Charleston, West Virginia, May 23, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will end data collection for the 2022 Census of Agriculture on May 31. West Virginia producers who have not yet returned their completed questionnaires have just one week left to respond. Federal law requires everyone who received the ag census to complete and return it.
Recipients can respond online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail.
“Agriculture is important in our state and the census data will be used by all who serve American agriculture,” said NASS State Statistician Alissa Cowell-Mytar. “Your response means you are being represented and helping to shape the future of farming and rural communities.”
USDA NASS is reminding ag census recipients that if they produced and sold $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2022, or normally would have produced and sold that much, they meet USDA’s definition of a farm. However, landowners who lease land to producers, those solely involved in conservation programs, and even those who may not have farmed in 2022 are still required to respond.
“If you received the ag census but do not fit the definition of a farm, are no longer farming, never farmed, or have another update for us, please write your status on the form and mail it back. Every response matters,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer.
The ag census differs from other USDA surveys. Beyond being conducted just once every five years, it provides important demographic information and data on certain commodities, such as horses, bison, and Christmas trees, that would not otherwise be available. The Census of Agriculture collects information on nearly every aspect of American agriculture for a complete picture of the health of the industry. Changes to the 2022 questionnaire include new questions about the use of precision agriculture, hemp production, hair sheep, and updates to internet access questions.
