Good Agriculture Policy Requires Accurate Information. Take the Ag Census

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin mailing the 2012 Census of Agriculture to Maryland farmers in mid-December, and the Maryland Department of Agriculture urges all Maryland farmers to participate and complete the Census by the Feb. 4, 2013 deadline. The Census can be taken online or mailed in.

“Federal and state leaders use the information collected through the Agricultural Census to make policy decisions that have substantial impacts on agriculture,” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. “It is critically important to all of us in agriculture that those decisions are based on the most accurate and objective information possible. That information is only available through the Ag Census. I can’t emphasize enough how important this Census information is and how strongly I encourage farmers to take it seriously.”

For the first time, the 2012 Census contains questions asking for the number of acres under conservation tillage practices, acres planted to cover crops and acres under conservation easements. This information will be critical in documenting the work farmers are doing collectively to be good stewards of the environment. Through the Census, producers can show the nation the value and importance of agriculture both environmentally and economically. By responding to the Census, producers are helping themselves, their communities and all of U.S. agriculture.
The Ag Census – which is conducted every five years – defines a farm as any place that produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural products during the Census Year (2012). We encourage all agricultural operations to report, regardless of size. Participation in the Census is required by law.
The Census of Agriculture – a complete count of all U.S. farms and ranches, and the people who operate them – is the only source of uniform, comprehensive and impartial agricultural data for every county in the nation. Local and national leaders use information from the Census to make decisions that directly impact the agricultural industry, rural development, and other resource-based industries and small businesses. In addition, farmers and ag-related businesses can use the information to make decisions about their own business development opportunities.
Individual information provided to the Census must be kept confidential, by law. USDA will begin releasing results from the survey in February 2014. To read FAQs about the Census.
For more information: http://www.mda.maryland.gov/news_room/2012census.php or http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/index.php