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Prepared by Drive Solutions
Help Organic Alberta
grow your business. Thursday, November 9, 2017
SURVEY RESULTS
SUMMARY
Prepared by Drive Solutions Corp.
Date Created: Thursday, July 13, 2017
166 Total Responses
Complete Responses: 132
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q34: How much growth in sales have you had over the past 5 years?
(Cumulative not annual.)
Answered: 136 Skipped: 30
Nearly 50% of respondents have experienced 0-24% growth while only 12% experienced negative
growth in the past 5 years.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q35: What are your plans for the next 5 years? Select all that apply.
Answered: 143 Skipped: 23
The vast majority of respondents plan to grow their businesses
over the next 5 years.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q35: What are your plans for the next 5 years? (Other comments.) Answered: 143 Skipped: 23
Category Responses
Same thing
53.57%
Succession planning
14.29%
Increase efficiencies
7.14%
Transition more acres to certified
7.14%
Crop diversity
3.57%
Equipment upgrades
3.57%
Intensify production
3.57%
New product development
3.57%
Revert to conventional
3.57%
Value-adding
3.57%
The majority of those who selected “Other”
stated that they didn’t plan to change
anything.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q36: Which of the following possible strategic priorities should Organic
Alberta focus on to deliver the greatest impact to the organic industry.
Answered: 130 Skipped: 36
Strategic Priorities
Weighted
Average Develop the local value added and processing sector 8.44
Develop a marketing campaign to increase demand for organic
production in Canada 8.26
Obtain a regulation in Alberta to ensure that everyone using the
word organic is certified, that producers have a level playing
field, and consumers have confidence in the organic logo 7.56
Attract new and young farmers into organics 7.11
Educate school children about organics 6.90
Maintain strong standards nationally, including the integrity of
the system 6.33
Market Alberta based products in export markets 6.32
Help develop the grain value chain 6.05
Facilitate the development of distribution systems 5.89
Help develop the beef value chain 5.68
Help develop the horticultural value chain (including a
wholesale/distribution system) 5.53
Attract conventional growers into organics 5.41
The three priorities for respondents were to develop greater value added and processing
capacity, increase demand for organics
and protect the organic brand.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q37: Is there anything else that Organic Alberta should focus on that
could greatly impact the organic industry?
Answered: 38 Skipped: 128
The majority of responses centred
around a desire for OA to help with
increasing demand and educating
consumers, which indirectly is
motivated by a desire for market growth as well.
Program Category Occurance Program Category Occurance
Growth in demand
23.68% Help source local seeds
2.63%
Consumer education
21.05% Help source local supply
2.63%
Grower education
10.53% Industry education
2.63%
Increase lobbying efforts
7.89% Maintain the standards
2.63%
Clean up bad brokers
5.26% Product testing
2.63%
Beef feed lot
2.63% Reorganize
2.63%
Fund cert. organic projec
2.63% Support marketing co-ops
2.63%
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q38: How will the following potential challenges impact your business
and the industry over the next 5 years?
Answered: 144 Skipped: 22
Top 5 Challenges
Weighted
Average Cost of land -1.43
Competition from Alberta producers who use the organic label to market their products in Alberta without being certified organic (because there is no provincial regulation prohibiting it) -1.18
Too many retail labels confusing the consumer (i.e. natural, antibiotic free, local, humanely raised, ethical, fair trade, etc.) -1.09
Fluctuating prices -1.02
Competition from foreign growers -1.02
Aligns with the respondents’ top
strategic priorities
rankings in Q36.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q39: How would you rate your interest in learning more about the
following Business Management Skills?
Answered: 144 Skipped: 22
Interest Ratings
Weighted
Average Marketing 1.29
Pricing your product (for wholesale or retail) 1.10
Market trends and forecasting 1.00
Record keeping (per certification requirements) 0.70
Financial record-keeping/analysis (including cost
of production, contracts, etc.) 0.68
Storage and handling 0.66
Human resource management 0.18
Marketing orientated skills are of the
highest interest for the respondents.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q40: Do you feel the sale of unregulated organic labeled products has a
detrimental impact on the integrity of the organic certification label?
Answered: 143 Skipped: 23
There is widespread concern amongst the
respondents regarding the sale of unregulated organic
labeled products.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q52: Do you have any other suggestions for how Organic Alberta could
help support the organic industry over the next 5 years?
