Ten years ago the 2001 Census showed that Powys was home to the most farmers in England and Wales. The Welsh unitary authority was home to 4,579 people aged 16-74 who were employed as farmers, and it was also the area with the highest density in that occupation, with one in every 20 people being a farmer. But what will the 2011 Census show?

The census is a once-a-decade event, run by the Office for National Statistics, that affects everyone in England and Wales. In March 2011 a white envelope with a purple C emblazoned on it will drop through your letterbox. Inside will be a questionnaire which can be completed securely online (through the census website www.census.gov.uk), or on paper. It takes about 10 minutes per adult to complete, much less for children. Census statistics are used as the cornerstone for planning our communities. Housing, schools, hospitals, roads – all of these things are planned using census data.

The 2001 Census showed that there were 119,469 people aged 16-74 employed as farmers. After Powys, Carmarthenshire had the next highest amount of people aged 16-74 employed with 2,815. Herefordshire was third with 2,531. There were also 57,830 people aged 16-74 employed as farm workers. The area with the most farm workers was East Riding of Yorkshire with 1,260 people aged 16-74 employed in this occupation.

But what will the farming world look like in 2011? Will Powys still be the farmer’s home of choice? The 2011 Census will reveal some of the answers.

To find out more about the 2011 Census, go to www.census.gov.uk.