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Census of Agriculture to be in mailboxes soon America's farmers and ranchers will soon have the opportunity to make their voices heard and help shape the future of agriculture for years to come. That opportunity will come to their mailboxes in the form of the 2007 Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the census is a complete count of the nation's farms and ranches and the people who operate them. The census looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures and other topics. It provides the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every county in the nation. "The Census of Agriculture provides information that is not available anywhere else - information that benefits agricultural producers and their communities in myriad ways," said Doug Kleweno, director of the Georgia Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. "For instance, policy-makers factor census data into decisions concerning agricultural and rural programs. Community planners use census to target needed services to rural res- idents. Companies rely on census data when determining where to locate their operations. And farmers themselves can use census data to help make critical decisions about their businesses," he explained. NASS will mail out census forms on Dec. 28 to collect data for the 2007 calendar year. Completed forms are due by Feb. 4, 1008. Producers can return their forms by mail or, for the first time, they have the convenient option of filling out the census online via a secure website. "We're committed to making this census the best count ever," Kleweno said. "Regardless of how large or small their operation is or what kinds of products they produce, Georgia farmers and ranchers will help themselves and their communities by filling out the Census of Agriculture and returning it promptly," he added. "We want farmers and ranchers to know: the Census of Agriculture is their voice, their future and their responsibility."
For more information about the 2007 Census of Agriculture, please call 800- 253-4419 or visit www. agcensus.usda.gov. online.
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