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Author Topic: Agricultural Census  (Read 5592 times)

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Agricultural Census
« Reply #20 on: February 07, 2013, 04:51:30 pm »
This was the second year I got the census and filled it out. This was also the second year that the Dept. of Agriculture got my name mixed up with an alternative energy wind farm up in Plataka. I called the Dept of Ag. about it and got a little bit of a run around trying to straighten it out. I filled in zero's for most of the information. They want the census filled out even if you didn't do any farming for the year, go figure. 

Offline dirt road

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Re: Agricultural Census
« Reply #21 on: February 08, 2013, 12:35:47 am »
I had a small pasture I was trying to reclaim years ago and let a fellow run some goats on it to clean up the weeds. He turned in 30 goats, and 1 orphaned lamb for 5 months. We let our kids pet goat run with the mob too. Wound up somehow on the ag dept. "sheep and goat census". It took me five years to get off that dang thing. I called every year, but finally got ahold of the right person and got removed from the list.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Agricultural Census
« Reply #22 on: February 08, 2013, 12:38:57 pm »
Dirt Road,
How did they get your name on the list in the first place. If your not zoned agricultural and not claiming a farm business, where do they get the name from? Too much big brother.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Agricultural Census
« Reply #23 on: February 08, 2013, 12:49:45 pm »
> Too much big brother.

And big brother assures me that all my responses will be confidential...
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

salvo

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Re: Agricultural Census
« Reply #24 on: February 08, 2013, 01:44:35 pm »
A guy named Finch told me the following:

"You are being watched. The government has a secret system: a machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it. I designed the machine to detect acts of terror, but it sees everything. Violent crimes involving ordinary people, day-to-day activities, people like.... beekeepers, EVERYONE. Crimes and activities the government considered irrelevant.  We work in secret. You'll never find us, but victim, perpetrator or beekeeper, if your number's up... we'll find you". :-X

Salvo


Offline dirt road

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Re: Agricultural Census
« Reply #25 on: February 08, 2013, 05:24:58 pm »
Dirt Road,
How did they get your name on the list in the first place. If your not zoned agricultural and not claiming a farm business, where do they get the name from? Too much big brother.
Jim
Everything out here is zoned Ag, but there had never been sheep or goats on the place before. Maybe they had someone driving around taking notes? No idea how they picked it up. I believe you're right, "too much big brother!

Offline lazy shooter

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Re: Agricultural Census
« Reply #26 on: February 08, 2013, 09:58:22 pm »
A few years back I received a questionnaire about my dairy cattle.  It even had a threat of being fined if not filled out correctly.  I telephoned the USDA and finally found someone who knew what I was talking about, but that person kept on going back to the 60 dairy cows that I milked.  Of all the things I have owned or wanted to own, a dairy cow has never been in, or wanted in my pastures. 

I wrote on the form in big cursive letters with a felt tipped pen, "I don't own any dairy cows."  I mailed it to them and never heard from it again.  There is a lot of confusion in the USDA.

Offline divemaster1963

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Re: Agricultural Census
« Reply #27 on: February 08, 2013, 11:35:23 pm »
They had to get Mine from My tax form. I took a deduction for materials and equipment then It started. I have gotten them for a few years now. I fill them out and state that mine are all feral hives and stated that I am just the slum lord and never make a profit because of constant up keep. they stated that I had to make a profit after 3 years. and I stated that If they can find a way to make money on less that 50  hives to let me know what I'm doing wrong. ;). they stated I was a farm. I said no I live on a lot in a niegborhood  and the bees travel 3-5 miles to other places. I just put in the hive numbers with no dollar amounts. they questioned it one time and I told them to find out from the place they got my name if they think I make money. ;)

John

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Agricultural Census
« Reply #28 on: February 13, 2013, 11:39:09 am »
I would think that the US Dept. of Ag. got a lot of thier information from the individual state's Dept. of Ag. Once your name gets on the state list as a farmer it gets sent over to the US Dept of Ag. I know I'm on at least one list as a beekeeper, I keep getting calls about selling bulk honey or wax. I haven't been able to tell if the calls are legit or phishing, I just tell them I'm a hobby beek and don't produce enough to sell to the public. I'm zoned R/A like all the other lots in my area so being a beekeeper must of put me on the radar.

 

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