Area farmers’ responses on an annual government survey likely will show a continued drop in the number of farms and the income from them, an agriculture expert said.

Last year’s drought and a hard April freeze delivered a “two-punch deal” for farmers, lowering their production of all crops, and stressed cattle farmers, Larry Mitchell, Bradley County’s extension agent, said.

“All the crops, hay and cow numbers in our area will be down,” he said.

However, specific questions about the drought were not included in the survey, because the document was created before effects of the drought were well-known, said Michael Meek, an agricultural statistician in Nashville.

Every winter the U.S. Department of Agriculture surveys farmers to gauge the $2.5 billion agriculture industry. Their reports of income, operating expenses, production, profit and losses help bureaucrats and the farming industry chart progress.

“Just about every federal policy and program that affects U.S. farmers and farm families is based on information from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey,” said Debra Kenerson, Director of the NASS Tennessee Field Office.

Anyone who produced crops or livestock or received government payments associated with agricultural activity in 2007 is considered a farmer and is legally required to complete the surveys, the USDA Web site states.

The first national agriculture census was taken in 1840.

The surveys, which are confidential, provide answers to citizens and government officials to such questions as:

* Are Americans eating more or less beef? (less)

* Are family farms disappearing? (no)

* What are the leading farm commodities in the United States (cattle and calves, corn, broiler chickens and soybeans)

The surveys also show where tax dollars go. About 43 percent of all farms received government payments in 2005, according to survey results. The largest farms (the top 9.5 percent) received 60 percent of that money, according to the USDA’s Web site.

Each year farmers express concerns about revealing their finances to the government, Mr. Mitchell said.

“There’s nothing harmful or threatening about it, but some of our folks did have a few issues with it,” he said.

Georgiana Kotarski, a Dunlap, Tenn., cattle farmer, said the survey is comprehensive.

“They want to know everything about your farm business, which is kind of scary,” she said.

In 2006, the latest data year available, Tennessee reported 82,000 farms, down 1,000 farms (a little less than 1 percent) from 2005. Tennessee net farm income, on average, is about $8,802 per farm, down from $11,356 per farm (23 percent reduction) in 2005.

Georgia’s reports fewer farms that Tennessee — 43,000 in both 2005 and 2006 — but greater profits. In 2006, Georgia farm net income was $55,526 per farm, compared to $66,730 (a 17 percent reduction) per farm in 2005.

One of the major changes in the survey this year is the gradual addition of questions about organic farming methods.

“Organic is becoming a bigger and bigger deal. I’m thinking it’s going to stay (on the survey) in some form or another,” Mr. Meek said.

For example, farmers are asked this year to report the acreage and sales of organically produced products, according to the National Organic Standards. They are also asked to report the acres being converted to future organic production.

FARM STATS

Tennessee

Year Farms Net farm income

2006 82,000 $721,819,000

2005 83,000 $942,550,000

Georgia

Year Farms Net farm income

2006 43,000 $2,387,596,000

2005 43,000 $2,869,417,000

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture