Census of Agriculture 2022
United States of America, 2022 - 2023
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USA_2022_CA_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
Census of Agriculture 2022
CA 2022
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| United States of America | USA |
Agricultural Census [ag/census]
The first Census of Agriculture (CA) in the United States of America was conducted in 1840 as part of the sixth decennial census of population. After the 1920 census, the census interval was changed from the decennial period to every five years until 1945. The CA continued to be implemented as part of the decennial census through 1950. From 1954 to 1974, the census took place in the years ending in 4 and 9. In 1976, Congress changed the five-year data collection cycle to years ending in 2 and 7, to coincide with other economic censuses, cycle that continues to this day, except in 1977 when the census was carried out in 1978. The CA 2022 was the thirtieth Federal census of agriculture and the sixth to be conducted by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The Census of Agriculture (CA) is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. The CA, taken only once every five years, looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures. The Census of Agriculture provides the only source of uniform, comprehensive, and impartial agriculture data for every county in the nation. Through the Census of Agriculture, producers can show the nation the value and importance of agriculture and can influence decisions that will shape the future of U.S. agriculture.
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Agricultural holdings
Scope
The census scope covered agricultural activities (crop and livestock production).
The questionnaire collected information on:
- Acreage
- Land Use and Practices
- Land Rented or Leased from Others for Cash
- Irrigation
- Crop Insurance, Conservation Reserve Program, and Other Government Programs
- Type of Organization
- Personal Characteristics
- Crops: hay and forage crops, field crops, vegetables, potatoes, melons, fruits, nuts, and berries
- Cultivated Christmas Trees, Short Rotation Woody Crops, and Maple Syrup
- Nursery, Greenhouse, Floriculture, Sod, Mushrooms, Vegetable Seeds, and Propagative Materials
- Livestock and Livestock Products: poultry, cattle, calves, hogs, pigs, horses, ponies, mules, burros, and donkeys, sheep, and goats
- Aquaculture
- Colonies of Honeybees
- Production Contracts and Custom Feeding
- Organic Agriculture
- Food Marketing Practices
- Fertilizers, Chemicals, and Soil Conditioners Applied
- Renewable Energy
- Machinery and Equipment
- Farm Labor
- Production Expenses
- Market Value of Land, Buildings, Machinery, and Equipment
- Income from Farm Related Resources
- Agricultural Activity within the Borders of American Indian Reservations, Pueblos, and Service Areas
Coverage
The CA 2022 covered the continental territory of the country.
The statistical unit for the CA 2022 was the farm, an operating unit defined as any place from which USD 1000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year. The agricultural operations that did not produce and sell USD 1000 or more of agricultural products during the census year, or did not have the potential, were excluded from the CA.
Producers and sponsors
| Name |
|---|
| United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) |
Sampling
The National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) compiles and maintains a list of farmers and ranchers that constitutes the Census Mail List (CML). The CML compilation begins with the list used to define sampling populations for NASS surveys conducted for the agricultural estimates program. NASS builds and improves the list on an ongoing basis by obtaining outside source lists such as State and Federal Government lists, producer association lists, seed grower lists, pesticide applicator lists, veterinarian lists, marketing association lists, and a variety of other agriculture-related lists, and special commodity lists to address specific list deficiencies. For CA 2022, NASS worked with community-based organizations not only to improve list coverage for minorities but also to increase census awareness and participation. List building activities for developing the CML 2022 as the update of the list information from respondents to the CA 2017. Between 2017 and 2022, NASS conducted a series of National Agricultural Classification Surveys (NACS) on over 2.1 million records, which included nonrespondents from the 2017 census and newly added records from outside list sources.
To quantify the number and types of farms not on the Census Mail List the NASS used its June Area Survey (JAS). The records in the JAS that were not in the CML were said to be in the Not-on-the-Mail List (NML) domain. If a JAS record in the NML domain was determined to be a farm during the census, it was defined as an NML farm. NML farms were then used to measure coverage associated with the grown crops, farm numbers, and inventories of cattle. The 2022 JAS sample was increased to improve the farm counts for operations that produced specialty commodities or had socially disadvantaged or minority producers. The initial NML mailout consisted of 41 273 records. A total of 40 775 NML records were analyzed, of which 1913 records were confirmed to be NML and in-scope. The CML was used with the NML in a capture-recapture framework to represent all farming operations across all States in the JAS sample.
