The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducts a Census of Agriculture every five years. The census is a complete count of farms and ranches in every county of every state in the U.S. Other information gathered during a census includes but is not limited to land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, and market value of agricultural products. For the 2022 Census there are new questions about the use of precision agriculture, hemp production, and hair sheep, and there are updates to internet access questions. Decision makers identify trends and new developments in the agricultural sector of the Virginia and U.S. economies comparing data to earlier censuses.

Federal, state and local governments, as well as various agribusinesses, require comprehensive and impartial Census data when making decisions that dramatically affect rural communities, such as: community planning, location of sites for new stores or companies, availability of operating loans and other funding, location and staffing of USDA Service Centers (single locations where customers can access the services provided by the Farm Service Agency [FSA], Natural Resources Conservation Service [NRCS], and the Rural Development agencies), and farm programs and policies. Farmers and ranchers themselves use Census data to help make informed decisions about the future of their own operations. 

Dr. Mark Estienne, Professor and Swine Research Physiologist, Virginia Tech- Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center, and Virginia Pork Council board member has provided information to encourage small scale and niche market pork producers to respond to the 2022 census of agriculture – find information HERE.

Completed forms are due by February 6, 2023. However, if you miss the deadline, the USDA requests that you return the forms as soon as possible. Respondents can complete the Census online, HERE.