Farmers can ensure they are counted in 2017 Census of Agriculture

New farmers and producers who did not receive a 2017 Census of Agriculture survey still have time to ensure they are counted in the next census.

It’s as simple as visiting agcensus.usda.gov and clicking on the “Make Sure You Are Counted” button before July 1.

Surveys for the 2017 Census of Agriculture will be mailed to producers at the end of this year. The census is conducted every five years and is a complete count of all U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. It highlights land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, and other topics.

The 2012 Census of Agriculture revealed that more than 3 million farmers operated over 2 million farms, spanning 914 million acres. That represented a 4 percent decrease in the number of U.S. farms from the 2007 census; however, agriculture sales, income and expenses increased between 2007 and 2012.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a farm as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year.