Received a survey from USDA - required response

[LFRJ]

Anyone else receive one of these? It claims that the survey is being conducted "to identify potential agricultural activities in the US and gather basic ag info".

First 4 ?'s:
- Did you have any ag revenue
- Did you own rent or operate cropland pasturel and or land with potential for ag production
- Did you have or sell any type of livestock?
- Did you receive any Fed or State Ag payments?

They make pretty clear that a response is required by law and that response will be confidential.

I'm not sure why I would receive this. I am not licensed, nor do I sell anything. We eat what we grow for the most part.

I sure hate the fact that I feel really leery about answering anything.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Throw it away.

[JuliaAnn]

I threw mine away, repeatedly. I'm not going to do the government's legwork for them. They want to find out this information, they can utilize some of the slackers that work for the government. Period.

How do they know everyone receives their questionairres anyway?

[TnAndy]

Threw mine away every time it came. Finally they quit sending it.

Go thou and do likewise.

[rambler]

I believe back in the late 1800's already the govt thought it would be a good idea to get a handle on food production in this country to keep a good and abundant food supply for ourselves and exports to the rest of the world.

That continues today.

If you live in and buy ag type products, file a schedule F, take an ag exception on sales tax, attend Extension ag events, or so forth, they possibly picked up your name. Or previous owner of the property was listed as a farmer. Some such.

This topic comes up here all the time. Been posted in the past month for the 4th time now that I can remember.

In the end there is no enforcement of anything for not responding to the survey. They may call you or even send a person out to visit to get you to reply to it, but no one has ever gotten a fine or anything in the past 100 years for tossing it away.

Many grain farmers don't bother to fill it out. It's kind of a pain in the rear to bother with.

Many homesteaders around here believe it is some govt ploy to somehow imprison them on an island off of India or some such tin foil hat evil.....

The truth is, like for the past century or so, it is trying to fill in the details of what is produced locally & nationwide, to better offer Extension classes, Farm Bill programs, Extension Programs, and so forth.

Filling it out probably helps your local ag people keep their govt jobs, and keep farmers markets and gardening Extension programs in your area; or keep corn & soybean type programs in your area.

Throw it away or fill it out, nothing really bad will happen to you.

If you Google 'Census of Ag' with your state you will find the reams of ag statitics that they gather, to better run the food process of the USA. Those books come from the data collected.

--->Paul

[Goat Servant]

Yeah we got one a few yrs ago adressed to Bob & our son. Son has not lived here since 97. Furthermore we had no livestock back then (except for a few chickens) and son was adressed by his nickname.
The goats are in my name only & son has nothing to do with this place.
I did fill it out, stating that I was the chief operator.
But they (Bob & son) still got another one just a few weeks back.
Now. Just for fun, IS it possible that there are govt handouts for white women over 55?
On the other hand if they didnt recognize that fact on the first survey fill out why would they see it now?
My trust is certainly not in govt.

[NickieL]

lol a friend of mine recieved one of these, he lives in a city and doesn't even garden!!

[JuliaAnn]

...which speaks volumes about the survey...

[ET1 SS]

There was an old survey system. But this new one is from a law passed in 1997.

Starting in 1998 and every 5 years thereafter the USDA is to do a complete Ag census. Our next census is 2013.

There are fines for avoiding questions and fines for fraud.

I spent a day on the phone, being bounced between three different offices of the USDA, before any of them could find the paragraph in the law.

This years survey is only a pre-screening to allow the USDA to finish the list of farm producers and focus on what questions they will be asking in 2013

The listing of who got this year's pre-screening came from all other Federal Agencies [The IRS, FBI, etc] of who they think may be a farmer. The Patriot Act requires that all Federal Agencies share all data they collect with all other Federal Agencies.

If you have 10 chickens they want to know.

All data they get, will be put in a database, and compiled. Then shared with congress [for whatever new laws they wish to pass]; shared with the IRS, FEMA, NSA, state governments and Homeland Security.

The rationale is that with this data, congress will be better able to focus Farm subsidy money to help the farmer with tax dollars.


US Code, Title 7, paragraph 2204G. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TO CONDUCT CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE [written in 1997]

(a) Census of agriculture required

(1) In general, In 1998 and every fifth year thereafter, the Secretary of Agriculture shall take a census of agriculture.

(d) Enforcement
(1) Fraud
A person over 18 years of age who willfully gives an answer that is false to a question, which is authorized by the Secretary to be submitted to the person in connection with a census under this section, shall be fined not more than $500.

(2) Refusal or neglect to answer questions
A person over 18 years of age who refuses or willfully neglects to answer a question, which is authorized by the Secretary to be submitted to the person in connection with a census under this section, shall be fined not more than $100.

The Farm bill of 1997 included this gem.

2012 is the year for a pre-screening survey, to focus the USDA on exactly who farmers are. In preparation for the real survey coming in 2013.

False answers can be fined not more than $500.

Refusing to answer of neglecting to answer a question can be fined not more than $100.

The law explains that you are required to answer any question they have except for your SSN and your religion.

[WolfWalksSoftly]

I would still trash it. How they gonna know you got it, unless they read the boards..lol

[haypoint]

If it makes you feel better, you can always stand in your front yard and pump your fist towards the sky. I hear they hate that.

[salmonslayer]

Originally Posted by haypoint

If it makes you feel better, you can always stand in your front yard and pump your fist towards the sky. I hear they hate that.

I have to admit that one made me laugh! Good one.

[am1too]

Musta been the day some one was going through mail boxes.