Reply to Public Comment from Ashley Oeser - NY Farm Bureau - 06-13-2024

United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service

June 10, 2024

Ashley Oeser
Associate Director of Public Policy & National Affairs Coordinator
New York Farm Bureau
Albany, NY
Dear Ms. Oeser:
Thank you for your letter pertaining to the National Agricultural Statistics Service’ (NASS)
intention to renew the surveys in the Agricultural Labor Information Collection Request (ICR).
Your support of the Agricultural Labor Survey is appreciated. Your submitted letter included
some recommendations for the upcoming Agricultural Labor Surveys and use of the summarized
data from the survey, which will be addressed here.
NASS survey respondents may update their contact information when they complete their
surveys, or by calling NASS at 1-888-424-7828 between the hours of 7 A.M. to 4 P.M. ET.
Respondents may also provide NASS their contact information by completing a short form on
NASS’ public website at this link: https://www.agcounts.usda.gov/static/get-counted.html.
NASS is transparent in our methodologies for data collection and estimation of the farm labor
data. We have held meetings on the Agricultural Labor Survey with stakeholder groups when
requested, including the Department of Labor (DOL). The Farm Labor Methodology and
Quality Measures documents response rates along with information how the surveys are
conducted. The Farm Labor Methodology and Quality Measures documents and questionnaires
used can be found at this link on NASS’ public website:
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Methodology_and_Data_Quality/Farm_Labor/index.php
Data reported by respondents are protected by Federal Law from disclosure as described at this
link on NASS’ public webpage:
https://www.nass.usda.gov/About_NASS/Keeping_Data_Safe/index.php. NASS questionnaires
contain information how data are protected on the front page of the questionnaire.
Hopefully, this answers your questions about how data are collected and protected for the
Agricultural Labor Survey.
The Agricultural Labor Survey is conducted at a level consistent with appropriated funds from
the US Congress. DOL partially funded the NASS farm labor program until FY2021.
Additional funding would be required for state-specific information.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

The Farm Labor Methodology and Quality Measures and other documents pertaining to the
Agricultural Labor Survey along with a proposed questionnaire and other comments NASS
received will be made available later this summer for a 30-day public comment period. A
Federal Register Notice (FRN) for OMB Control Number 0535-0109 will be published when
that happens; the FRN will include instructions on how to review and comment further on the
survey before official action is taken by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
We will keep you informed of the progression of the Agricultural Labor Survey through Federal
Register Notices.
Sincerely,
signed by
LANCE Digitally
LANCE HONIG
Date: 2024.06.13
HONIG 10:24:37 -04'00'

Lance Honig
Chair, Agricultural Statistics Board
U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service