United States
Department of
Agriculture
National
Agricultural
Statistics
Service
ISSN: 1930-7128
Farms, Land in
Farms,
and Livestock
Operations
2009 Summary
February 2010
Contents
National Summaries Page
Number of Farms and Land in Farms 4
Livestock Operations 5
Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size 6
Livestock Operations by Species, U.S.
Cattle and Calves 20
Beef Cows 20
Milk Cows 21
Milk Production 21
Hogs and Pigs 22
Sheep and Goats 23
Reliability Statement 24
Terms and Definitions 25
Farm Definition History 26
Special Note Regarding the 2007 Estimates 27
Contacts 29
**********************************************************************************
Update Alert - February 19, 2010
The Farms, Land in Farms, and Livestock Operations 2009 Summary released on
February 12, 2010 by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is
being reissued due to corrections in Land in Farms tables. On page 13, the 2008
estimate for Northeast region's other states total for the land in farms in the
"$500,000 & over" sales class has been corrected to be 965,000 acres. The 2008
estimate for Northeast region total for the land in farms in the "$500,000 & over"
sales class has been corrected to 4,355,000 acres. The 2008 estimate for the U.S.
total for the land in farms in the "$500,000 & over" sales class has been
corrected to 293,055,000 acres. The total land in farms for the Northeast region
and the U.S. was published correctly.
**********************************************************************************
Special Note
NASS is in the process of modifying report layouts in order to improve
readability. This is the first issue produced using the new layout. This
revised report issue is published using both layouts but future issues will
only be produced using this layout. The previous layout is available on the
NASS website: www.nass.usda.gov.
2009 Number of Farms and Land in Farms Highlights
The number of farms in the United States in 2009 is estimated at 2.2 million,
virtually unchanged from 2008. Total land in farms, at 919.8 million acres,
decreased 110 thousand acres from 2008. The average farm size is 418 acres,
unchanged from the previous year.
Farm numbers and land in farms are broken down into five economic sales
classes. Farms and ranches are classified into these "sales classes" by
summing their sales of agricultural products and government program payments.
Sales class breaks occur at $10,000, $100,000, $250,000, and $500,000.
Farm numbers declined slightly in the $10,000-$99,999 and $500,000 and over
sales classes. Lower commodity prices and smaller value of sales contributed
to changes in the number of farms within these sales classes. Farm numbers
increased 0.5 percent, to 1.23 million farms, in the $1,000 - $9,999 sales
class. Meanwhile, the number of farms in the $500,000 and over sales class
decreased by 1.0 percent to 124,720 farms.
Land in farms decreased in the smallest and largest sales classes. In the
$1,000-$9,999 sales class, land in farms dropped 1.1 percent, to
105.5 million acres. Land operated by farms in the $500,000 & over in sales
class decreased 1.0 percent, to 290.0 million acres. Land operated by farms
with $250,000-$499,999 in sales increased by 4.1 percent.
The average farm size was unchanged in 2009. However, average farm sizes
declined in some of the sales classes partially due to smaller farms moving
up to higher sales classes.
This report also contains estimates of farm numbers and land in farms for
Puerto Rico. The number of farms with sales of $1,000 or more in Puerto Rico
was 10,400 in 2009, down 800 farms from 2008. Land in farms, at
450,000 acres, is down 20,000 acres from the previous year. The average farm
size in Puerto Rico in 2009 was estimated at 43 acres.
2009 Livestock Operations Highlights
The number of operations with cattle totaled 950,000 for 2009, down 1 percent
from 2008. Beef cow operations in 2009, at 753,000, were also down 1 percent
from last year. The number of milk cow operations for 2009 totaled 65,000,
down 3 percent from 2008.
The three operation classes: cattle, beef cows, and milk cows, are
classified into size groups independently. Therefore, it is possible to have
more beef cow operations in a particular size group than cattle operations.
As an example, an operator with 75 cattle and 40 beef cows would be
classified in the 50-99 size group for cattle and 1-49 size group for beef
cows.
The number of operations with hogs totaled 71,450 for 2009, down 2 percent
from 2008. Places with 2,000 or more head accounted for 86 percent of the
inventory.