Answered: 56 Skipped: 110
Suggestion Category Occurance Suggestion Category Occurance
Consumer Education
14.29% Promote AB processing capacity
3.57%
Regulation lobbying
10.71% Consult organic farmers
1.79%
Producer education
8.93% Don't encourage new growers
1.79%
New or small farm focus
5.36% Facilitate supply pooling
1.79%
Grow market demand
5.36% Help with value adding
1.79%
Advocate for organic interests
3.57% Police growers for labeling compliance
1.79%
Grain marketing
3.57% Develop a youth organic grower program
1.79%
The most common suggestions could be
categorized as consumer education
and regulation lobbying.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q1: How many years have you been certified organic or serving the
organic sector?
Answered: 166 Skipped: 0
Good representation of both those who are new and those
who are experienced.
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Q2: What region of the province are you located?
Answered: 166 Skipped: 0
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Q3: What is your age?
Answered: 165 Skipped: 1
82% of respondents were 35+.
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Q4: This business is operated by: (Select all that apply.)
Answered: 166 Skipped: 0
The majority of respondents represent a spousal
partnership or a male operated business.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q5: Do you own or manage any of the following organic businesses?
Select all that apply.
Answered: 166 Skipped: 0
89% of all respondents are Farmers/Ranchers.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q6: Do you produce grains and/or market garden crops? Select all that
apply.
Answered: 150 Skipped: 16
87% of producers are growing grains
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q7: As a crop producer, how would you rate your interest in learning more about the following topics? (Top 5 noted by all crop producers.) Answered: 136 Skipped: 30
1
2
3
4
5
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q7: As a Grain producer, how would you rate your interest in learning
more about the following topics?
Answered: 128 Skipped: 2
“Crop rotation”, “Green manure
management”, and “Equipment” were of much greater interest to grain growers than to market growers.
Top 10 Interests
Weighted
Average Weed management 1.80
Soil health and fertility 1.77
Crop rotation planning 1.60
Green manure management 1.59
Equipment: field equipment 1.47
Intercropping (cash crops) 1.45
Crop variety selection 1.42
Assessing nutrient availability on the farm (eg soil test, plant
tests, etc) 1.40
Biological control for weed, disease or insect management (eg
predatory insects, herbivorous insects, etc) 1.34
Understanding certification requirements including record
keeping, standards, and regulations 1.32
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q7: As a Fruit/vegetables/herbs producer, how would you rate your
interest in learning more about the following topics?
Answered: 18 Skipped: 0
“Assessing nutrient availability” and
“Biological control” were of much
greater interest to market growers
than grain growers.
Top 10 Interests
Weighted
Average Weed management 1.78
Soil health and fertility 1.76
Assessing nutrient availability on the farm (eg soil test, plant
tests, etc) 1.65
Biological control for weed, disease or insect management (eg
predatory insects, herbivorous insects, etc) 1.61
Green manure management 1.53
Amendments and inputs (eg compost teas, humic acid, etc) 1.53
Crop rotation planning 1.44
Intercropping (cash crops) 1.35
Insect management 1.33
Crop variety selection 1.29
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q8: How many total crop & market garden acres do you have in production? (Grain producers only.) Answered: 128 Skipped: 2
The largest percentage of grain growers have 100-
499 acres.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q8: How many total crop & market garden acres do you have in production? (Fruit, vegetables and/or herbs producers only.) Answered: 18 Skipped: 0
Just like the grain producers, the
largest percentage of market garden
growers had 100-499 acres.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q9: Are you a livestock producer?
Answered: 136 Skipped: 30
31% of producers had livestock.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q10: As a livestock producer, please rate your level of agreement with the following statements? (scale is -2 to 2) Answered: 43 Skipped: 123
Livestock producers were relatively neutral regarding the need for
more abattoirs, however, those who wanted more were more emphatic with
their responses.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q11: How do you acquire your organic feed? Select all that apply.
Answered: 43 Skipped: 123
Although the vast majority of livestock producers, grow their
own organic feed, 30% need to purchase all or some of their
organic feed.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q12: Do you produce cattle? Select all that apply.
Answered: 43 Skipped: 123
86% of the livestock producers responding to the
survey produce beef cattle.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q13: How many cattle did you have at the beginning of 2017?
