Appendix 
Census Methodology, Definitions and Explanations, and 
Report Form and Instruction Sheet 
STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY 
The census of agriculture statistical methodology can 
be found in the 2012 Census of Agriculture, Volume 
1, Geographic Area Series, Part 51. This document 
can be found at: 
http ://www.agcensus.usda. gov/Publications/20 1 2/Fu 
11 Report/Volume 1, Chapter 1 US/usappxa.pdf 
PROMOTIONAL EFFORTS 
Prior to the census, NASS staff and special 
enumerators (who later assisted in the data collection 
effort) visited tribal officials on reservations. They 
made presentations to raise awareness of the census, 
encourage participation, and open lines of 
communication. 
Promotional materials were made available to 
reservations. Public service announcements that 
promoted completing the census report form were 
provided to Indian Country radio stations and drop- 
in ads were published in American Indian 
newspapers. In addition, fellow USDA agency 
representatives were good spokespersons and helped 
promote the importance of the census and list 
building. 
DATA COLLECTION 
To maximize coverage of American Indian and 
Alaska Native farm operators, special procedures 
were followed in the census. A concerted effort was 
made to get individual census reports from every 
American Indian and Alaska Native farm operator in 
the country. If this was not possible within some 
reservations, a single reservation-level census report 
was obtained from knowledgeable reservation 
officials. These reports covered agricultural activity 
on the entire reservation. NASS reviewed these data 
and removed duplication with any data reported by 
American Indian or Alaska Native farm operators 
2012 Census of Agriculture 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
who responded on an individual census report form. 
Additionally NASS obtained, from knowledgeable 
reservation officials, the count of American Indian 
and Alaska Native farm operators (on reservations) 
who were not counted through individual census 
report forms, but whose agricultural activity was 
included in the reservation-level report form. 
Two types of report forms were used during data 
collection. Most operators were sent the standard 
census report form. The second type of report form 
was the American Indian report form (12-A200) which 
was mailed to all operations in Arizona, New Mexico, 
and Utah thought to have an American Indian or 
Alaska Native operator. This form was designed to 
collect data for the unique nature of agriculture on 
reservations in these three states. It was included in the 
initial mailout, but due to poor mail response a 
personal enumeration strategy was utilized with no 
additional mail follow-up. 
A thank you/reminder was mailed to operators after 
the mailout. Non-respondents were followed up with 
either telephone calls or visits from field 
enumerators or NASS staff. The NASS Regional 
Field Offices hired and trained enumerators who 
were familiar with reservation farm operators and 
tribal agriculture. Both NASS staff and field 
enumerators were available to help operators on 
reservations complete their report forms. 
Enumerators made themselves available to producers 
at established locations to answer any questions and 
assist reservation operators in completing their 
census report form. Some of these enumerators were 
tribal members. NASS strived to respect cultural 
values and tribal sovereignty in all activities. 
DATA RECORDS 
Data from operators that completed Section 34 of the 
standard census form or Section 1 of the American 
Indian form (12-A200) are included in this 
APPENDIX A-1 
