Complete USDA’s Census Of Agriculture To Ensure The Future Of The Floriculture Industry

The USDA’s Census of Agriculture looks at farms, value of land, market value of agricultural production, farm practices, expenditures and other factors that affect the way farmers and ranchers do business. The 2012 Census will provide a complete picture of agriculture that will be used to shape the future of agriculture related policies and agenda.

If you have not yet responded to USDA’s Census of Agriculture, please do so before May 31.

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“Every time we go to Capitol Hill or meet with USDA representatives, we cite statistics from the USDA census, which prove how important our industry is as a leader in U.S. agriculture,” says Marvin Miller, Ph.D., AAF, Ball Horticultural Company, chairman of both Society of American Florists’ and OFA — The Association Of Horticulture Professionals’ government relations committees. “This will be the document folks will refer to for five years when we compare our green industry to the rest of agriculture.”

Floriculture and nursery crops combined make up approximately 15 percent of total U.S. crops and represent about one-third of total specialty crop production. But if growers don’t respond to the current survey, the industry’s political power is at risk. These data are collected every five years and provide vital information to agribusinesses, town planners, local governments and policy makers.

“Whether the issue is immigration reform, or pest and disease prevention programs in the Farm Bill, or the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative, good numbers on the size and scope of our industry are critical,” says ANLA president Bob Terry of Fisher Farms, in Gaston, Ore. “My company participates fully, and I encourage everyone else to do the same.”

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If you received forms in the mail, please complete and return them right away. Click here to participate in the USDA Census of Agriculture online.

For more information, contact SAF’s Lin Schmale at [email protected], or ANLA’s Joe Bischoff at [email protected].

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