Answered: 35 Skipped: 135
On average, the respondents had 187
cattle at the beginning of 2017.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q14: How many cattle do you market per year (both certified and non-
certified?
Answered: 35 Skipped: 135
The range of responses was between 3 to 1300 cattle. On average, the respondents market 97
cattle per year.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q15: What percentage of your cattle do you market as certified organic?
Answered: 35 Skipped: 135
26% of respondents stated that they market some of
their herd as certified organic. Those who do,
market 74% of their herd as certified organic.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q16: If you are marketing as certified organic are you: (Select all that
apply.)
Answered: 11 Skipped: 0
A fairly even distribution of responses were collected for
all ways of selling their organic beef.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q17: When marketing non-certified organic cattle, how do you market
them? Select all that apply.
Answered: 35 Skipped: 131
86% of respondents market their non-certified organic
cattle as live animals through auction marts.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q18: When marketing non-certified organic cattle, which of the following
labels do you use? Select all that apply.
Answered: 35 Skipped: 131
When marketing their non-certified organic cattle 46% of respondents market them as Grass Fed/Grass Finished.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q18: When marketing non-certified organic cattle, which of the following
labels do you use? Select all that apply.
Answered: 35 Skipped: 131
The majority who answered “Other”
noted that they do not apply any labels.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q19: Do you produce poultry? Select all that apply.
Answered: 41 Skipped: 125
29% of respondents produce poultry.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q20: How many broilers do you market per year (both certified and non-
certified)?
Answered: 6 Skipped: 160
The majority (67%) of broiler producers are
small, marketing 1-99 broilers each year.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q20: How many broilers do you market per year (both certified and non-
certified)?
Answered: 6 Skipped: 160
2 of the 6 respondents market all of their broilers as certified while the other 4 do not market any as
certified.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q22: Are you raising broiler chickens primarily outdoors (eg: pasture
poultry)?
Answered: 6 Skipped: 160
83% of respondents raise their broilers primarily outdoors.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q23: What other livestock do you produce? Select all that apply.
Answered: 41 Skipped: 125
22% of livestock producers also raise
hogs, while 15% raise Sheep or Goats.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q23: What other livestock do you produce? Select all that apply.
Answered: 41 Skipped: 125
21 of the 26 respondents who answered “Other” specified none as their answer. Of
the 5 who specified, 2 responded with Cattle, 2 with Hogs for personal
consumption and 1 with Muscovy Ducks.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q24: How many hogs did you have at the beginning of 2017?
Answered: 35 Skipped: 135
On average, the respondents had 22.22 hogs at the beginning of
2017.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q25: How many hogs do you market per year (both certified and non-
certified)?
Answered: 35 Skipped: 135
On average, the respondents market 28.11
hogs each year.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q26: What percentage of your hogs do you market as certified organic?
Answered: 35 Skipped: 135
None of the respondents market their hogs as
certified.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q27: If you are marketing certified organic, how do you sell your
products? Select all that apply.
Answered: 9 Skipped: 157
None of the respondents market their hogs as
certified.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q28: Are you raising your hogs primarily outdoors (eg: pasture pork)?
Answered: 9 Skipped: 157
100% of the respondents raise their hogs primarily
outdoors.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q29: How many acres do you have in forage production? Please include
pasture, grazing and hay.
Answered: 114 Skipped: 52
61% of the producers who responded grow forages.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q29: How many acres do you have in forage production? Please include pasture, grazing and hay. (Forage producers only.) Answered: 70 Skipped: 0
The majority (61%) of the producers who grow
forages, have between 20-499 acres.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q30: As a forage producer, how would you rate your interest in learning
more about the following topics?
Answered: 70 Skipped: 96
Learning Interest (highest to lowest) Weighted Average Soil health 1.40
Weed management 1.36
Assessing nutrient availability on the farm (ex. Soil test, plant tests,
etc.) 1.27
Forage variety selection 1.22
Understanding certification requirements including record keeping,
standards, and regulations 1.15
Equipment 1.12
Insect management (both pests and beneficial) 1.04
Disease management 0.97
Amendments and inputs (ex. compost teas, humic acid, etc.) 0.97
Carbon sequestration 0.83
Custom grazing 0.58
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q31: Do you process any food, feed, livestock or seed?
Answered: 152 Skipped: 14
16% of the respondents are processors.
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Q32: What type of processing operation do you have? Select all that
apply.
