mi-press-releases

News Release
NR-13-07
January 25, 2013

U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Michigan Field Office
Michigan Department of Agriculture
Post Office Box 30239
Lansing, MI  48909-6248

Phone:      (517) 324-5300
Facsimile:  (517) 324-5299
E-mail:     nass-mi@nass.usda.gov
Web site:   www.nass.usda.gov

Jay V. Johnson, Director

USDA to Take the Economic Pulse of U.S. Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service 
(NASS) will spend the next several months gathering production practices 
information from farmers and ranchers across the nation through the 
Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). The results of this survey 
will serve as a baseline for numerous federal policies and programs that 
affect U.S. farms and farm families. 

"It is hard to overestimate the impact the responses to ARMS can have since 
this survey is the primary tool for federal, state and local government 
representatives and all major farm sector stakeholders to gauge the financial 
condition of American farms and ranches," said Jay Johnson, director of the 
NASS Michigan Field Office. "By responding, Michigan farmers can ensure that 
they are accurately represented when it comes to decision-making."

NASS conducts ARMS jointly with USDA's Economic Research Service. In an 
effort to obtain the most accurate data, the federal agencies will reach out 
to nearly 33,000 producers nationwide, including approximately 500 in 
Michigan, between January and March.  The survey asks producers to provide 
data on their operating expenditures, production costs and household 
characteristics. The survey also asks Michigan soybean growers to provide 
information on their drying practices, including cost and fuel used to dry 
the grain.

"As you may know, NASS is also currently conducting the mandatory Census of 
Agriculture, which occurs every five years," explained Johnson. "To make it 
easier on these farmers, responding to ARMS fulfills the growers' 2012 Census 
of Agriculture obligations."

As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential 
by law. NASS safeguards the confidentiality of all responses, ensuring no 
individual respondent or operation can be identified.	

The economic data gathered in ARMS will be published in the annual Farm 
Production Expenditures report on August 2, 2013. All NASS reports are 
available online at www.nass.usda.gov. For more information on NASS surveys 
and reports, please call the Michigan Field Office at (800) 453-7501.