Farm Secrets: USDA Seeks Input on Data Protection Rules
Published Date: 9/24/2025
Notice
Summary
The Department of Agriculture wants your thoughts on a new info collection about keeping agricultural data safe. If you work with or rely on this data, your feedback by October 24, 2025, can help shape how the government protects it without making things harder for you. No big costs are expected, but they want to make sure the process is clear and easy for everyone involved.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Researchers Must Submit Federal ID PII
If you are a researcher approved to access the NASS Data Lab, you will be required to complete the OF-306 (Declaration for Federal Employment) and submit administrative personally identifiable information (SSN, date of birth, sex, and citizenship). This change applies to all researchers regardless of citizenship, affects 200 respondents, and represents a total burden of 484 hours; the OF-306 data will be submitted to REE Onboarding and will not be retained or processed by NASS.
Growers Face Annual Vegetable Survey Reporting
If you operate a farm that grows vegetables, NASS may contact you (typically in November) to report acres planted and harvested, quantity produced, utilization (fresh market vs processing), and prices. The Vegetable Surveys list 11,140 farm respondents, with a total burden of 4,998 hours reported and a reporting frequency of annually or seasonally.
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