12/18/07 Ready to Answer Questions?

Ready To Answer Questions? I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. The most ambitious and important agricultural survey of all is about to get underway across the fifty states. The 2007 Census of Agriculture literally reaches out to every farmer and rancher in the United States. That includes thousands Ag operators in the northwest, who will be getting a 24-page questionnaire in the mail over the next few weeks. MERTZ: Of all surveys we do, this is the most comprehensive and most detailed survey. That's why it's very important for Oregon farmers and ranchers to get that information in. Chris Mertz is state director of the Oregon Agricultural Statistics Service. He says information collected by the census is heavily relied on and much anticipated. MERTZ: Decision makers, people who make decisions in agriculture, need information. Information and facts are used to make those decisions, and most of it comes from the Census of Agriculture and other USDA reports. So it's very important for farmers to share and tell their story about agriculture. The survey asks questions about crops, land use, ownership, farm demographics, expenses and other useful information. Farmers and ranchers are required by law to complete the census, which is due in February 2008. It will take until early 2009 to finalize the data and issue the reports. The Census of Agriculture is done once every five years. Mertz says the most important agricultural survey of all is about to begin in the U.S. MERTZ: On the last week of December, every farmer in the state and in the entire country actually, will be getting a questionnaire in the mail for the Census of Agriculture- the 2007 Census of Agriculture. Mertz says farmers and ranchers can now make use of the Internet to complete the 2007 Census of Agriculture. MERTZ: We've made it much easier this time for the Census of Agriculture. For the very first time, farmers can complete it via online. So when they get the packet of information in the mail, there will be instructions on how they can complete it and send that information online. As we all know, Oregon is the leading state in computer use by farmers. So I think most Oregon farmers and ranchers would like to have this option. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.