[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 4, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 17626]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-8248]



[[Page 17626]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Notice of Intent To Seek Approval to Conduct an Information 
Collection

AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 
L. No. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget regulations at 5 CFR 
part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), this notice announces the 
intent of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to 
request approval for an information collection, the Women on U.S. Farms 
Survey.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by June 8, 2000 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Rich Allen, Associate 
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4117 South 
Building, Washington, D.C. 20250-2000, (202) 720-4333.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Women on U.S. Farms Survey.
    Type of Request: Intent to Seek Approval to Conduct an Information 
Collection.
    Abstract: The goal of this National Agricultural Statistics Service 
and Penn State University co-operative project is to expand the 
knowledge base concerning the participation of women in U.S. 
agriculture. This knowledge will be useful for formulating policy 
related to agriculture and rural development and will also be helpful 
for social and economic researchers interested in farming and 
agriculture. Farm women have been found to contribute substantially to 
agricultural production through their involvement in farm work, farm 
decisions, and agricultural organizations. The U.S. Census of 
Agriculture, the major source of data about agricultural production and 
farm operators in the United States, undercounts women's involvement in 
farm enterprises because only one operator per farm is counted. In 
addition, no national-level study has sought information about women's 
participation in agriculture since 1980. We have only limited 
information about how changes in agriculture and farming have affected 
women's work on farms and their participation in decisions related to 
farming. The findings from the proposed study will provide information 
for developing government policies that can more effectively serve 
women as well as men who live and work on farms. Policies and programs 
that lower structural barriers and increase opportunities for women can 
improve the economic viability of U.S. farms.
    The project addresses the following objectives: (1) To analyze the 
nature and extent of women's participation in farm operations in the 
U.S. today, including their participation in farm tasks, farm decision-
making, farm organizations, and government agriculture programs; to 
ascertain the variation in such involvement by region, type of farm, 
and the socio-demographic characteristics of the women themselves; and 
to describe changes that have occurred in the last 20 years. (2) To 
assess the current participation of women on U.S. farms in nonfarm 
work, including the type and extent of off-farm employment, nonfarm 
self-employment, and involvement in the informal economy and changes in 
nonfarm work patterns since 1980.
    The sample is 5,000 farms operated as sole proprietorships, 
partnerships, or family corporations. The respondent will be the farm 
operator, if a woman, or the wife of the male farm operator at each of 
the selected farms. While it is anticipated that the overwhelming 
majority of farm operators will be men, most are expected to have 
spouses present in the household. The projected usable sample of farm 
women is thus approximately 4,000 cases. In addition, 500 farm men will 
be interviewed to compare the work of farm men and women and to 
identify differences in men's and women's perceptions of women's 
involvement in the farm enterprise. The men who will be interviewed 
will be spouses or partners of 500 of the farm women who are 
interviewed in the study. All interviews will be conducted using a 
computer-assisted telephone interviewing system, which provides for 
quality control monitoring of interviews, managing call scheduling and 
call-backs, automatic record keeping, question presentation, and 
response recording. Approximately two weeks prior to the beginning of 
the interviews, letters will be sent to the sample members explaining 
the purpose of the study and alerting them to the coming call.
    These data will be collected under the authority of 7 U.S.C. 
2204(a). Individually identifiable data collected under this authority 
are governed by Section 1770 of the Food Security Act of 1985, 7 U.S.C. 
2276, which requires USDA to afford strict confidentiality to non-
aggregated data provided by respondents.
    Estimate of Burden: Test interviews indicated that the women's 
interview will require approximately 28 minutes and the men's 
approximately 20 minutes. There will be a pre-survey letter mailed to 
all 5,000 in the sample.
    Respondents: Female and male farm operators.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,000 women and 500 men.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,400 hours.
    Copies of this information collection and related instructions can 
be obtained without charge from Ginny McBride, Agency OMB Clearance 
Officer, at (202) 720-5778.
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments may be 
sent to: Ginny McBride, Agency OMB Clearance Officer, U.S. Department 
of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4162 South Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20250-2000. All responses to this notice will become a 
matter of public record and be included in the request for OMB 
approval.

    Signed at Washington, D.C., March 6, 2000.
Rich Allen,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-8248 Filed 4-3-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-20-P