USDA 2017 Census of Agriculture is coming

The USDA 2017 Census of Agriculture is coming. It should arrive in farmers’ and ranchers’ mailboxes beginning in December. The census is conducted every five years and this year’s census comes with an “extensively revised” online census experience. Producers can respond either by mail or online. “The updated online questionnaire is very user-friendly—it can now be used on any electronic device, and can be saved and revisited as the producer’s schedule allows,” said National Agriculture Statistic Service (NASS) Census and Survey Division Director Barbara Rater. “Responding online saves time and protects data quality. That’s our mission at NASS—to provide timely, accurate, and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture. Better data mean informed decisions, and that’s why it is so important that every producer respond and be represented.” Participation in the census is mandatory under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113. The law also mandates that NASS keep information confidential. Census response is due by Feb. 5, 2018.