The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is reminding farmers and ranchers that the window is closing on the opportunity to participate in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. To date, NASS has received more than 1.5 million completed questionnaires. But the national return rate is currently lower than at this point in the 2012 Census. NASS is encouraging U.S. producers who have not returned their completed Census questionnaires to do so as soon as possible. As the absolute deadline of July 31 draws nearer, NASS will turn to increased phone and in-person follow-up.

“If you produced and sold $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2017, or normally would have produced and sold that much, we need to hear from you,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “If you’re a landowner who leases your land to a producer, we need to hear from you. If you received a census but do not fit this definition of a farm, please write your status on the form and send it back.”

Hamer noted that NASS has already begun to follow up with producers who have not yet completed the questionnaire.

“We sent the questionnaire to many potential farmers and ranchers who may not be familiar with it. The follow-up will give them and other producers the opportunity to ask questions,” said Hamer. “Some farmers and ranchers were waiting until they gathered their tax documents before completing the Census; having that information handy will certainly make filling out the questionnaire faster and easier.”

The Census of Agriculture is the only comprehensive source of agriculture data for every state and county in the nation. Census data are used by policymakers, trade associations, researchers, agribusinesses, educators, and many others. The information helps inform decisions on farm policy, rural development, and new farm technologies. It also aids in the creation and funding of loans and insurance programs and other forms of assistance, as well as in the cultivation of the next generation of farmers and ranchers.

The Census differs from other NASS surveys. It provides important demographic information and data on certain commodities, such as horses, bison, and Christmas trees, that would not otherwise be available. Revisions to the questionnaire in 2017 include new queries about military veteran status, decision-making on the farm, and food marketing practices.

Producers can respond to the 2017 Census of Agriculture online at www.agcounts.usda.gov or by mail. The same law, Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113, that requires response also requires NASS to keep all information confidential, to use the data only for statistical purposes, and to only publish in aggregate form to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation. NASS will release Census results in February 2019.

For more information about the 2017 Census of Agriculture or for assistance with the questionnaire, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call toll-free (888) 424-7828.

Secretary Ross with former California Farm Bureau president Paul Wenger (L) current president Jamie Johansson (R), and Acampo vintner Aaron Lange (far right)

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross joined California agricultural representatives today at an event in Acampo, San Joaquin County, hosted by Farmers for Free Trade, to underscore the importance of trade to the state’s farmers and ranchers.

California is largest agricultural producer and exporter in the nation. Combined, the state’s top agricultural exports – almonds, wine, dairy, walnuts and pistachios – almost surpass $10 billion in value. On average, California’s farmers and ranchers export 26 percent of their production to approximately 167 destinations.

Secretary Ross was joined by representatives from the California Farm Bureau Federation, the California League of Food Processors, Lodi Farming, and Lange Twins Family Winery and Vineyard in highlighting the importance of trade to California agriculture.

USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney met yesterday with California agricultural trade stakeholders to discuss foreign market opportunities and trade issues.

California is the largest agricultural producer and exporter in the nation, with more than $20 billion in exports in 2016. On average, California farmers and ranchers export approximately 26 percent of their production. Top agricultural export destinations for the state include: European Union ($3.4 billion); Canada ($3.3 billion); China ($2  billion); Japan ($1.4 billion) and Mexico ($1 billion).

The meeting underscored California’s commitment to international trade and the importance of foreign markets. More than 15 agricultural groups participated in the event and welcomed the conversation with Under Secretary McKinney and his team.

USDA Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney (L) with Don Cameron, president of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture

Under Secretary McKinney with California agricultural trade representatives.

Agence France-Presse producer Sebastien Vuagnat (R) captures video of CDFA environmental scientist Patty Tran (L) and pest prevention assistant Sam Duran surveying a citrus tree in Whittier.

CDFA’s citrus health program is hard at work in Southern California, surveying thousands of trees for signs of huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, in areas where the disease has already been detected. The objective is to try to contain HLB before it decimates residential citrus trees and threatens commercial groves. A detection of the disease is a death sentence for  a citrus tree – there is no cure for HLB.

