Fact Finders for 

Agriculture:

NASS at Work

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service
3

FACT FINDERS FOR AGRICULTURE: NASS AT WORK

2

Agricultural producers, farm organizations, policymakers, 

community groups, researchers, government agencies, 

agribusinesses, and a host of related industries all need consistent, 

reliable data on U.S. agriculture. The National Agricultural Statistics 

Service (NASS) conducts hundreds of surveys each year and 

prepares reports on virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture. Every 

five years NASS also conducts a detailed census of every farm and 

agricultural producer in the country. 

NASS staff and partners who collect, assemble, and analyze

these rich information sources are rightly called “fact finders

for agriculture.”

DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING

As the statistical agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA), NASS is the official source of comprehensive, current 

information on the farms, ranches, and people who provide food, 

feed, and fiber to our nation and the world. NASS collects data 

and reports on agricultural production and inventories, the prices 

farmers pay and receive, farm labor and wages, farm income 

and finances, kinds and amounts of chemicals used, and rural 

development, among many other topics. 

In addition, NASS works to advance the accuracy of statistical 

science by conducting research on survey design, sampling, 

and other issues. NASS provides key statistical information and 

basic research that informs decision making. NASS headquarters 

in Washington, D.C., manages surveys, analyzes data, conducts 

cutting edge statistical research, and publishes national reports. 

Field offices across the country collect and publish similar data 

specific to their regions, states, and localities. 

STAFF AND PARTNERS

NASS employees come from many different geographic areas and 

academic backgrounds, and they are some of the best statisticians, 

mathematicians, and agricultural economists anywhere. They 

also include geographers, computer scientists, managers, and 

communications professionals, among other disciplines. 

Cooperating partners play an essential role in data collection. 

NASS’s partners include state agriculture departments, land grant 

universities, community-based organizations, and agriculture 

industry organizations. 

NASS Reports

The topics NASS covers include:

• Land use and ownership

• Operator characteristics

• Farm labor 

• Farm income

• Production costs

• Machinery and equipment

• Irrigation

• Prices paid and prices received 

• Market value of land and buildings

• Crops planted, harvested and sold 

• Livestock and poultry inventory 

and sales

• In-season crop progress 

• Organic and other specialized 

farming

• Fertilizer and chemical use

• Grain storage capacity

• Farm program participation

• Computer/Internet use

• Agricultural industrial production

See the full list of surveys and reports.

Our Mission...

to provide timely, accurate, and useful 

statistics in service to U.S. agriculture
5

FACT FINDERS FOR AGRICULTURE: NASS AT WORK

4

In conducting its work, NASS relies on those who know the 

situation best—farmers and ranchers, livestock feeders, 

slaughterhouse managers, grain elevator operators, and others 

involved in agriculture. They supply data and are also among the 

major users of the reports, forecasts, and estimates NASS produces. 

In fact, they participate in NASS surveys because they know 

complete and accurate data about their industry help them make 

better production and marketing decisions. 

SURVEYS, ESTIMATES, AND FORECASTS 

Every year, NASS conducts hundreds of surveys using a statistically 

valid sample of the target population. In these surveys, NASS 

collects information from a cross-section of a specific group (corn 

growers, feedlot managers, dairy producers, etc.). Depending upon 

the particular crop, livestock, or topic of concern, surveys vary in 

size (from a few hundred to tens 

of thousands), frequency (weekly, 

monthly, quarterly, or annually), 

and coverage (the number of states 

involved). 

After the data are collected, 

statisticians analyze the 

information to prepare estimates 

and forecasts. At NASS, an estimate

is a determination of size or value and refers to what has already 

occurred, such as last year’s wheat harvest or cattle inventory. 

A forecast is an approximation of what may occur by the end of 

the season, such as average corn yield or total production for the 

current harvest year. 

THE CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE

Every five years, NASS conducts the Census of Agriculture. Similar 

to the population census that attempts to count and collect data 

on every man, woman, and child in the United States, the Census 

of Agriculture takes a complete count of farms, ranches, and 

agricultural production in the entire country. 

Conducting the Census of Agriculture is a large undertaking 

requiring coordination among field offices and with NASS 

headquarters in Washington, D.C. Participation by every farmer 

and rancher, regardless of the size or type of operation, is vitally 

important. Most NASS surveys are voluntary, but in the case of 

the census, participation is required by law (Title 7, U.S. Code). 

