Organic Growers' Needs Assessment Survey
We would like to invite you to participate in a research project undertaken by the Organic Agriculture Institute at the University of California. This research aims to understand needs and accordingly build capacity within organic agriculture in California. Below, you will find some key information pertaining to this project.
Key Information
We'd like to tell you about the research we're conducting and what we're asking of participants. Please ask questions about any of the information you do not understand before you decide whether to participate.
Purpose: This is a research study about the perceptions of people involved in California organic agriculture, and you've been identified as someone who has valuable insight on this topic. We are particularly interested in your experiences with organic agriculture, the challenges you face in this role, the resources you already use in your network for support, and the kinds of support you would like to receive from researchers at the UC Organic Institute. We are researchers affiliated with the University of California, working with this new Organic Agriculture Institute. This research is funded by the USDA Organic Research and Extension Initiative.
Procedures: For this survey, we have four categories of questions that should take about 15-20 minutes to complete [On Qualtrics: You can close out of the survey and re-open it to continue at any time, your responses will be saved]. You are free to skip over any questions you would prefer not to answer, and you can also decide to opt out of the survey at any time. Your participation in this study is voluntary.
Benefits: The goal of this research is to better understand the challenges facing organic agriculture in California so that we can direct future research and funding towards these issues. Your participation in this survey may indirectly support the development of organic agriculture in California. We are also creating an Organic Agriculture Knowledge network, which we invite you to be a part of in order to find helpful resources and support from organic growers and stakeholders around the state. You will not receive any compensation for taking part in the survey.
What happens to the information collected for the research? The data that we collect will not be identifiable through your personal information, though we may refer to your general position (e.g. an organic grower, a commodity board representative) in the presentation of our findings. We will also be asking you about some of the resources you use for your work, which may involve identifying others in your network. However, just like your personal information, we will aggregate the information that you share with us so that those in your network will also not be immediately identifiable. Once you submit information in the survey you will not be able to withdraw it, as all of the information is immediately anonymized and therefore your data cannot be tracked.
Whom can I talk to? If you have questions, concerns, or complaints, or think the research has hurt you, talk to the lead researcher of the project, Houston Wilson at Houston.wilson@ucr.edu If you have questions about your rights or complaints as a research subject, please contact the IRB Chairperson at (951) 827 - 4802 during business hours, or to contact them by email at irb@ucr.edu.
By continuing in this survey, you consent to participation. However, if you choose not to finish the survey your responses will not be recorded.