United States Department of Agriculture

FAQs

You can help alert USDA about crop progress and unusual crop conditions DURING the growing seasons. Instead of waiting until the crop is in, you can give us an early warning of crop situations that may need our attention for possible assistance.

• How much time is expected of me?

Ten – fifteen minutes each week. We recruit reporters who already have crop knowledge as a result of their normal work routines; therefore, the time involved to help with this project should be very minimal.

• How can I become a weekly crop reporter?

If you can help New England agriculture with this popular weekly crop update, you will be given your own Username and Password to our Crop Reporting website. To become a Crop reporter or to receive more information, call us at 1-800-642-9571 or send an Email message to nass-nh@nass.usda.gov with the subject as “Crop Progress.”

• How do I report each week?

If you are knowledgeable about crops across your county AND have Internet/Fax access, you qualify to be a weekly crop reporter. It only takes about 10-15 minutes each week to alert USDA of the crop situation in your county using the Internet/Fax report form.

• When does this program begin and end?

In New England, this USDA report is issued weekly during the growing season from the first week in May to the last week in November. It contains the six-state averages of crop progress and conditions for field crops, fruits, and vegetables in New England. Comments from reporters add a local flavor to the publication.

• Can I see an example of the Internet reporting system?

Yes. See https://www.agcounts.usda.gov.


• How am I notified of when the Internet system is available for my report?

Reporters will be sent an Email notice every Thursday or Friday when the system is available. A reminder Email is also sent first thing Monday morning.

• When is my weekly report expected?

We ask that reports be completed by 10 am on Monday. A Monday report is preferred to include any significant weekend weather events, but an earlier report will gladly be used if Monday is not practical for you that week.

• How about crops that I don't know anything about?

Reporters can skip crops or other items for which they have no opinion.

• How often should I respond during the growing season?

This is a voluntary survey to collect information on crop progress and conditions. For reliable survey results across the growing season, we ask that reporters submit responses nearly every week so changes can be measured from week to week.

• I am responsible for a few counties. Are you asking for a separate report for each one?

At the beginning of the season, reporters can choose to report for one county or a group of counties, depending on the geographical area for which you are knowledgeable. Only one report is needed to cover a group of counties unless you prefer to submit a separate report for each county.

• Do I get any credit for doing this?

Comments from reporters are published in the New England release describing special situations in your county. This provides visibility for your organization because your name and organization will be seen, along with your comments, by about 500 subscribers across New England. As a reporter, you will also receive the weekly summary via Email.

• What are the publications that come from this effort?

The New England report is issued Monday evening after 4 pm. An Email is sent at that time as a PDF file. In addition, the report is loaded to the Internet. Click to view the most recent release.

• I know of people in other organizations who are already reporting for my county. Why should I report too?

Some counties have not been represented at all in previous years. Also, it is beneficial to have county reporters from various organizations. Since this is a survey, different reporters may have different information regarding the same crops. Reporters will only answer for the crops they know about. Also, if a reporter misses one week, we hope to have another report from that county.