National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Presented by: Michael Gerling 

Geographic Information Running Area Frame Forms Electronically 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Presented by: Michael Gerling 
 

 

 

⦆ Annual survey that 

provides data on 

U.S. crops, livestock, 

grain storage 

capacity, and type 

and size of farm. 

 

⦆ Comprised of 

designated land 

areas (segments). 

Each segment is 

about 640 acres 

(1 square mile). 

⦆ 11,000 segments 

surveyed across the 

U.S. 

2 
⦆ Using a provided 

aerial photo, the 

interviewer divides 

segment into tracts 

representing unique 

land operating 

arrangements. 

⦆ Interviewers screen 

for whether tract is 

part of a farm and 

collect crop and 

livestock information 

for each tract. 

⦆ 42,000 Agricultural 

Tracts. 

⦆ Paper questionnaire 

used to record data. 

3 
 

 

Current Paper 

Version 

24 or more pages. 

Shows one of two 

pages used to 

collect tract and 

field level 

information. 

Basically, lots of 

rows and 

columns. 

4 
 

 

ell Tower 

USDA-NASS 

Wireless 

Broadband 

(3G/4G) 

Agricultural Operation 

Iowa State University 

Web Survey Site 

USDA - NASS Field Office 

Hybrid of the Thin Client CAPI Framework 

Field Interviewer (iPAD) 

C

5 
Powered by Giraffe

Tract Field Use 

m EJ [Q ( famstoad 

m EJ D ( winter wheal 

m EJ ( com for grain 

m C!::::J [Q ( farmstead 

m C!::::J D (soybeans 

m C!::::J ( woodland pastured 

m C!::::J EJ (soybeans 

m C!::::J ( com for grain 

m C!::::J ( com for silage 

m C!::::J u ( aHaHa hay 

@=:] [Q ( lrmsted 

@=:] D ( com for grain 

@=] [Q (non ag 

li::::J ( farmstead 

Area (ac) 

647.3 

1 .8 

20.8 

76.4 

6.6 

8.7 

34.8 

56.8 

30.6 

40.1 

19.4 

5.3 

76.6 

15.3 

3.8 

59.1 

a 

USDA 

-

6 
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@] 

r----, '*' ' ' i.. ____ j 

m J 

(LJ . 

00 

_ ._ -

<< 

Pause 

Cache I magery 

Zoom to Segment 

Zoom to Selected 

Select All Visible 

Select None 

Select Featu re(s) 

Split Feature(s) 

Merge Selected 

Undo 

Undo All 

Redo 

Redo All 

Available Tools 

USDA 

-

7 
 

 

Select the Split Button tool. Start a new line by tapping once outside of 

the red boundary and a yellow circle will appear. 

8 
 

 

 

Drawing lines is NOT a dragging motion. Lift your finger and tap 

outside the bottom edge of the red boundary and another yellow 

circle will appear with a yellow line connecting the two circles. 

9 
 

 

Tapping quickly 2 times completes a line. Make sure to do this 

outside of the red boundary and close to the last yellow circle. 

10 
 

 

Once you tap twice a blue line will appear within the red boundary 

and all circles and lines outside the boundary will disappear. 

11 
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www.nrisurvey.org/nassjasDev/#rsl::O&stale=18&county=183&segid=1 f. 

DEVELOPMENT NASS June Area Survey Untitled + 

Indiana, Whitley County, Segment EXERCISE10039 I Stored Locally? . I Saved to Server? . ( Close & Rcrum ) 

co for grain 

8 . 7 0 

[ woodland pastured 34 .8 CJ 

so ns 568 -

( com for grain 30.6 0 

(D El [ com for silage 40 .1 0 

(D u [ alfaffa hay 19 .4 0 

EJ (Q ( frmstod 5.3 0 

EJ EJ ( corn for grain 76 .6 CJ 

CD (Q [ noo ag 15. 3 0 

D (£] (Q [ farmstead 3.8 CJ 

D (£] EJ [ com for grain 59.1 0 

D (£] EJ ( winter wheat 11.7 0 

D (£] El [ woods 13.2 0 

D D (Q [ farmstead 5.4 0 

[ com for silage 24.9 0 

USDA 

-

12 
" V<'riZOll 3G 1 40 PM 8 2 _, 

Q::I www nrisurvey.org/nass1as0ev/#rsl=O&state=18&county=183&seg1d=1 8 Goog 

DEVELOPMENT NASS June Area Survey Untitled 

Indiana, Whitley County, Segment EXERCISE10039 I Stored Locally? • I Saved to ( Close & Return ) 