By responding to the census, producers help themselves, their 

communities, and U.S. agriculture overall.

Responding to a NASS Survey

Increasingly NASS encourages those who receive a survey or 

census questionnaire to respond online. It is fast, easy, and secure. 

Other options include returning the questionnaire in a postagepaid envelope or by fax. In some instances, a NASS representative 

may telephone nonrespondents to offer assistance and take their 

information over the phone or arrange a personal interview.

NASS Counts...

the farms and people who feed our

nation and the world
7

FACT FINDERS FOR AGRICULTURE: NASS AT WORK

6

Farmers, ranchers, policymakers, community planners, 

agribusinesses, researchers, USDA, and other federal and 

state government agencies use NASS data for planning, 

market assessment, decision making, and ongoing research. 

Farmers and ranchers use the data to: 

• Make specific decisions about their operations, such as what 

crops to plant, how many cattle or other livestock to raise, 

when to buy or sell agricultural commodities, and many more

Policymakers use the data to:

• Allocate funds based on state and community needs

• Evaluate the impact and effectiveness of programs and 

policies

• Determine who may be affected by proposed agricultural 

legislation 

Community planners and cooperatives use the data to:

• Identify needed services and facilities

• Plan recreational, educational, and community awareness 

programs based on the interests and concerns of local 

producers

Companies and industry groups use the data to:

• Monitor trends 

• Evaluate financial performance

• Develop unbiased baseline industry information 

• Determine supply, prices, and export potential

Researchers and analysts use the data to:

• Monitor industries and their impacts on the economy

• Adapt new technologies to increase agricultural productivity

• Forecast trends, evaluate responses, and determine the social 

and economic implications

USDA agencies use the data to:

• Administer farm loan, insurance, disaster assistance, and 

other programs

• Allocate local and national funds for farm programs (including 

extension service projects, agricultural research, conservation, 

farm loans, and land grant colleges and universities)

Federal and state agencies use the data to:

• Plan and administer agriculture programs as well as 

conservation, consumer protection, education, land valuation, 

recreation, trade, transportation, water and irrigation use, and 

worker safety programs

High-quality statistical information is essential to those involved 

in agriculture. But it is equally essential to directly and indirectly 

related industries, services, programs, and economic sectors. 

Good data provide an understanding of current conditions as 

well as future trends and possibilities. In addition to creating an 

accurate, up-to-date picture of U.S. agriculture, the information 

NASS provides contributes to a stable economic climate and 

reduces risk. By being equally available to all users, NASS data help 

to level the playing field. 

Quick Stats: Online Access to NASS Data

NASS makes past and current data available through Quick Stats, 

an easy-to-use online query tool. This comprehensive tool allows 

users to access NASS data by commodity, geography, and date. 

Users can put the data on a map, manipulate and export the 

results, and save a link for future use.

NASS Data Serve...

farmers, ranchers, and others concerned 

about agriculture
9

FACT FINDERS FOR AGRICULTURE: NASS AT WORK

8

A number is only as good as the reputation of the organization 

that stands behind it. NASS realizes the importance of providing 

timely and reliable data, remaining free from political influence, 

and refraining from policy advocacy. We are committed to 

preserving a relationship of mutual respect and trust with those 

who supply and those who use the information we collect and 

provide. We go to great lengths to ensure the data remain both 

confidential and secure. 

CONFIDENTIALITY

NASS is required by law to keep every survey respondent’s 

information confidential. This includes names, addresses, personal 

identifiers, and reported data. Only authorized persons working 

for or on behalf of NASS can access individual data records and 

only for approved official purposes. Anyone who discloses the 

information is subject to a fine, a jail term, or both.

SECURITY

Another top priority at NASS is data security during data collection 

and report preparation. NASS prepares reports under tight security 

until they are publicly released at preannounced dates and times. 

Market-sensitive reports in particular are protected through an 

elaborate set of physical and electronic security measures—called 

Lockup—to ensure no one has access to the information before 

anyone else. Not even the Secretary of Agriculture knows a report’s 

contents until he enters the Lockup area to sign the report just 

prior to release.

Lockup: Protecting Market-Sensitive Reports

Anyone having early access to sensitive information such as production 

forecasts for corn, wheat, cotton, soybeans, poultry, or livestock would have 

an obvious advantage in trading on the commodities market. Lockup ensures 

that no information is released early to anyone.