The CA 2022 was conducted using complete enumeration.
Survey instrument
The CA 2022 used four versions of the questionnaire:
- General form (22 - A100)
- Hawaii form (22 - A101)
- American Indian form (22 - A300)
- Farm Status form (22 - A400)
The general form facilitated reporting crops and livestock most commonly grown and raised in the U.S. The farm status form expedited reporting specific crops or livestock for preidentified farms and ranches in the U.S. The Hawaii form targeted crops and livestock specifically grown or raised on farms and ranches in Hawaii. The American Indian form focused on crops and livestock for farms and ranches on reservations in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
The questionnaires covered 16 out of the 23 essential items recommended in the WCA 2020.
Data collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2022-11 | 2023-05 |
Reference day: 31 December 2022 for stock items such as livestock, machinery and equipment inventories, market value of land and buildings.
Reference period: from 1 January to 31 December 2022, for items such as on crops and land areas, crop and livestock sales, other farm-related income, direct sales income, Commodity Credit Corporation loans, hired farm labor, use of pesticides, fertilizers and irrigation, and farm expenses.
- Mail Questionnaire [mail], Computer Assisted Web Interview [cawi], Computer Assisted Telephone Interview [cati] , Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]
The staff involved in census activities consisted of 539 employees of the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS).
Data collection was accomplished primarily through mail-out/mail-back and CAWI methods. CATI and CAPI methods were used for special classes or records in the census operation. For the CA 2022, National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) implemented a pre-notification strategy to increase awareness, improve overall responses, and encourage respondents to report early to avoid continued correspondence. Census data collection began on 22 November 2022 when nearly all producers on the CML received a letter inviting them to report online. They received a unique survey code and instructions for completing their census online. The letter encouraged producers to report online early to avoid receiving mail and phone follow-ups. Mail packets were mailed in December 2022. Different reminders and follow-up mail packets were sent from January to March 2023. A final mailing was sent to non-respondents with a short questionnaire designed to primarily determine if the operation was a farm or not in business.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
The National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) conducted an extensive program to follow-up all non-responses. NASS also used capture-recapture methodology to adjust for under-coverage, non-response, and misclassification. For the CA 2022, the capture-recapture methodology was used to model the probability of capture with a single model, thereby allowing the utilization of all census responses and JAS records in the adjustments. To implement capture-recapture methods, two independent samples were considered: the CA 2022 (based on the CML) and the JAS 2022 (based on the area frame).
Data processing
Captured data were processed through a computer formatting program that verified that records were valid. Rejected records were referred to analysts for correction. Accepted records were sent to a complex computer batch edit process. The computer edit determined whether a reporting operation met the qualifying criteria to be counted as a farm (in-scope). The edit systematically checked reported data section-by-section with the overall objective of achieving an internally consistent and complete report. The edit determined the best value to impute for reported responses that were deemed unreasonable and for required responses that were absent. Multiple sources were used for imputation including previously reported data and administrative data from the Farm Service and other USDA agencies. Additionally, as 2022 records were processed, they were added to the donor pools. When deterministic edit logic and previously reported data sources were unable to provide a current value, data from a reporting farm of similar type, size, and location were considered. In cases where automated imputation was unable to provide a consistent report, the record was referred to an analyst for resolution. After tabulation and review of the aggregates, a comprehensive disclosure review was conducted. Farm counts were not considered sensitive and were not subject to disclosure controls. Cell suppression was used to protect the cells that were determined to be sensitive to a disclosure of information.
DATA PROCESSING NOTES
Direct data capture was ensured by the CAWI, CATI and CAPI methods. The complete questionnaires received by mail were scanned and Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) was used to capture categorical responses and other answer zones in which some type of mark was present. Data entry operators keyed data from the scanned images using OMR results that highlighted the areas of the report forms with respondent entries. The keyer evaluated the contents and captured pertinent responses. Ten percent of the captured data were keyed a second time for quality control.
Data Access
Information on the request procedure to access restricted microdata files: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Data_and_Statistics/Special_Tabulations/index.php.
Access and use information are set by National Agricultural Statistics Service, Department of Agriculture: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/quick-stats-agricultural-database.
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) | [email protected] | http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/index.php |
Metadata production
DDI_USA_2022_CA_v01_M_v01_A_ESS_FAO
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Agriculture Statistics Service | NASS | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) | Metadata Producer |
| Statistics Division | ESS | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Metadata adapted for FAM |