Answered: 24 Skipped: 1
The largest percentage (42%) of
processor respondents have a “consumer ready packaged
products” operation.
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Q33: What type of cleaning do you do? Select all that apply.
Answered: 6 Skipped: 19
100% of processor respondents clean
their own seed while 50% clean to end
market specs.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q41: Do you think the following Organic Alberta programs have value?
Answered: 124 Skipped: 42
Overall, the programs were considered more
valuable than not, however, the indigenous
programs were the lowest rated and
most divisive amongst
respondents. 100
97
106
97
91
102
102
83
68
9
8
4
8
11
7
6
16
26
14
18
12
15
18
13
13
21
27
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Grain quality, yield and profitability programs (eg. nutrient management programs, agronomy training, fact sheets, …
Transitioning producer programs (eg pivotandgrow.com, POGI, Organic Alberta grain programs, attending …
Local and domestic market programs
International market programs
Seed biodiversity program
Programs that support the next generation of ecological farmers (eg Young Agrarians and farm tours)
Programs that provide farmer to farmer learning (eg apprenticeships/mentorships, field days, farm clubs)
Programs that focus on women and agriculture
Working with indigenous communities
Have No Opinion Don't See Value See Value
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q41: Do you think the following Organic Alberta programs have value?
Answered: 124 Skipped: 42
Respondents were unfamiliar with the
majority of OA programs.
Programs
Net
Familiarity*
Programs that provide farmer to farmer learning (eg
apprenticeships/mentorships, field days, farm clubs) 34
Transitioning producer programs (eg pivotandgrow.com, POGI, Organic
Alberta grain programs, attending traditional tradeshows, etc.) 7
Programs that support the next generation of ecological farmers (eg Young
Agrarians and farm tours) 1
Grain quality, yield and profitability programs (eg. nutrient management
programs, agronomy training, fact sheets, videos, pivotandgrow.com, 1-
800 Talk to an Organic Expert) -3
Programs that focus on women and agriculture -17
Local and domestic market programs -42
Seed biodiversity program -42
International market programs -47
Working with indigenous communities -50
*Number of respondents who are familiar with the program less respondents who are not familiar.
Respondents were most familiar with farmer to farmer learning programs and least familiar
with the indigenous and international market programs.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q42: What additional programs would you find useful?
Answered: 28 Skipped: 138
Most respondents did not note any
additional programs, but
those who did were most interested in agronomy related
programs.
Program Category Responses Program Category Responses
None
32.14% Organic pedigreed seed
3.57%
Crop tours
7.14% Organic regulations
3.57%
Soils
7.14% Peer group meetings
3.57%
Weed control
7.14% Risk management
3.57%
Aboriginal collaboration
3.57% Rudolf Steiner sciences
3.57%
Bio-bynamics
3.57% Small crop handling
3.57%
Extension courses at Olds
3.57% Stewardship programs
3.57%
Marketing
3.57% Transitioning to organic
3.57%
Natural farming
3.57% Value adding
3.57%
Online learning
3.57%
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q43: Thinking back to when you first entered the organic industry, what
do you wish you knew then that you know now?
Answered: 61 Skipped: 105
Agronomic knowledge and marketing were
the most commonly noted
topics respondents wished they had
known more about when they started.
Desired Knowledge Responses Desired Knowledge Responses
Agronomic knowledge
32.79% Equipment to buy
1.64%
Marketing
11.48% Harvesting
1.64%
Organic requirements/regulations
6.56% How to start
1.64%
Record keeping
6.56% Importance of networking
1.64%
Ecological practices
4.92% Importance of observation
1.64%
Nothing
4.92% Lack of public knowledge
1.64%
Difficulty/amount of work
3.28% Market volatility
1.64%
Customer relationships
3.28% Organics not a fad
1.64%
Everything
3.28% The capital required
1.64%
Future land prices
3.28% Value of peer learning
1.64%
Value adding
3.28% What works locally
1.64%
Value chain partners
3.28%
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q44: What is your preferred learning style? Select all that apply.
Answered: 135 Skipped: 31
Respondents prefer in-field, hands on
learning.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q45: What is your primary source (other than Organic Alberta) that you
rely on for information to help you with your organic operation?
Answered: 98 Skipped: 68
Respondents rely mostly on their peers, organic
certifier and the internet for information.
