January 11, 2008

Pruning clippers are not the only tools farmers should sharpen up this winter.
Wielding a No. 2 pencil is another task asked of our agricultural producers by the U.S. government. The census of American farmers and ranchers, held once every five years, is underway.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture sent forms out in late December and is asking for responses by Feb. 4. Surveys are kept confidential since the National Agricultural Statistics Service, which prepares the results, only uses the information for statistical purposes and publishes data. The report can not be used for taxation, investigation or regulation. The census looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income, expenditures, and many other areas.

While there will be many of the usual questions on crop acreage and production values, the 2007 census includes new questions focusing on organic commodities, energy, conservation methods and conservation.

According to Katy Coba, Oregon Department of Agriculture director: “There are many reasons for our producers to provide the information requested by the census, but the most compelling is that information about our agriculture is key for policy makers to make good and informed decisions that affect the industry.”

A critical case in point is water resources, just one aspect of agriculture where policy meets practical reality.

In her 2008 forecast, issued in December, Coba noted that Gov. Ted Kulongoski has already indicated water quantity as a top priority going into the 2009 legislative session and that ODA will work with the industry and other parties to find solutions.

Part three of the census asks three questions on irrigation.

In Hood River County, water is an interactive commodity of vital importance to all the segments of business.

The census data is used by federal, state and local governments, agribusinesses, trade associations and more. Examples include: companies and cooperatives, to determine where to locate facilities serving agriculture; USDA, to ensure service centers are staffed at appropriate levels; community planners, to target needed services.

Even growers who did not operate a farm or ranch in 2007 must respond. Federal law requires those who receive forms to reply. But responding to the survey is more than a requirement. It is a service. In the interest of assisting government in making ag decisions, no one is better prepared than our farmers, be they “out standing in their fields” or at the desk, pencil in hand.