12/04/08 Annual Ag Statistics surveys; a tele-town hall meeting

Washington Ag December 4, 2008 Annual surveys by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service will be arriving in producer mailboxes this month. NASS deputy administrator Carol House explains. House: "Our typical end of the year surveys: the December Ag Survey, the Hog and Pigs survey have a December one reference date. So we are going to be mailing those surveys out, making telephone calls, or going in person to talk with farmers and ranchers sometime in early December. Then we will be publishing that information later in the month." House says there is also the annual cattle survey. House: "The January one cattle report, that's the reference date, will be released on the last Friday of January." House says producers can participate by either mailing in the forms or going online to www.nass.usda.gov State Senator Mark Schoesler is inviting residents of the 9th Legislative District to take part in a telephone town hall meeting December 16th. It will begin at 7 p.m. and last for an hour. Residents can call in by dialing 1-877-229-8493 and entering the PIN 13556. I'm Bob Hoff.