National Agricultural Statistics Service

[Wayne02]

So I'm told we received an envelope from this outfit (NASS). I will not be able to open it until I get home and was wondering what the 411 is on this outfit?

I found this website but don't have the opportunity to spend much time on it until I get home.
http://www.nass.usda.gov/

We have a hay field.

What is their business? What do they do? If it is some sort of survey is a response required by law?

What has been your experience with this?

Thanks

[rambler]

Originally Posted by Wayne02

So I'm told we received an envelope from this outfit (NASS). I will not be able to open it until I get home and was wondering what the 411 is on this outfit?

I found this website but don't have the opportunity to spend much time on it until I get home.
http://www.nass.usda.gov/

We have a hay field.

What is their business? What do they do? If it is some sort of survey is a response required by law?

What has been your experience with this?

Thanks

Just the branch of the govt that keeps track of agricultural statistics. Part of the fedral government.

Their data ends up being used to see if we have enough food, how many food stamps (or what it's called these days) are needed, and so on and so forth.

If you look around their site, you can learn a lot about ag and what is planted, harvested, and where it goes in the USA. Just a pile of statistics.

It's common for them and a similar state office to send out surveys. Some are small, some are big.

Some don't care for them, a lot don't get filled out.

Think you are supposed to, typically they follow up pretty hard with more letters, then a few phone calls.

It's not a scam or a private business - just a govt survey like the census that is coming up real soon.

--->Paul

[ksfarmer]

Like Rambler says, its just a statistical survey done by a branch of the ag dept. It's results have all types of uses and helps in developing ag policy. I get them all the time from both federal and state ag stat services, some I return, some I forget. I don't think anyone gets too excited about it, you might get a followup letter or phone call asking why you didn't return it (if you don't). No big reason not to return it as far as I can see, but, not a big deal if you don't. Probably asking how much hay production you have.

[rancher1913]

i get them twice a year and returning them is not optional for me--probably get slammed for this but i get paid to farm and sometimes not to farm from usda and if i don't respond they want their money back. really not to hard to do and it is helpful information to have.

[ET1 SS]

I do not get paid to farm [though twice now neighbors have approached me with various forms for ag payments that they think I should get 'in on']. I do however use that website.

You see on various forums, I read city folk who whine that there is nobody producing 'XXX' in their area. They can not buy from farmers because their city is not in the Ag belt. So I look on that website to see how much is farmed in their state, and how many millions of tonnes. Then I can respond to these city slickers about how many crops are being produced near them.

[Mrs. Jo]

Your participation is voluntary. Always read the fine print.

[chewie]

we got some thing like that a few years ago. they were VERY aggressive in us returning it. i filled out the first few questions (why do they need my name, duh, it came to me didn't it??) but then i felt the questions were getting a bit personal. so i just did a slash thru each one i refused (so they knew i did see it, not just forgot or over looked it) and sent it back. they never hassled me again.

[haypoint]

How can you say that the crop/livestock census is none of the government's business, then complain that rules and regulations favor the large farms and don't consider the small farmer.
You can't stand up and be counted if you insist on being invisible.

They were insistent? Who wants to turn in a census that has numbers from 60% of the farms. Funds to the local USDA are based on crop and livestock and number of farms.

Please throw the forms away. I'll send mine in and maybe in some small way, my county will get more of your tax money. Shhhh, the government is listening.

[7thswan]

I refuse to answer. Dh has a few times, and now I expect them to show up to inspect our cattle. If they do they better bring a subpoena and a chute, I will not help. They will have a nice time with the Longhorns. As far as the upcoming Census, the only answer they will get is 2, that's how many people live here.They don't need to know if I have a flush toilet.

[sammyd]

that's hilarious.....