USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture. Production and supplies of food and fiber, prices paid and received by farmers, farm labor and wages, farm finances, chemical use, and changes in the demographics of U.S. producers are only a few examples! 

When preparing an application, it is critical that you consult the following sources: 

• The NASS restricted microdata website provides high level information on requesting access to restricted microdata. 
• The Data Lab Handbook contains NASS policies and regulations that all researchers are required to read and follow. 
• The SAP Application Guidelines provides NASS-specific guidance on the SAP application. 
• The SAP data catalog includes important metadata, questionnaires, and data dictionaries for each NASS data asset available to researchers. 
• Applications requesting Census of Agriculture data must email this variable list spreadsheet to SM.NASS.Data.Lab@usda.gov with the SAP application number. 

For more information on USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service products and programs, contact the NASS Data Lab at SM.NASS.Data.Lab@usda.gov. For datasets that are co-owned by NASS and ERS (e.g., ARMS), send questions to armsteam@usda.gov.