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For example, one of these questions is “Do you own, rent, or operate cropland, pastureland, or land with the potential for agricultural production?” Ponder that. Doesn’t all “land” have “the potential for agricultural production”? If so, a landowner or renter cannot answer “No” and thereby opt out. (Even a lot covered completely by a building has “the potential for agricultural production” because you can grow food on the roof or windowsills, or you can tear down the building.) So, the way I read this, if you own or rent land, you cannot opt out. Moreover, according to another of the first four questions, if you own one or more livestock animals, even a chicken or a horse, you cannot opt out.

All land does not have the potential for agricultural production as the term is used by the USDA. Throw the thing in the trash. If somebody calls you, tell them no and hang up on them. If somebody visits your house, tell them that you do not wish to participate in any survey and close the door.

How do I know these things? My husband and I DO have a farm. We cultivate approximately 2,000 acres of row crops. I also do quite a large garden and sell some produce locally.

My husband, in the past, always participated in the survey -- sometimes by mail and other times via a phone call we received. A couple of years ago, a USDA representative showed up at the house to do some "follow-up" to the paper survey. I was working in the kitchen which joins our den via an open bar area. Some of the questions were getting creepy. Like, do you own your home? How much do you have in the bank? Do you finance it yourself or get a crop loan every year? Stuff that had nothing to do with agriculture or the crops we were planting.

I had to step in and excused myself into the conversation. Why do you need this information, I asked. Didn't get a good answer. She proceeded with another question. By this time my husband is looking at me with a half go-get-em look and half quizical. I asked the lady if we were required by the USDA or any other agency to provide this information. Oh, no, she said.

At that point I told her that we were on our way out to eat and pardon me if I go ahead and show you back to the door.

Right before Christmas, the lady from the local USDA office called my husband to do the survey by phone and he told her that he did not want to participate. She said goodbye. The survey that came in the mail got thrown away.