The PublicMind poll was sponsored by the New Jersey Farm Bureau and conducted by telephone from October 15 through October 24 using a randomly selected, state-wide sample of 906 New Jersey residents aged 18 and over. The sampling error for 906 adults is +/- 3.3 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence. Results are weighted to match known demographics. Survey results are also subject to non-sampling error. This kind of error, which cannot be measured, arises from a number of factors including, but not limited to, non-response (eligible individuals refusing to be interviewed), question wording, the order in which questions are asked, and variations among interviewers. All interviews are conducted by professionally trained interviewers using a CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) system.  Random selection >is obtained through computerized random-digit dialing. This technique gives every person with a phone number an equal chance of being selected including those with unlisted numbers.

The wording and order of the questions included in this release are as follows:

Questions

...Let’s think about New Jersey as the Garden State…

FB1. To the best of your knowledge, why is New Jersey called the Garden State?

• Farming/produce/vegetables
• Gardening/flowers

FB2. Have you ever visited a farm in New Jersey?  

FB3.  What was the reason for your visit…

• Touring a historic or open-to-the-public farm
• Buying farm products
• Educational outing

FB4.  In the past year, have you heard or read anything about farming or farm interests in New Jersey? 

FB5. Where did you get it …

• Newspapers
• Magazines
• TV
• Radio
• Brochures

FB6. What’s your best guess to how many full-time, owner-operated farms there are in New Jersey?

• +10,000
• 5,001-10,000
• 1-5,000
• Less than 1,000

FB7. Again your best guess, for every dollar you spend on food at your grocery store, how much of that food dollar do you think goes to the farmer?

• More than 75 cents
• 50-75 cents
• 25-50 cents
• Less than 25 cents

FB8. How many of New Jersey’s farms would you say are family farms?

• Most of them
• About half
• Very few

FB9. Some say ….  Others say….  Which comes closer to your view?

• it is increasingly difficult for farmers to stay in business and remain profitable
• New Jersey farmers are thriving

FB10. To the best of your knowledge, do you think most New Jersey farmers are subsidized by the government?

FB11. Owners of working farms pay the same property taxes as everyone else for their homes, but they receive reduced tax rates on the land they grow crops on.  Do you see this as appropriate or inappropriate? 

FB12. How important is it to you to have fresh fruits and vegetables grown in the state? 

• Very important
• Somewhat important
• Not at all important

FB13. Given a choice, would you buy locally grown produce over produce shipped in from outside the New Jersey region.  

FB14. Why is that… ?

• Freshness
• Price
• Support of farming in New Jersey

FB15. Farming makes use of fertilizers and pesticides to grow crops. On balance, do you think these fertilizers and pesticides…

• Have a minimal impact on the environment
• Have a serious impact the environment

FB16. Now, thinking about water… Those farmers who report their water use to the state and practice water conservation can use as much water as they need during a major drought.  Do you see this as appropriate or inappropriate?

FB17.  Would you say organic foods are …., [READ AND ROTATE]

• Safer than other foods
• Less safe than other foods

FB18. How serious a problem do you think wildlife such as deer and Canada geese are for New Jersey farmers?

• Very serious
• Somewhat serious
• Not very serious
• Not at all serious

FB19. Do you support or oppose hunting wildlife to limit crop damage?

FB20. The government sometimes changes land regulations or zoning in ways that cause farmers to lose value on their properties. Do you think government should pay compensation to farmers for this lost value or not?

FB21. On balance, which of the following statements comes closer to your view…or… ?

• Farming is an environmentally friendly use of land,
• Farming contributes to the degradation of the environment

FB22. Would you personally mind living next to a working farm?

FB23. How important to you personally is it to have farming and farmland preservation in New Jersey?

FB24. Do you feel that farming should play a valuable role in the future of New Jersey or does it not really matter?

FB25. Are there any farms in your town?

FB26. Do you consider the town you live in to be urban, suburban or rural?

see also:
Survey Analysis
Tabular Results Copyright © 2004, Fairleigh Dickinson University. All rights reserved. FDU PublicMind Poll [Latest update 041115]