December 24, 2007

ISSUE 1198

BRONSON URGES PARTICIPATION IN AG CENSUS

The USDA will be sending its Census of Agriculture out later this month, and Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Bronson is urging the state’s farmers and ranchers to complete and return the form. Completed forms are due by Feb. 4, 2008. They can be sent by mail or online via a secure Web site.

“The input received by the Census helps shape the future of agriculture for years to come, and we want to make sure that the voices of Florida’s farmers and ranchers are heard,” Bronson said in a news release.

The census, conducted every five years, is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. The census looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, and other areas. For details, go to http://www.agcensus.usda.gov.