Feb. 6 is the deadline to respond to the U.S. Census of Agriculture, and participation is mandatory.

In December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service mailed census forms to all known producers in the country, according to a news release. 

The ag census is conducted every five years to help the U.S. government tally the crops grown, the people who grow them and the value of production, among other stats. The results are scheduled for release in 2024.

Response to the survey is required by the same federal law that instructs the government to maintain the anonymity of respondents, the news release said.

Farmers may respond online at: agcounts.usda.gov/portal/s/ or by mail.

—by Ross Courtney