Census gives voice to agriculture, affects government policy

The 2007 Census of Agriculture, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) was mailed to farms and ranches nationwide on Dec. 28. The main goal of the census is to gauge the health of the agriculture industry and to provide information to government policy-makers.

"The ag census is only conducted once every five years, and it paints a comprehensive picture of agriculture down to the county level," said Greg Preston, Indiana state statistician for USDA NASS. "The statistics are used at the local and state levels by planners for zoning, at the university level for research, and at the federal level for the Farm Bill and disaster assistance."

Farmers are asked to fill out sections of the census that pertain to their operations, and then return questionnaires to USDA NASS by the end of February.

"It is essential that farmers fill out the questionnaires because this is their chance to really have an affect on government agricultural policies," Preston said. "County officials, universities and county Extension services use the information to create programs that benefit area farmers. The statistics also affect cash rents, land values and environmental planning, and they are used to secure the future of agriculture by teaching students that the agriculture industry is thriving."

The data will be collected and analyzed in 2008 and will be published and available to the public in early 2009.

The published results will contain data on the country as a whole, each individual state, and even a comprehensive analysis of each county. Once the results are published, they will be available through a variety of means.

"We'll have county profiles that are available to everyone, primarily electronically because that's the fastest. But if someone needs some of the information, they can call our office and we'll copy specific pages, or we can help them find it on the Internet or send them a booklet," Preston said.