Source of Information Responses Source of Information Responses
Peers
37.76% Trial and error
5.10%
Organic certifier
20.41% Value chain partners
5.10%
Internet
19.39% Books
4.08%
Industry publications
13.27% Research associations
3.06%
Industry associations
9.18% Conferences
2.04%
Government
5.10%
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q46: Which of the following Organic Alberta events have you attended
over the past 2 years? Select all that apply.
Answered: 132 Skipped: 34
39% of respondents did not attend any of the listed OA events
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q46: Which of the following Organic Alberta events have you attended over the past 2 years? (Reasons why.) Answered: 132 Skipped: 34
Reasons Responses Reasons Responses
Too busy
50.00% Poor health
5.77%
Info not relevant
11.54% Attendees not organic enough
1.92%
Travel distance
11.54% Coworkers attend
1.92%
Not interested
7.69% From out of province
1.92%
Did not know about them
5.77% Too costly
1.92%
The majority of respondents who didn’t attend OA events stated that they were too busy.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q47: How would you rate the communication you receive from Organic
Alberta? (range = -2 to 2)
Answered: 134 Skipped: 32
The website is valuable.
It is easy to find what I’m looking for on the website.
The quarterly magazine is valuable.
The E-Update monthly emails are valuable.
The information is relevant to my region.
The information is relevant to my operation.
Communication is rated relatively
highly by respondents, with the website leading all other means.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q48: How often do you visit the OA website?
Answered: 133 Skipped: 33
A large percentage (29%) of respondents
have never visited the OA website. Of those who do, only 23% visit monthly.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q49: How could the Organic Alberta magazine be improved? Select all
that apply.
Answered: 123 Skipped: 43
24% of respondents were not aware that
there is an OA magazine.
38% felt no changes are needed to the
magazine, however, for those who did suggest a change, the most common
response was to have more practical
content included.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q49: How could the Organic Alberta magazine be improved? Select all that apply. (Other suggestions.) Answered: 123 Skipped: 43
Respondents Other suggestions? (please specify) 1 Often too busy to read. The summaries with a link to in-depth work well.
2 Farm Business stories from local farm business
3 Time limitations the past two years and needing to focus on on farm duties means I cannot
fairly answer this.
4 Don't take time
5 It's perfect
6 Information on Alberta first, but it would also be interesting to learn about the rest of Canada
and the world as well
7 have not read enough to have an opinion
8 I do not get a chance to read it - I get very busy.
9 I don't read it
10 Haven't read it enough to comment
11 I find it good, just don't have time to read all of them.
12 Read the Rodale online mag. It givs lots for everyone.
13 geared toward new readers with indepth studies to more forward learing
14 I find too much advertising now. I understand the costs behind the publication, but find that
much ads irritating.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q50: How could we improve the E-Update monthly emails we send?
Answered: 124 Skipped: 42
I don’t have email.
They should come more often, maybe every 2 weeks.
Make them shorter, I don’t have time to read all that.
I like it the way it is, don't change a thing.
Wait, Organic Alberta sends out monthly email updates?
Other suggestions? (please specify)
48% felt no changes are needed to the E-
Update emails.
17% of respondents do not have email.
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q50: How could we improve the E-Update monthly emails we send? (Other suggestions.) Answered: 124 Skipped: 42
Respondents Other suggestions? (please specify) 1 Keep them simple and relevant, with links to more comprehensive subjects.
2 don't have internet
3 We do not want e-mail
4 it find
5 Im new to the emails and information its been good so far
6 Target them more speifically to the member. ie farming related notices to farmers, and
production to producers. Most seem to be about farming so I ignore them.
7 To find out more ... include links.
8 Junky
9 Not germane to me
10 Don't know
11 no ndp gov
12 see above
13 send out to those who don't have email via surface runner
14 Shorter weekly would be good. Or like COG did recently, a highlight of popular Facebook
posts (based on likes, shares). I thought that was brilliant.
15 I am glad to know you are there to help and answer some of our questions and help us
solve some of our problems
16 Recent Alberta Organic prices chart
17 Not sure I'm on the email list for this
Prepared by Drive Solutions
Q51: What is your preferred method of receiving communication from
Organic Alberta?
Answered: 134 Skipped: 32
The majority of respondents (58%)
prefer email, followed by mail at
33%.
4 of the 7 “Other” responses were for
both Email and Mail.