Farmer Assistance Needed
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is preparing to conduct the 2017 Census of Agriculture. The Census of Agriculture is the leading source of facts and figures about American agriculture. Conducted every five years, the Census provides a detailed picture of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. It is the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every state and county in the United States.
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is asking for your help to make the 2017 Census of Agriculture as accurate as possible. The USDA faces the major challenge of maintaining a current mailing list of farmers. If you have never received a Census of Agriculture or a survey questionnaire from NASS, please take a couple minutes and provide NASS your contact information at Make Sure Your Farm or Ranch Counts!.
Even if you do not think of yourself as a farmer or rancher, please note that your operation is a farm if it meets the Census of Agriculture definition – an operation that sold or normally would have sold $1,000 or more of agricultural products in a year. If you own or rent agricultural land, grow vegetables, grow horticultural or floricultural products, have fruit or nut trees, cattle, horses, poultry, hogs, bees, aquaculture products, or consider yourself a farmer or rancher, NASS needs to hear from you!
All individual information provided to NASS is confidential and only used for statistical purposes. In accordance with the Confidential Information Protection provisions of Title V, Subtitle A, Public Law 107-347 and other applicable Federal laws, your responses will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed in identifiable form to anyone other than employees or agents. By law, every employee and agent has taken an oath and is subject to a jail term, a fine, or both if he or she willfully discloses ANY identifiable information about you or your operation.
If you have previously received a Census of Agriculture or survey questionnaire from NASS then you will be receiving you 2017 Census of Agriculture questionnaire in late December 2017 or January 2018. Your cooperation is appreciated.