Producers Urged to Complete the Census of Agriculture to Help Influence Ag for Years to Come

Click here to listen to KC Sheperd talk with Troy Marshall about the Ag Census

KC Sheperd, Farm Director, is visiting with Troy Marshall with USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, talking about the Census of Agriculture.

The Census of Agriculture, taken only once every five years, looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income, and expenditures. For America’s farmers and ranchers, the Census of Agriculture is their voice, their future, and their opportunity.

The census has been sent out, Marshall said, and the first due date was on February 6. Reminders are being sent out through the mail now, he added, for those individuals who have not responded to the questionnaire.

This year, Marshall said many individuals have been completing the survey online instead of sending it back in the mail. Marshall said he has received feedback that the questionnaire is easier online because you can select the information that applies to you and skip the rest.

The online version also sums up all of the totals and helps with completion, Marshall said, by pointing out something that may be off.

For those who have questions about the questionnaire, Marshall said there is a number provided on the census for customer service.

“We have people that are on the other end of the line that can help them go through that,” Marshall said.

While the questionnaire may look daunting, Marshall said very few people actually need to fill out every section.

“We are collecting this across the whole country, so we have to build a questionnaire that fits everybody, and in Oklahoma, most of the time you are not going to fit into every one of those categories,” Marshall said.

Information collected in the census, Marshall said, can be used to benefit producers through many avenues, such as future farm bills. This information, he added, is used to make decisions in individual counties all the way up to Washington, D.C.

“This is their voice,” Marshall said. “This is producer’s voices for their opportunity to say what is going on in agriculture, but it is also their opportunity for their future too. Not just the future of these producers, but the next generation to come. This really gives data to influence ag for years to come.”

This data has been collected all the way back to 1860, Marshall said, so each year matters.

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