Reply Letter to Dawn Thilmany

United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service

May 1, 2025

Dawn Thilmany
Fort Collins, CO 80521
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Thilmany,
Thank you for your letter of support and comments for the upcoming Local Food Marketing
Practices Survey. Part of the pre-survey activities include reviewing the previous survey’s
performance via comments from the data collectors compared with the publication goals of the
survey: to produce statistics on the number of farms that market food directly, the value of these
direct sales, and the marketing practices used in conjunction with direct sales for the reference
year.
In-house survey methodologists are consulted during this process which may result in targeted
interaction with data providers to determine how questions are interpreted and (if necessary) how
questions can be improved to provide the correct data needed for accurate statistics. These
interactions are done in such a way to minimize additional burden on the public as well as to
meet budgetary constraints.
NASS is only planning minor adjustments to the questionnaire and sample sizes at this time to
reflect minor shifts in the target population.
We will keep you informed of any modifications through Federal Register Notices.
Again, many thanks.

LANCE
HONIG

Digitally signed by
LANCE HONIG
Date: 2025.04.28
15:06:16 -04'00'

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

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