Background
USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Business Center, Customer Experience Division (CXD) administered a Nationwide Farmer, Rancher, and Forest Manager Prospective Customer Survey (PCS) from November 2022 to March 2023. Thank you to those who took the survey! By taking the time to share your feedback, you are aiding government in helping secure the future of agriculture in the United States. We’d like to share a high-level overview of what we learned from prospective customers.
Overview
The survey aimed to understand why farmers, ranchers, and forest managers have yet to participate in FPAC agency programs offered through the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Risk Management Agency. The PCS collected information from respondents and evaluated their awareness of and access to programs offered by the FPAC agencies, including Conservation Programs, Crop and/or Livestock Insurance, Disaster Relief Programs, Farm Commodity Programs, and Farm Loans.
Key Insights
CXD heard from 7,452 farmers, ranchers, and forest managers and received 20,878 written responses to survey questions. The results are being reviewed and incorporated into discussions by FPAC agencies to enhance support and improve services, making government agricultural programs more accessible, equitable, and easier to use. After analysis, the following five key insights were shared with agencies to focus forward.
- Increase Visibility and Engagement: Increase visibility of FPAC programs in communities to make them better known to new and prospective customers, including in-person visits to farms and homesteads, if possible.
- Greater Flexibility: Re-evaluate eligibility program criteria to allow for greater flexibility and to make assistance available to a wider range of customers.
- Simplify Application: Simplify application processes: accessibility, transparency, amount of paperwork, and complexity. Expand program requirements to include more individuals who are ineligible.
- Increase Staffing and Availability: Increase staffing and availability at local offices to improve the customer experience while also increasing staff training to gain further agricultural expertise.
- Support Communities: Continue reaching out to and supporting vulnerable communities and historically underserved groups.
Focus Forward
These key insights are consistent with what agencies have been hearing in USDA Service Centers, listening sessions, and focus groups across the country, and through online feedback. Focusing forward, agencies are continuing to do more to work towards supporting these key insights through various projects and initiatives. Some examples include the recent work through the Equity Commission, Equity Action Plans, Justice 40 Initiative, Customer Experience Executive Order, and the President’s Management Agenda.
FPAC agencies are also specifically working to streamline program application processes, increase access and equity of programs, review and streamline public forms and paperwork, support more cooperative agreements and partnerships in the community, and implement ongoing feedback loops for digital and in person transactions to make real-time improvements. These efforts are all in support of the survey findings and FPAC is working towards providing an improved customer experience to all farmers, ranchers, and forest managers who support American agriculture.
More Information
Check out the Prospective Customer Survey Results Factsheet for more information. Please contact the CXD with any further questions about the survey at FPAC.CustomerExperience@usda.gov.