would help you enhance your farm’s role in the community?

35. Cultural Practices

• How do cultural practices and traditions influence your farming methods?

• What challenges do you face in maintaining these cultural practices?

• How can cultural practices be integrated with modern farming techniques?

36. Innovative Business Models

• Have you explored or implemented any innovative business models (e.g., CSA, agri-tourism)?

• What challenges do you face in adopting these business models?

• What support or resources would help you succeed with innovative business models?

37. Environmental Stewardship

• How do you practice environmental stewardship on your farm?

• What challenges do you face in protecting and enhancing the environment?

• What initiatives or programs would support your environmental stewardship efforts?

38. Agricultural Trends

• How do you keep up with agricultural trends and industry changes?

• What trends do you think will most impact small acreage farming in the future?

• How are you preparing your farm to adapt to these trends?

39. Agricultural Technology Wishlist

• If you could have any new technology for your farm, what would it be and why?

• How do you think this technology would transform your operations?

• What features would be essential in this technology?

40. Vision for the Future

• What is your vision for the future of agriculture, especially for small acreage farms?

• How do you see your role in shaping this future?

• What changes or innovations do you hope to see in the agricultural sector?