Field: EJ Use: ____ 

Land use [ Occupied farmstead or dwelling 

Total acres in field {disregarding red and blue lines). 

Does any part of the field extend beyond the red 

boundary? 

Acres within this blue boundary. {This is the area we 

are referring to for the remainder of this form.) [Project 

Acreage] 

Occupied farmstead or dwelling 

a 

[What was the response for 

Project Acreage?) e 

(Who was the respondent?) 

(Is the form complete for this field? Choosing "Yes" 

will close form.] 

a 

+ 

USDA 

-

13 
 

National Agricultural Imagery 

Program 

(NAIP Imagery) 

14 
Cropland Data Layer 

15 
 The Benefits 

1. Lower Costs 

a. Data Entry 

b. Less Paper 

c. Fewer Resources Needed (Aerial Photo) 

d. Minimizes mailing costs 

2. Improve Data Quality 

a. Edit Checks 

b. Geographic Information System (GIS) - improved precision 

3. Flexibility 

a. Able to move assignments around 

 

4. Widens Data Collection Window 

a. Collect data even at the last minute 

 

 

5. Will improve the Cropland Data Layer which in turn improves our 

sampling scheme and what is displayed on the iPAD for the next 

year. 

16 
 

 

 

 

⦆ Run on an iPad 

⦆ Capture tract and field boundaries as GIS polygons 

◦ Display imagery 

◦ Provide the appropriate GIS tools 

⦆ Label tracts and fields appropriately 

⦆ Operate without a reliable Internet connection 

⦆ Automatically save data to server when possible 

17 
 

 

 

⦆ ArcGIS API? 

Editing operations are server-side (off-line operation 

not possible) 

⦆ Java Script API? 

Not optimized for touch interfaces 

⦆ Native iOS API - iPAD? 

No expertise and steep learning curve (language, 

libraries, etc.) 

Distribution/deployment questions - legalities 

API = Application Programming Interface 18 
 

 

 

 

⦆ Google Maps 

⦆ Bing Maps 

⦆ Leaflet – open source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly 

interactive maps 

⦆ ArcGIS API for JavaScript 

⦆ OpenLayers 

19 
 

 

 

⦆ Quickly make web pages with embedded maps. 

⦆ Support for various image layer types. 

⦆ Standard tools for map navigation and editing 

⦆ Support for user-editable vector layers 

20 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

⦆ Not just agriculture but draw off any land shapes 

and capture data about it. 

⦆ Shows that this hybrid of the true thin client data 

collection approach can actually work. 

⦆ Future – show location of the interviewer. Add a 

roads map layer. 

⦆ Two side benefits of the project: 

1.) Recording interviews with another iPAD. 

2.) Remote/Correspondence Training 

21 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The TEAM for Phase I 

Executive Sponsors 

Jeff Bailey, Mark Harris, Chris Messer 

Eric Wilson – Team Leader 

Michael Gerling, Matt Deaton, William Jordan, David Hancock, 

Leslee Lohrenz, Pam Hird, Prince Hakim, Jonathan Lisic 

Linda Lawson – Indiana 

Debbie Dunham – Indiana 

Sherry Deane – Pennsylvania 

Jillayne Weaber – Pennsylvania 

Eric Stebbins – Washington 

Iowa State University 

Sarah Nusser 

Alan Dotts 

Andrew Vardeman 

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⦆ Michael Gerling michael.gerling@nass.usda.gov 

⦆ Claire Boryan clarie.boryan@nass.usda.gov 

23 
24

Questions