A producer for Agence France-Presse, a French news agency, recently caught up with a survey crew in Whittier, Los Angeles County. The European Union, which includes France, is a popular destination for California lemon exports.

In this short video, CDFA environmental scientist Patty Tran demonstrates a part of the survey process that utilizes an effective tool for detecting Asian citrus psyllids, the carriers of the bacteria that cause HLB.

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and State Fair CEO Rick Pickering joined Dairy Council of California leaders and volunteers at Cal Expo in Sacramento this morning to welcome two busloads of students from nearby Elk Grove to tour a fresh, new exhibit and learn about dairy farms, cows, milk and nutrition. Secretary Ross also did a quick, live interview and walk-thru for local television.

The Dairy Council of California developed the dairy unit at the California State Fair Kaiser Permanente Farm thanks to a grant from the CalAgPlate Grant Program, which dedicates funds from the sale of specialized agriculture-themed license plates to promote agricultural education and leadership activities for students at the kindergarten through 12th grade, post-secondary and adult education levels. Visit CDFA.ca.gov/eGov/CalAgPlate/ for details.

Secretary Ross’ father, Howard Barrett, and her stepmother, Shirley Barrett, on the family farm in western Nebraska.

As Earth Day was celebrated this weekend, I couldn’t help but think about how lucky I am to have grown up on a farm with a dad who inspired me with his love for the land.  His life-long curiosity led him to constantly look at new and innovative practices to steward natural resources and improve the care of his cow-calf herd.  His particular passion for the soil led to decades of work with USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS, which was still called Soil Conservation Service at that time). It came from his growing up in western Nebraska during the Depression and the Great Dust Bowl years.  He often described the curtains of dirt that darkened the skies and drove people and animals to shelter.  He watched too much precious top soil blow away.

My dad, like his father and grandfather before him, wanted to leave the land – pastures and cropland – better than he found it for his children and the generations to follow. That commitment lives on in my brother, Dan Barrett, the current steward of our family farm. Dan is the fourth generation.  A farmer’s farmer.  He has worked hard to bring the farm into agronomic balance, and he has been in the NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program for about ten years. He was identified as a leader for his soil health and wildlife-friendly practices. He has successfully incorporated conservation rotational grazing and cover crops to bring what he terms “liveliness to the soil”. He is also one of the kindest people I know!!

That long-term generational view held by our family, a passion for stewardship of the land and its natural resources, is what it means to be in farming and ranching.  I see it every day in California agriculture.  That love of the land fuels my passion  to connect the stewardship actions of our 76,000-plus family farmers and ranchers to the public benefits created for the forty million Californians who make this special place their home.  That care for the land, in addition to the nutritious bounty that we grow in California, makes our state a better place to live!  It has never been more important to understand and support the potential of working landscapes to address climate change, and the essential role of private landowners in making it happen.

While California agriculture is already being impacted by climate change, Ag is also key to mitigating climate change. California’s Climate Change Investments have resulted in multiple incentive programs to facilitate climate adaptation strategies and the implementation of practices to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sequester carbon.  Significant investments are being made on farms and ranches to improve manure management and reduce methane emissions; to increase water, fertilizer and energy efficiency; to replace older equipment and dirty engines; to protect croplands and rangelands at risk of conversion and the generation of more GHG emissions; to utilize waste biomass to generate renewable energy; and to sequester carbon to reduce GHG emissions and improve soil health, thus enhancing climate and drought resiliency and productivity.   Ultimately, these climate smart agriculture investments will ensure the continued economic viability of California agriculture and its role in sustaining food security.

As recent coverage of how soil can be managed to sequester carbon and be a solution to climate change creates a buzz for what is possible on working landscapes, I want to thank my Dad and honor his memory for his love of the land.  Truly, he and generations of farmers and ranchers are important caretakers of our planet Earth.

By Neil Yeoh