Q: What is the USDA Agriculture Census?

A: The U.S. Department of Agriculture takes a snapshot of U.S. farms and ranches once every five years, reporting on agricultural data in every county across the nation. Questionnaires are sent to farmers to self-report information about their operations and can be completed online or returned by postal mail. The most recent Census of Agriculture was released in February and provides an overview of agricultural activity across the United States, including demographics of producers, farming operations by size and type, inventory, production costs, income for crops and livestock, conservation practices and more. The 2022 Census of Agriculture added new questions about the use of precision agriculture, hemp production and internet access.

The Agriculture Census informs lawmakers at the policymaking table, shaping decision-making on taxes, trade, conservation, and government programs that impact American agriculture and the livelihoods of farm families, workers and producers along the supply chain. Work is underway in Washington to write the next five-year Farm Bill. The report also gives farmers impartial information for production and marketing decisions, and agricultural retailers and cooperatives can factor in the data when making business decisions how best to serve producers. The 2022 Census of Agriculture is available online. Surveys for the next USDA census will be distributed at the end of 2027.

Q: What did the most recent USDA Ag Census say about Iowa agriculture?

A: Iowa remains an agriculture power house, leading the nation in corn, pork and egg production. Iowa sold $44 billion in farm products, with corn sales jumping from $8.5 billion in 2012 to $15.8 billion in 2022. Along with those revenue increases came higher production costs. Feed and fertilizer prices rose 44 percent and 72 percent, respectively. From my seat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, I’m calling for more transparency in the fertilizer market and continuing to push for reforms to raise reference pricing in the new Farm Bill.  It’s pretty simple. If U.S. farmers can’t make ends meet, the American people won’t have food to eat. I’ll also continue pushing for passage of the Marshall-Grassley-Ernst EATS Act to stop California’s Prop 12 from dictating how hog farmers tend livestock and prevent other states from gumming up interstate commerce. Already last year, Iowa pork producers lost $32/head as production costs outpaced demand. As the number one pork producer in the U.S., a decline in the pork industry would have a big ripple effect on local economies across Iowa.

The Agriculture Census showed an increase in organic farming and the use of cover crops to control erosion and fertilizer run-off. Iowa also bucked two trends that policymakers have been keeping our eyes on in recent decades. For example, I’ve worked to advance policies that help young and beginning farmers get started, including my proposed reforms to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)that would prioritize enrolling marginal farmland, not entire tracts of property that otherwise puts young and beginning farmers in competition with the USDA for productive acres. The census also found the average age of farmers has plateaued, reflecting a transition underway for the next generation to take the reins. The average age of a farmer in Iowa is 57.6 years old, rising only two-tenths of a point since 2017. Iowa saw a 19.4 percent increase in producers under age 35. What’s more, Iowa saw an increase in the number of farms, with small farms between 10 and 500 acres and large farms of 2,000 acres or more on the rise. From my work to rein in abuse of the farm payment system and keep intact the enforcement teeth in the Packers and Stockyards Act, I’m proud to be a voice for farm families who wake up every day to feed and fuel the world.

Senator Grassley is a lifelong family farmer. National Agriculture Week is March 17-23, 2024.