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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 6, 2017
www.nj.gov/agriculture
PO Box 330
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0330

Contact:
Jeff Wolfe
P: (609) 633-2954
C: (609) 433-1785
E: jeff.wolfe@ag.nj.gov

 

                      

Census Forms Submission Deadline Is February 5

(TRENTON) – New Jersey farmers have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their communities by taking part in the 2017 Census of Agriculture.  Conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Census is a complete count of all U.S. farms, ranches and those who operate them.   Forms are being mailed out throughout the state and also are available online at https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/ with a submission deadline of February 5, 2018.

“We urge all farmers in New Jersey to respond promptly to ensure the most accurate reporting of the status of agriculture in the state,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher.  “The Census provides information that benefits producers and their communities, from guiding production strategies to developing policy that strengthens and grows the industry.”

The Census looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures and other topics. This information is used by all those who serve farmers and rural communities from federal, state and local governments to agribusinesses and trade associations.

Two sections of the Census that are of particular interest to New Jersey farm and livestock owners are Production Expenses and Income from Farm-Related Sources.

Production Expenses help show contribution of New Jersey agriculture to the economy.  Another key to showing the importance of agriculture in New Jersey is Farm-Related Sources, which includes agri-tourism, pollinators, and boarding.

“The Census of Agriculture is USDA’s largest data collection endeavor, providing some of the most widely used statistics in the industry,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “Collected in service to American agriculture since 1840, the census gives every producer the opportunity to be represented so that informed decisions can support their efforts to provide the world with food, fuel, feed, and fiber. Every response matters.”

The census is being mailed in several phases through December. Farm operations of all sizes which produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2017 are included in the census. The census is the only source of uniform, comprehensive, and impartial agriculture data for every state and county in the nation.

NASS has revised the census forms in an attempt to document changes and emerging trends in the industry. Changes include a new question about military veteran status, expanded questions about food marketing practices, and questions about on-farm decision-making to help better capture the roles and contributions of beginning farmers, women farmers, and others involved in running a farm enterprise.

“Producers can respond to the census online or by mail,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “We highly recommend the updated online questionnaire. We heard what people wanted and we made responding to the census easier than ever. The online questionnaire now has timesaving features, such as automatic calculations, and the convenience of being accessible on mobile and desktop devices.”

Responding to the Census of Agriculture is required by law under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113. The same law requires NASS to keep all information confidential, to use the data only for statistical purposes, and only publish in aggregate form to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation. NASS will release the results of the census in February 2019.

For more information about the 2017 Census of Agriculture, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call

(800) 727-9540.

 

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To learn more about the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NJDeptofAgriculture and www.facebook.com/JerseyFreshOfficial or Twitter @NJDA1 and @JerseyFreshNJDA.

 

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