Researching on farmers into sustainable methods

[dquiambao]

Good day!
My team and I are participating in a Bootcamp that aims to help college and university students to be engaged in a summer activity where students are guided in creating startups, and one of the activities are to conduct interviews with people from our customer segments.

I have 15 questions that need responses from farmers. These questions are not formed to collect data and submitted anywhere else but as questions that could help us in creating analysis and validating our research hypotheses and learn about people in the industry we are researching on. Your responses will provide us accurate, real-world responses from actual farmers that would help us either reject or accept our hypotheses. They are not, in anyway, collected to cause anyone in the farming industry harm. Also, responses will be kept anonymous.

Finally, here are the questions I have for you, and if you need to keep them brief, please feel free to as any response is more than appreciated:

1. How familiar are you with navigating the internet?
2. Do you have access to a smartphone, and does it have mobile data? If not, would you be willing to acquire one?
3. How long have you or your family been farming?
4. What are your go-to solutions when you encounter problems at the farm?
5. What are difficulties you face while farming?
6. What is the biggest struggle you have in farming that you would be comfortable sharing?
7. Do you think you need help in finding solutions in the problems you encounter at the farm?
8. What kind of farming support [financial, community, risk management, locating market opportunities, food safety, mentorship/apprenticeship] do you receive on a regular basis?
9. Where do you seek assistance from (financial, farming-related questions, troubleshooting)?
10. How familiar are you with different farming techniques? [Ex: Agroforestry, Crop Rotations, Mixed/Inter-cropping, Polyculture, Water Harvesting]
11. What kind of farming style/techniques do you implement? Why?
12. Do you believe in sustainable agriculture? Why or why not?
13. What farming communities are you associated with, if any?
14. Would you encourage your family and friends to pursue farming as a career/occupation?
15. What do you think makes you successful as a farmer? OR What hinders you from farming?

Thank you so much and I really appreciate your time as it really means a lot. Although the responses are anonymous, we ask that a name be provided, preferably first name.
Also, if you could please pass this email around to people who you know are farming or are in the industry, it would be so much appreciated.