Taken every five years, the Census of Agriculture is a survey of America’s farms, ranches, and the people who operate them. The U.S. Department of Agriculture calls the Census, “the most complete agricultural data resource available, providing the only source of uniform, comprehensive information for every county in the nation.”

The 2007 Census of Agriculture will soon be underway. Around the first of the year, Census forms will be arriving in farm mailboxes across the country.

USDA emphasizes the importance of the information. “The Census gives farmers and ranchers of each state the chance to be heard and to shape the direction of American agriculture.”

New this year, forms can be filled out online or mailed back.