Back when our Founding Fathers first came up with the notion of a public census, our nation still had no capital, the lifeboat had not been invented, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was alive and well, churning out the popular tunes of the day.

But it would be a year to remember when that first count of America’s citizens took place in 1790.

George Washington delivered his first State of the Union address. Benjamin Franklin died in Philadelphia at 84 years old. Even the lowly shoelace would find its introduction to the world.

Following a tradition that has come about every decade since, the 2010 census will officially launch this month, with the goal of counting every person in America.

And now, more than ever, farmers and ranchers are urged to stand and be counted.

Why? The short answer is power and money.

The United States conducts its survey every 10 years to take complete count of the country’s inhabitants to determine representation in Congress and better determine the flow of federal tax dollars back to states, cities and communities.

That’s more than $400 billion annually for those keeping count.

In turn, state and local governments use this data to plan new roads, new schools and new emergency services.

Businesses even use the information to identify locations for new stores and factories.

The census is especially important to farm and rural areas.

While the population in Texas grew by more than 12 percent from 2000 to 2005 — about twice the national average — its rural population actually showed declines.

In fact, 93 rural Texas counties lost population during that time, according to census estimates.

Nearly 25 million people live in Texas today. Of that, fewer than 4 million live in the country.

Still, those same rural areas account for federal dollar distribution.

In 2008, about $909 million went to crop insurance. Another $42 million was spent on livestock compensation programs.

A total of $279 million was earmarked for crop disaster assistance, while $21 million was devoted to rural rent assistance.

And because all of those programs are determined, at least partly, on population counts, having accurate data for the next 10 years will be a must.

Plans are already in place to begin congressional redistricting across Texas. Population totals determine where those lines are drawn.

Census packets will begin arriving March 15. For gated properties in the country, often the most difficult places for census workers to gain accurate counts, a bag of materials will be left on the gate.

Residents are asked to complete the 10-question forms, accounting for everyone on the property, both citizen and non-citizen alike, and return the forms in the self-addressed envelopes included in the packet.

Census workers will be looking for materials to be returned by April 1. Those who fail to respond will be revisited, up to six times, until everyone is accounted for.

So don’t miss your opportunity to stand and be counted. The future of the programs and services you use depends on it.

Bobby Horecka lives in China Spring with his wife and three children. He writes for the Texas Farm Bureau’s print publications, online news service and video projects.