05/06/08 One more ag census reminder

Washington Ag May 6, 2008 Deadlines have come and gone for USDA's 2007 Census of Agriculture but Joe Riley, the Acting Administrator of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, says they are still taking census forms. Riley: "One of the reasons we do the census is we don't know whose farming and whose not a lot of the times. And a lot of the response we are looking at getting right now, they may be landlords, they may be something. They are involved in agriculture. They message is we still need you to tell us you are not involved in production agriculture because we don't know that for sure. And I think that is where most of our non-response is right now it to get people who have some sort of land holding but they are not necessarily involved in production. It is important for them to write on the form "non involved in production" and send it in and then we can check you of our list and not bother them any more." Officials says Washington state has seen a 70 percent return rate so far. Farmers can return their forms by mail or fill out the Census online. Visit www.agcensus.usda.gov