on the entire reservation. NASS reviewed these data 
and removed duplieation with any data reported by 
Ameriean Indian or Alaska Native farm operators 
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. 
This information is summarized in Table D, 
American Indian and Alaska Native Operators: 
2012, providing the number of farm operators (for up 
to three operators per farm) reported as American 
Indian or Alaska Native in the race category, either 
as a single race or in combination with other races, 
on the individual census report forms, plus the total 
number of American Indian or Alaska Native 
operators farming on reservations as reported by 
reservation officials. The count from the individual 
report forms is summarized in the “Individually 
reported” column. It includes operators on or off 
reservations. The “Other” column provides counts 
of operators on reservations as reported by a 
reservation or tribal official. The “Total” column is 
simply a sum of the “Individually reported” and the 
“Other” columns. Tables in other parts of the 
publication count the reservation-level reports as 
single farms. 
Public Relations 
In the public relations arena, NASS and the 
contractor worked with internal and external 
stakeholders to equip them with communications 
tools and resources to deliver the census 
communications message to their audiences. NASS 
utilized its Intranet to deliver materials to the 12 
regional and 46 field offices and created a “Partner 
to Promote the Census” portal on the census website 
to deliver public relations materials and tools to 
external stakeholders. The materials included, but 
were not limited to: customizable news releases, 
feature stories, newsletter articles, blogs; drop-in 
advertisements; website buttons and banners; 
PowerPoint templates; brochures; and more. In 
addition, at the national level NASS issued a dozen 
news releases citing department and agency 
spokespeople and published timely and relevant 
A-4 APPENDIX A 
pieces to the USDA blog highlighting the census. 
These public relations efforts at the national. State, 
and local levels helped ensure that NASS’s message 
about the census was continually in the media, 
including print and online publications, a variety of 
social media, radio, and some television programs. 
Media outlets included both those specializing in 
agriculture and more general outlets. 
Paid Media 
For the 2012 Census of Agriculture, NASS placed 
special emphasis on reaching new and beginning 
farmers, while continuing efforts to improve its 
reach within previously under-represented 
populations. Even with increasingly limited budgets 
and resources, NASS was able to apply a portion of 
funds towards paid media. Strategically, NASS 
purchased limited print and online advertising in 
areas where there was the potential for high 
concentrations of under-represented populations and 
new and beginning farmers and ranchers. 
DATA COLLECTION 
Method of Enumeration 
Data collection was accomplished primarily by 
mailout/mailback, but supplemented with Electronic 
Data Reporting (EDR) on the Internet, and personal 
enumeration for special classes of records in the 
census operations. Personal enumeration 
(interviewing) involved the use of both Computer- 
Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) and 
Computer- Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). 
Enumerators at the NASS National Operations 
Center in St. Louis, MO conducted CATI data 
collection. In addition, enumerators under contract 
with NASS through the National Association of 
State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) 
conducted phone and personal interviews with 
respondents. For the 2012 Census of Agriculture, 
NASS implemented a pre-notification strategy in an 
effort to increase awareness, improve overall 
responses, and encourage respondents to report early 
to avoid continued correspondence. All records in 
the initial mailout received either a postcard or pre- 
recorded voice message announcing the census mail 
packets were coming. 
2012 Census of Agriculture 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
