National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Supporting the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.

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Make Sure Your Farm is Counted: 2017 Census Of Agriculture Paper Copies Due Friday!

Kate Edwards owns and operates Wild Woods Farm, a 7-acre vegetable farm in Johnson County, Iowa. Photo credit: USDA, Preston Keres.
Kate Edwards owns and operates Wild Woods Farm, a 7-acre vegetable farm in Johnson County, Iowa. Photo credit: USDA, Preston Keres.

Attention farmers and ranchers: The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Census of Agriculture is a critical opportunity to have your operation counted and therefore considered when federal policies are made. The deadline for paper (mailed) copies is this Friday, June 15!

Over the last year, we’ve been very pleased to see many producers proactively signing up to receive the Census. The more farmers and ranchers who are counted, the better data we have with which to make better federal policies. Making sure you receive the census is the first step, the next step is making sure you’ve filled it out and sent it in on time. If you’re mailing your responses, that means you need to act this week! Online respondents will have until the end of July to complete the census at www.agcensus.usda.gov.

Not convinced the Census is worth your time? Here are the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s (NSAC) top reasons to engage in this important process:

  • The Census will help shape food and agriculture policy for the next five years.
  • Beginning, socially disadvantaged, organic, direct-market, and urban farmers are historically undercounted in the Census. A more accurate count means a higher likelihood of increasing resources for programs that matter to you.
  • The Census helps USDA to count beginning farmers by calculating the average farmer age. This allows USDA to better evaluate if current policies and programs are increasing the number of folks beginning and sustaining farms who will shape the future of farming!
  • Important data on conservation and energy collected from the Census are used to support programs that champion rotational grazing/cropping and renewable energy.

To get a taste of how groups like NSAC use the Census results, see our blogs on the 2012 Census about socially disadvantaged groups, beginning farmers, and conservation and energy.

The Census is administered by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and is conducted every five years.

Every response matters when it comes to the Census of Agriculture, so make sure your farm is counted!