The process begins when NASS field offices transmit the survey data they 

collected to headquarters through specially encoded equipment. The 

encoded data are saved on portable storage devices and locked in a safe; the 

files are immediately purged from the computer system.

In the hours before a report is released, employees prepare the forecast or 

estimate in a secure locked area guarded by officers stationed in the hallways. 

Telephones are disconnected, cell phones must be left outside, vinyl shades 

with steel reinforcers are drawn over windows, and computer systems are 

secured against tampering. Anyone entering the Lockup area prior to release 

of the report has neither Internet nor telephone access and may not leave or 

contact anyone outside the Lockup area until the report has been issued.

NASS Protects...

your privacy and your data
NASS Offices

Regional Offices and the State Offices they serve

Delta Region

Little Rock, Arkansas 

800-327-2970

nassrfodlr@nass.usda.gov 

Serving Arkansas (Little Rock), 

Louisiana (Baton Rouge), 

Mississippi (Jackson)

Eastern Mountain Region 

Louisville, Kentucky 

800-928-5277

nassrfoemr@nass.usda.gov

Serving Kentucky (Louisville), 

North Carolina (Raleigh), Tennessee 

(Nashville), Virginia (Richmond), West 

Virginia (Charleston)

Great Lakes Region 

East Lansing, Michigan 

800-453-7501

nassrfoglr@nass.usda.gov

Serving Indiana (West Lafayette), 

Michigan (East Lansing), Ohio

(Reynoldsburg)

Heartland Region 

St. Louis, Missouri 

800-551-1014

nassrfohlr@nass.usda.gov

Serving Illinois (Springfield), 

Missouri (Columbia)

Mountain Region

Lakewood, Colorado 

800-392-3202

nassrfomtr@nass.usda.gov

Serving Arizona (Phoenix), Colorado

(Lakewood), Montana (Helena), New 

Mexico (Las Cruces), Utah (Salt Lake 

City), Wyoming (Cheyenne)

Northeastern Region

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 

800-498-1518

nassrfoner@nass.usda.gov

Serving Delaware (Dover), 

Maryland (Annapolis), New Jersey

(Trenton), New York (Albany), 

Pennsylvania (Harrisburg), New 

Hampshire (Concord), which also serves 

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, 

Rhode Island, and Vermont

Northern Plains Region 

Lincoln, Nebraska 

800-582-6443

nassrfonpr@nass.usda.gov

Serving Kansas (Topeka), Nebraska

(Lincoln), North Dakota (Fargo), 

South Dakota (Sioux Falls)

Northwest Region

Olympia, Washington 

800-435-5883

nassrfonwr@nass.usda.gov

Serving Alaska (Palmer), 

Idaho (Boise), Oregon (Portland), 

Washington (Olympia)

Pacific Region

Sacramento, California 

800-851-1127

nassrfopcr@nass.usda.gov

Serving California (Sacramento), 

Hawaii (Honolulu), Nevada (Sparks)

Southern Region 

Athens, Georgia 

800-253-4419

nassrfosor@nass.usda.gov

Serving Alabama (Montgomery), 

Florida (Maitland), Georgia (Athens), 

South Carolina (Columbia)

Southern Plains Region

Austin, Texas 

800-626-3142

nassrfospr@nass.usda.gov

Serving Oklahoma (Oklahoma City), 

Texas (Austin)

Upper Midwest Region

Des Moines, Iowa 

800-772-0825

nassrfoumr@nass.usda.gov

Serving Iowa (Des Moines), Minnesota

(St. Paul), Wisconsin (Madison)

Eastern

Mountain

Southern

Delta Southern

Plains

Pacic Mountain

Northwest

Northern

Plains Upper

Midwest

Great

Lakes

Heartland

Northeastern

Harrisburg

Louisville

Athens

Des Moines

St. Louis

Little Rock

Austin

Lakewood

Olympia

Sacramento

East

Lansing Lincoln

Headquarters 

Washington, D.C.

800-727-9540

NASS@nass.usda.gov

National Operations Center

St. Louis, Missouri

314-595-9501

NOC.administration@nass.usda.gov

Regional Field Office Location
www.nass.usda.gov

Follow us on twitter@usda_nass

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Updated April 2016