Tom Vilsack has announced he will be staying on board for a second term as Secretary of Agriculture. After leading USDA through the worst drought in several decades, the Obama Administration has asked him to stay in his position. Under his guidance, USDA's crop insurance program financially backed more than 340,000 farmers who lost crops. President Obama and Vilsack share a common regard for the future potential of rural America and count the construction of over 90,000 miles of electric line and 6,700 water related project investments on their list of accomplishments. However, one issue that lingers in the air with those in the agriculture field is the Farm Bill. With a second term, many individuals are interested to see how fast Vilsack and the USDA hit the ground running to get a five-year farm bill, which Secretary Vilsack has been quoted saying is his "greatest disappointment". Aside from the Farm bill Vilsack will be working on issues such as renewable energy and bio fuels, continuing agricultural export growth, and the aftermath of the drought.

Republican Representative Bob Haefner has sponsored a bill that would require farm animal abuse to be reported within 24 hours of being witnessed. The legislation would also require that evidence of abuse must be turned over to police unedited, disgruntling animal rights activists. The intent of this bill is to stop animal activists from scoring political points and public support and assure that the abuse gets reported in a timely, factual manner. This bill, although not technically an "ag gag" bill like other states have passed recently, has shaken animal rights organizations who are labeling it as so. They feel that this bill would keep documentation of abuse out of the public eye as well as prosecute those who report the abuse. The bill had strong bipartisan support prior to a public hearing on Monday.

Acting OMB Director Jeff Zients issued a memo on January 14th to agency heads, warning "Until Congress acts, agencies must continue to prepare for the possibility that they will need to operate with reduced budgetary resources." The fiscal cliff compromise reached on December 31st only extended the sequestration deadline to March 1st. The memo goes onto say "Federal agencies will likely need to furlough hundreds of thousands of employees and reduce essential services such as food inspections, air travel safety, prison security, border patrols, and other mission-critical activities."

Last week, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said President Obama wants to eliminate all the pending sequestration cuts. In the Saturday GOP address, freshman Senator Deb Fischer (R, NE) laid out a plan for permanently eradicating $500 million in Pentagon cuts, and offsetting that amount by cutting discretionary funding. Both sides of the aisle agree the sequestration cuts must be avoided, but have yet to find common ground. Given how narrowly the fiscal cliff was avoided over the New Year holiday, Congress is not expected to take any major action until the end of February.  

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2013-Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this week continued to remind producers to complete forms for the Census of Agriculture-the only source of uniform, comprehensive and impartial agricultural data for every county in the nation. The 2012 Census of Agriculture will provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with current information to help ensure an abundant, safe, and accessible food supply for all of America. On Monday, Vilsack spoke to thousands of American farmers and ranchers in Nashville, Tenn. The Census of Agriculture, said Vilsack, is one of the most important tools for providing certainty to producers and sustaining the unlimited economic potential of rural America.

"It's important for farmers and ranchers in America today to stand up and be counted by participating in the Census of Agriculture," said Vilsack. "By participating in this survey, producers help provide a snapshot of the current state of agriculture in our country, which helps policymakers make better decisions about farm safety net programs and policies."

Currently underway by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Census collects detailed data covering nearly every facet of U.S. agriculture. It looks at land use and ownership, production practices, expenditures and other factors that affect the way farmers do business and succeed in the 21st Century.

Census information helps USDA monitor trends and understand the needs in agriculture to better align its products and services. Ways the department used Census data in the past include:

• Helping to ensure the future of the agriculture industry in America, by developing programs and priorities to help new and beginning farmers get started and stay in business. This was supported after the Census reported the average age of a farmer continued to increase from 50.3 in 1978 to 57.1 in 2007. And, while the majority of farm operators are between the age of 45 and 64, the fastest growing group of farm operators is those 65 years and older.
• Looking at where and how to provide expanded and improved Internet access and services to rural America. The Census provided comprehensive county-level data on Internet access and revealed that 57 percent of all farmers had Internet access in 2007, up from 50 percent in 2002. Of those producers accessing the Internet, 58 percent reported having a high-speed connection.
• Illustrating the changing nature and needs of agriculture, the number of farms that produced 75% of production declined from 144,000 in 2002 to 125,000. At the same time, the number of small farms counted in the 2007 Census of Agriculture represented 91 percent of all farms. Overall small farms increased 1 percent from 2002 to 2007. These statistics show just how important to our food supply these very large farms are and how vital it is that programs such as crop insurance and others in the Food, Farm and Jobs bill are available. Different sized farms have different needs that USDA supports just as fervently.

All farmers and ranchers should have received a Census form in the mail by early January. Completed forms are due by February 4, 2013. Farmers can return their forms by mail or online by visiting a secure website, www.agcensus.usda.gov. Federal law requires all agricultural producers to participate in the Census and requires NASS to keep all individual information confidential.

For more information about the Census, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call 1-888-4AG-STAT (1-888-424-7828). The Census of Agriculture is your voice, your future, your responsibility.