USDA census

[sap retreiver]

Is it really against the law to not fill this out? What law is it ? I can understand if I had 10,000 taps but come on less than 200

[Scm]

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[sap retreiver]

18211
There's only a few questions for maple but seems a little invasive to me

[Scm]

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[ecolbeck]

EVERYTHING the government does is too invasive. I think my real question is, why did you get it? Are you registered as a farm, or license to sell syrup, or something.?.?. And what are the maple questions?

Side story: I started building wooden kayaks, listed my service on Craigslist. Got a call from a coast guard inspector. He had seen my ad. He wanted to inspect my “factory”. I told him to save the gas and check out the photos I posted on my website, you can see every angle of my tiny shop in the pictures. He wouldn’t give up for the longest time. It’s a 12x24 shed. What’s not phtoed is my personal space. Respect that. Talk about invasive. I’ve only sold two kayaks in my life. Inspect my “Factory” my a$$.

Watch out. They are definitely out to get you.

[Michael Greer]

A related story. Several years ago, my local building inspector(code enforcement officer) drove around town and handed out a new list of permits they were going to start issuing. They were all vaguely fire related, and included things like how many cords of firewood one could store, how many board feet of lumber, how much hay or grain, how many gallons of paint, oil, or fuel etc. etc. etc. There were probably thirty items on the list. I read it over carefully, and the next day I took it back to his office and dropped it on his desk. "Good luck with that" I told him. We never heard another word about it. These people don't have the personnel to carry out their crazy ideas...don't encourage them.

[Scm]

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[buckeye gold]

The ag census is a requirement if you sell agricultural products, but I have never known anyone to get arrested for not doing it. I fill it out every time I get one. A lot of good comes from it as well. Funding within the farm bill is influenced by the information they compile. It is used for evaluation of food production and many other things. Not everything is a function of a Big Brother conspiracy. If you really want to know who is watching you and using your personal information for invasive reasons, look at corporate America. When I worked for DNR we used constituent surveys to determine what people wanted and how they wanted the resource managed. It was a measure of our effectiveness, we had no desire to use as a means of going after someone. However, if your hiding income or engaged in illegal activity you probably would not want to be honest on a government survey.....it does not exempt you from prosecution it is evidence. That is a matter of each person's personal conscious.

[Scm]

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[maple flats]

My feeling is that those who refuse to fill out the Ag Census are likely afraid they will be caught for undeclared income. The ag census is not for finding who cheated a few bucks on their income taxes, it is to get information that is used in the budget processes. Does your state spend any money towards agriculture? Of course, and that is relative to the Ag information they get from the census.
By the way, when you claim your income from farming, you also get to off set that with expenses, depreciation and all other little things that add up to you loosing money.

[maple flats]

By the way, if you refuse you will get a phone call for the information and if you still refuse to answer the questions you can be finned as much as $5,000. Look it up, Google will find it for you.

[sap retreiver]

Very interesting. Thank you guys for the info. Gives us all something to chew on no matter how you look at it

[motowbrowne]

My feeling is that those who refuse to fill out the Ag Census are likely afraid they will be caught for undeclared income. The ag census is not for finding who cheated a few bucks on their income taxes, it is to get information that is used in the budget processes. Does your state spend any money towards agriculture? Of course, and that is relative to the Ag information they get from the census.
By the way, when you claim your income from farming, you also get to off set that with expenses, depreciation and all other little things that add up to you loosing money.

But if you lose money consistently and never turn a profit then they call it a hobby and you can't write off anything.

[motowbrowne]

USDA census? Interesting. I haven’t heard of this. Please tell more.

Send me your address, I'll send you mine. ;)

[markcasper]

By the way, if you refuse you will get a phone call for the information and if you still refuse to answer the questions you can be finned as much as $5,000. Look it up, Google will find it for you.

The ag census is unconstitutional! A direct violation of your 4th amendment rights as an American citizen. It is your choice whether you want to fill it out or not. As for fining. It is all an illusion meant to coerce you into filling it out. I have never known anyone to be fined. The regular census that takes place every 10 years requires you to state the number of people at said residence and that is it! Anything additional would also be anti 4th amendment.

[n8hutch]

I got one, I was going to fill it out right away but I found that 98% of it didn't pertain to me or was confusing. I think if they sent me or anyone something that pertained to what you actually do it would be a lot easier and a lot more people would participate. Unfortunately our Govt doesn't work like that "some may even say it doesn't work at all at the moment" , by the time I picked it up again it was going to be way late so I didn't bother finishing it.

[adk1]

I received one too and I am not a registered farm or maple operation

[BAP]

I received one too and I am not a registered farm or maple operation
Just curious, do you belong to your state’s maple association? I got one and figure the only way they got my name was from the NH Maple Producers Association.

[Helicopter Seeds]

I got one, I assumed it was because I had indicated farm income or loss on my tax return, or otherwise because I bought items from a maple equipment supply place identifying as a farm- because they asked, even though I am micro-sized. Interesting on the 'evidence' aspect, as I did the census quickly and rounded numbers, whereas the tax info is more detailed, naturally. I assumed it would help, but the conspiracy fearer in me will be more cautious next year.

[buckeye gold]

I have gotten them for years, way before I made Maple Syrup. However, I have had farm income and products for many years from hay and crops. How they determine who get's them is a good question. In Ohio ag land is noted on our property tax for a reduced tax rate, I always figured it came from that.

I don't worry about the government getting information about me from the survey. Heck if they want information on me there are dozens of ways a lot more complete and easier than an agriculture survey. The Dept. of Ag are choir boys compared to the IRS. As I said before I think this actually benefits our industry. The bigger Maple get's the more money goes to developing it. People Like Dr. Perkins benefit from farm bill funding, but if it is an obscure low production industry it won't get much attention.

[maple flats]

I agree, your state maple association benefits as the Ag Census information helps steer state budget money to maple. Buckeye is correct too on the ag survey being choir boys. If the IRS wants some info they can get it many ways but the Ag census is not one of them, it is protected by law. Individual info can never be shared, just statistical results are shared.
Then in state budgets the ag census can benefit a whole array of fronts, from grant monies, to tourism funds, and many other aspects that help agriculture. Those who lie or refuse to enter your info are only hurting your state's agricultural interests.

[maple flats]

As a matter of fact, I encourage every producer from 100 taps on up to answer the Ag census, if you did not get a form, request one from the USDA census dept., you can do it online.

[markcasper]

I agree, your state maple association benefits as the Ag Census information helps steer state budget money to maple. Buckeye is correct too on the ag survey being choir boys. If the IRS wants some info they can get it many ways but the Ag census is not one of them, it is protected by law. Individual info can never be shared, just statistical results are shared.
Then in state budgets the ag census can benefit a whole array of fronts, from grant monies, to tourism funds, and many other aspects that help agriculture. Those who lie or refuse to enter your info are only hurting your state's agricultural interests.


And like a dog chasing its tail, government dependency is all that results from programs such as these. Crony capitalism breeds wildly, benefiting some and discouraging others when government dangles carrots in front of people. If you think government agencies do not share information, I have a bridge for sale.