Above: Greg Thessen, Iowa Agricultural Statistics Director
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Every five years since the first Census of Agriculture in 1840, American producers receive census forms in the mail. They’re worth filling out; no other snapshot of agriculture on a county-by-county basis exists.
Iowa Agricultural Statistics Director Greg Thesson says most producers are concerned about the privacy of what they disclose to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Several laws protect the information provided on Ag Census forms, including Title VII of the United States Code and CIPSEA. In addition to that, in the rare instances where the confidentiality of the collected information has been questioned, Thessen says producer privacy has historically come first.
While federal law requires that producers respond to the Ag Census forms by February 4, it may be easier for some to do so over the Internet. If you have your Survey Code handy, you can click here to get started on USDA’s safe and secure Ag Census site.
