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Opportunities for agricultural producers to provide lignocellulosic feedstocks to manufacturers of biobased products such as ethanol, butanol, and fine chemicals are emerging. When evaluating such biomass market opportunities, several factors must be considered (e.g., sustainability, possible harvest delays, labor availability, initial investment, risk). The primary objective of this study was to develop rigorous constructs defining the essential elements for producer participation in biomass markets. In this paper, we report the results and analysis of a mail survey of 2,250 Iowa producers farming 50 acres or more. The survey instrument was developed using relevant items to assess essential elements for producer participation in biomass markets. Semantic Differential Scales (rating from one to seven with polar opposites as scale anchors) were used and the Dillman Protocol was followed. Producers returned 885 surveys, 645 of which were complete, for a response rate of 28.7%. Exploratory factor analysis was used to analyze the survey data and group survey items into multi-item constructs.