Letter from the US Goverment NASS

[Big Dave]

Today in the mail our family recieved a letter from the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Jeffersonville Indiana. On the front of the envelope there is a box stating in bold letters
YOUR RESPONCE IS REQUIRED BY LAW
and a due date of January 29,2007. In the envelope is a questioaire. Resembling a tax returnHer are some of the questions
Do you own or rent any land?
Do you have a few head of cattle?Some horses? Poultry? Hogs? Aquacultural Products? Own Bees? Other livestock or agricultural products?
Do you grow vegtables, hay or nursery stock?
Do you farm or ranch?
Do you recieve goverment payments?
Then it goes on to explain how this information is needed to determine my invovment in agriculture??????????
It is required by law to respond under Title 7, US Code
the survey as they call it covers: Acres Operated,Cropland,Grain storage,
Livestock,Poultry,Aquaculture,Bees,Production Contracts,Labor,Sales and Federal Farm Program Payments.
Her is where it gets real hairy OPERATOR:NAme. Sex of principal operator, in what year did the principal operator begin this operatio? Race : mexican, cuban,puerto rican, American indian or alaskan native specify tribe.asian, black or african american, Native Hawaiian or other pacific islander, white.
It goes on to Change of operator and possible duplication of forms.
Has anyone else gotten this letter and why did we get it?

[edcopp]

Toss it in the stove. That would be a good response.

[Shadow]

If I did not sign I did not get it.

[pourfolkes]

Someone on another forum that I belong to got this sme letter. She is clueless also. If you find anything out, please let us know.

[Pony]

There are a few threads all over HT about this form. Here's the longest, most recent one:

http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthr...vernment+forms

Got a whole page of results using the "search" function.

Pony!

[chicky momma]

Could be wrong but I believe its part of nais or something similar. Seems like I got something similar, twice. Its in the raised beds......Lisa

[tnborn]

If someone finds out more info about this, please pm me. I would like to know more about why people are getting this and how names and info are being mailed??

[Hip_Shot_Hanna]

http://www.nass.usda.gov/

The website for the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The web page for questions commonly asked

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Census_of_A...ions/index.asp

Please note this in one paragraph from this question:

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A FARM?

For the purpose of the Census of Agriculture, a farm is any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year. The $1,000 value is not adjusted for inflation.

For the 1997 and 2002 census, operations receiving $1,000 or more in Federal government payments were counted as farms, even if they had no sales and otherwise lacked the potential to have $1,000 or more in sales.

I do not have a farm, because I do not sell any agricultural products, never have and I have not received Fed Gov. payments. These surveys have been going out every five years for a long time. The last one was in 2002.

I'm not expressing an opinion as to whether you should answer it or not, just giving you information to decide what you want to do.

[Hip_Shot_Hanna]

Originally Posted by tnborn

If someone finds out more info about this, please pm me. I would like to know more about why people are getting this and how names and info are being mailed??

If you own your place, then you are listed as a property owner by the state. You pay property taxes, etc. If you have an agricultural exemption on the property I can see that would be how you wound up with a form. The USDA probably gets the information from the state. The National Agricultural Satistics Service far pre-exists NAIS.

My father said he remembers his own grandfather having to fill out something like this.

[FarmboyBill]

Say 30 yrs ago. Now I dont think its any of his business

[Bearfootfarm]

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=53746

This all started in 1997

[seedspreader]

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=53746

This all started in 1997

Just wanted to say, that this is a good article and should be read by everyone.

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=53746

This all started in 1997

I was just coming here to post that and you beat me to it.

[titansrunfarm]

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=53746

This all started in 1997

Best and most concise article I've read in ages!

[Colorado]

I got the NASS form this year . First one I have seen. I sell at Farmers'market. But has my dead husband's name on the form too and he died end of 68. I cleared the title to the place in 69. Can't figure where they got that. They want total sales rather Fed payments or selling stuff. Any ag money coming in on the place. Trying to figure the potatoes and veggies and melons down to tenth acres. I do not garden a whole acre at this time. Gross income from garden does go over a $1000. I have No exemption or Fed money. This place has been in my name only for 38 years. So they are really reaching. Up to something. I pay my taxes and I pay the on income from selling veggies. Says can do in 10 mins took more that that to try and figure it out.

[airotciv]

Thanks Bearfootfarm for the web site. Very interesting article. We recieved ours a few days ago. Couldn't figure out why they were sending us one, until I rembered that we claim on our taxes a farm income on some hay and eggs we sell. This made me wonder if they aren't checking up on the income from this little farm. But what got me is in the poultry questions, they only ask about chickens and turkeys. We raise ducks for the eggs to sell. This survey raises so many questions. Will I answer it yes, but the only question that will be answered is we grow 4 acres of grass hay.

[Cornhusker]

I got one of those letters too.

[WAB]

Recycle! Put it in the compost heap or start a fire with it!

[Spinner]

I sent it back marked "none of your business". If they want to fine me, they'll have to keep hounding me. It should make good news print for the big bad gobs to be hounding an old lady to try to take 1/5 of her income for a month because she didn't tell them how many chickens are in her yard. LOL

[highlands]

See the article at NoNAIS.org on this too:

http://nonais.org/index.php/2007/01/...eys-mandatory/