Check you mailbox at the end of the month. USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is urging ag producers to make sure their farms and ranches are counted in the upcoming 2007 Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years, the census is a complete count of the nation's farms and ranches and the people who operate them. It looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures and other topics. It's the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every county in the nation.

NASS will mail out census forms on Dec. 28 to collect data for the 2007 calendar year. Completed forms are due by Feb. 4. Producers can return their forms by mail or, for the first time, they have the option of filling out the census online. For more information, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call toll-free 888-4AG-STAT or 888-424-7828.