The U.S. Department of Ag­­ri­­culture’s (USDA) National Ag­­ri­­cultural Statistics Service (NASS) has started mailing the 2017 Census of Agriculture to the nation’s farmers and ranchers.

Conducted once every five years, the census aims to get a complete and accurate picture of American agriculture. The resulting data are used by farmers, ranchers, trade associations, researchers, policymakers and many others to help make decisions in community planning, farm assistance programs, technology development, farm advocacy,...