The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) mailed the National Agricultural Classification Survey (NACS) this month to more than a million potential U.S. agricultural producers in preparation for the 2022 Census of Agriculture.

The NACS asks survey recipients if they are involved in agricultural activity and for basic farm information.

Response to the NACS is required by law for all who receive the questionnaire, even if the recipient is not an active farmer or rancher. Questionnaires can be completed online or by mail.

The response deadline for the classification survey is Jan. 24.

“NACS plays an integral role in getting a complete count of U.S. agriculture,” Census and Survey Division Director Barbara Rater said. “It is one of the most important early steps to determine who should receive next year’s Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Every response to NACS is vital.”

USDA defines a farm as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products are produced and sold, or are normally sold, during the year. This definition was first used for the 1974 Census of Agriculture and is now consistent across USDA surveys.

“The definition of a farm is not based on size, type, or location,” Rater said. “A farm can be an urban rooftop or a backyard greenhouse. It can be large pastures of cattle or fields of corn, as well as blooms, honey, vegetables or eggs sold to neighbors, friends and family. Our mission is to give every U.S. producer the opportunity to share their voice in the ag census.”

The influential Census of Agriculture dataset is used by local and federal governments, educators, researchers, agribusinesses, media and many more, impacting decisions that affect the lives of every American.

Data collection for the 2022 Census of Agriculture begins November 2022.

All information reported to NASS is kept confidential and protected by federal law. For more on confidentiality, read NASS’s Confidentiality Pledge. To learn more about NACS and the Census of Agriculture, visit nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.