We get slammed all the time for govt program payments. How much real $$ are these surveys (paper & physical) costing the taxpayers (= me & you)?

If private firms are duplicating/surpassing them....then why? Is there some question by someone of validity? Going by area doesn't mean much. Your county could probably have 0.0 bu/A & affect the overall picture by 0.01%.

So-some folks obviously invite foot traffic in their fields (though guests might have to sidestep certain seed signs?). Why don't those cooperative growers avail themselves to the USDA, ProFarmer (aka JD), Cargill, etc etc as "yield tour sites". Why do others get "intimidating" letters/calls/visits from USDA saying they really need to look & ask? There are many farmers that fully believe & understand they are REQUIRED to share their field &/or data (=survey) w/USDA. That's a perception. I don't think compliance is mandatory. If you fail to return a survey, they will call. When they call, you ask if it's MANDATORY COMPLIANCE. They will answer no, but belittle your judgement. But-all the legal crap print doesn't quite read that way. I deem it intimidation. Some see thru...some oblige...is there anyone that doesn't realize that? Again, why doesn't USDA just bother those people that call them & volunteer their services? Would that be so wrong? Not sure what to do about billing the public for surveys/reports that are duplicated by private firms anyway.

Kind of like flu shots...some want them, some don't. Some folks like their privacy (= trespassing) some don't care who does what. Kind of a sign of the times.