It might be a surprise to you that farmers in Florida can have crops planted in the open field throughout the year.  While many of the crops that are planted during winter months are adapted to cold weather, extreme freeze events like the ones we have experienced over the last couple of weeks can cause severe damages to plant structures, resulting in a reduced return of investment or total loss for growers.

The University of Florida’s Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences prepared a survey for growers to report any losses that the extreme weather conditions may have caused. 

Purpose of the Study

We need to understand the severity of crop losses throughout the state so we can coordinate mitigation efforts better. Your survey responses will be combined with existing agricultural data to help estimate production losses. This information supports local, state, and federal decisions related to disaster declarations, emergency response, and recovery assistance.

What You Will Be Asked to Do

You will be asked to provide estimates of your total crop, livestock, or aquaculture acreage and the portion affected by the disaster. You will also be asked to estimate production losses related to the event. If available, you may choose to share photos showing damage to your operation. If you wish to provide more detail, you may also be asked about losses related to infrastructure, stored harvested products, or stored agricultural inputs.

Time Required

The survey should take about 10–20 minutes, depending on the size and complexity of your operation.

Benefits

There are no direct benefits to you for participating. However, the agricultural community may benefit from more accurate and detailed information being available to decision-makers and the public following disaster events.

Risks

There are no expected risks or discomforts associated with participating in this study.

Confidentiality

Your participation is confidential. Information you provide will be securely stored on password-protected computers or in locked filing cabinets. Only authorized individuals—such as the research team, certain University of Florida officials, and the Institutional Review Board (IRB)—may review these records as required. Your information will not be shared publicly in a way that identifies you unless required by law or court order.

If you have questions about this study, please contact Christa Court at ccourt@ufl.edu
or (352) 294-7675.

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