Kentucky Ag News
USDA conducting national survey of organic agriculture
USDA
AUSTIN, Texas — According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, total organic product sales by farms and ranches in the U.S. have continued to show substantial growth over the last few years, increasing by 83 percent since 2007. To learn more about the trends of organic agriculture in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct the 2014 Organic Survey.
“The Organic Survey comes in direct response to the continued interest in organics among consumers, producers, businesses, and others,” said Doug Rundle, Director of the NASS Southern Plains Regional Field Office. “This is an opportunity for organic producers to provide additional data about their operations so the industry has reliable information moving forward. The results of the survey will help shape future decisions regarding farm policy, funding allocations, availability of goods and services, and other key issues,” Rundle noted. “In addition, the information can help producers make informed decisions about the future of their own farming operations.”
NASS will mail the survey in early January to all known organic producers in the United States. The survey will look at many aspects of organic agriculture during the 2014 calendar year – from production and marketing practices, to income and expenses. It will focus not only on operations that are currently engaged in organic production, but also on those making the transition to organic agriculture.
Producers can fill out the survey online via a secure website, www.agcensus.usda.gov, or return their form by mail. Federal law (Title 7, U.S. Code) requires all producers who receive a form to respond and requires NASS to keep all individual information confidential.
Recipients are required to respond by mail by February 13, 2015. NASS will publish the results in August 2015. For more information about the Organic Survey, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call (800) 626-3142.
