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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 19 2007 : 2:49:07 PM
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Keep your eye out for Agriculture Census Forms being mailed out at the end of this month. The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts a Census of Agriculture every five years to collect data on our country's farms and ranches and the people who operate them. The Census looks at land use and ownership, farmer characteristics, production practices, and much more. It's the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every county in the nation.
It is extremely important that every farm be counted in this Census. The USDA says that for Census purposes, a farm is any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the Census year. Respondents are guaranteed by law that the information they submit will be kept confidential. The data cannot be used for purposes of taxation, investigation, or regulation.
Census data is used to inform legislation and allocate resources to support agriculture. Small, diversified farms that rely on direct marketing through farmers' markets and other local outlets historically have been greatly underreported. Make sure your farm counts by completing your form.
Report forms for the 2007 Census of Agriculture will be mailed to farm and ranch operators on December 28, 2007* to collect data for the 2007 calendar year. Completed forms are due by February 4, 2008. Producers can return their forms by mail or, for the first time, they have the option of filling out the Census online via a secure web site. For more information, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call toll-free 888-4AG-STAT or 888-424-7828.
* If you have not registered your farm with the Farm Service Agency you probably will not receive a Census form. Contact your local FSA or USDA office to receive a form.
Jen
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member #9
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Make Sure your Farm Counts!
