USDA Partners With National FFA Organization To Promote The Census Of Agriculture

Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner today announced a strategic partnership with the National FFA Organization to develop online learning tools to educate FFA members about the importance of the 2007 Census of Agriculture.

“Census of Agriculture data forms the basis of directing government resources to their best use,” said Conner. “FFA members understand the Census of Agriculture benefits future generations of farmers in the communities they call home.”

Together, NASS and FFA are in the final stages of developing a series of classroom-ready lesson plans about the Census of Agriculture for teachers, as well as online tutorials for independent study.

The materials will help students learn why it’s important to collect this data, how it’s used, and how to interpret the findings in a way that is relevant to their rural communities. The Census coursework will be aligned to national agricultural education and academic standards and be available online in late fall of 2007.

NASS will mail out Census forms on December 28, 2007 to collect data for the 2007 calendar year. Completed forms are due by February 4, 2008. Producers can return their forms by mail or, for the first time, they have the convenient option of filling out the Census online. For more information about the Census, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call toll-free (888) 4AG-STAT or (888) 424-7828.