The number of operations with sheep totaled 82,000 for 2009, down 1 percent
from 2008. Of all sheep operations that include breeding sheep, 93.7 percent
were comprised of 1-99 head, 5.2 percent had 100-499 head, and the remaining
1.1 percent were operations with 500 head or more. Operations with 1-99 head
account for 36.2 percent of the inventory, 100-499 head account for 20.8
percent of the inventory, and 500+ head account for 43.0 percent of the
inventory.
The number of operations with goats totaled 152,000 for 2009, up 1 percent
from a year earlier. Angora goat operations totaled 5,400, down 17 percent
from 2008. Milk goat operations totaled 30,000, up 3 percent from 2008. Meat
goat operations totaled 130,000, up 1 percent from a year earlier. Total goat
operations will be equal to or less than the sum of angora, milk and meat
because places which own more than one goat type count as only one operation.
Special Note
State level numbers are published in conjunction with the Census of
Agriculture every five years. The number of operations at the U.S. level are
published on an annual basis. The reference date for operation estimates is
December 31 beginning with the 2007 estimates. This change from the previous
definition of an operation as any place having one or more head of a specie
on hand at any time during the year results in a break in the data series.
Point farms: United States, 2003 - 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Percent of total 1/
Year :-----------------------------------------------------------
: Farms : Land
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2003 ...............: 18.0 3.0
2004 ...............: 17.0 2.5
2005 ...............: 18.0 2.5
2006 ...............: 19.0 2.7
2007 ...............: 22.0 3.0
2008 2/ ............: 17.0 2.8
2009 ...............: 18.0 2.9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Percent of farms and land in farms for places having less than $1,000 of
reported sales, but with sufficient crops and/or livestock to normally have
sales of at least $1,000.
2/ Revised.
Number of Farms, Land in Larms, and Average Farm Size: United States, 1999-2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Number : Land : Average
Year : of farms : in farms : farm size
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: number 1,000 acres acres
:
1999 ........: 2,187,280 948,460 434
2000 ........: 2,166,780 945,080 436
2001 ........: 2,148,630 942,070 438
2002 ........: 2,135,360 940,300 440
2003 ........: 2,126,860 936,750 440
2004 ........: 2,112,970 932,260 441
2005 ........: 2,098,690 927,940 442
2006 ........: 2,088,790 925,790 443
2007 ........: 2,204,950 921,460 418
2008 1/ .....: 2,200,100 919,910 418
2009 ........: 2,200,010 919,800 418
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Revised.
Percent of Farms and Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size: By Economic Sales
Class, United States, 2008-2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Percent of total :
:---------------------------------------: Average farm size
Economic sales class: Farms : Land in farms : (acres)
:-----------------------------------------------------------
: 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$1,000 - $2,499 : 27.8 28.0 4.0 3.7 60 55
$2,500 - $4,999 : 14.4 14.4 3.3 3.2 96 93
$5,000 - $9,999 : 13.3 13.4 4.3 4.6 135 143
$10,000 - $24,999 : 12.1 11.8 6.8 6.5 235 230
$25,000 - $49,999 : 8.0 8.0 7.4 7.8 387 408
$50,000 - $99,999 : 7.4 7.4 10.3 10.4 582 588
$100,000 - $249,999 : 6.8 6.8 16.4 16.1 1,010 991
$250,000 - $499,999 : 4.5 4.5 15.6 16.2 1,452 1,506
$500,000 - $999,999 : 3.4 3.4 15.4 15.4 1,897 1,895
$1,000,000 + .......: 2.3 2.3 16.5 16.1 3,004 2,936
:
Total ..............: 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 418 418
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Revised.
Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size by State, United States,
and Puerto Rico 2008-2009
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Number of farms : Land in farms : Average farm size
State :-----------------------------------------------------------------
: 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
:------ number ------ --- 1,000 acres -- ----- acres ----
:
Alabama .......: 48,500 48,500 8,950 9,000 185 186
Alaska ........: 680 680 890 880 1,309 1,294
Arizona .......: 15,600 15,500 26,100 26,100 1,673 1,684
Arkansas ......: 49,300 49,100 13,700 13,600 278 277
California ....: 81,500 81,500 25,400 25,400 312 312
Colorado ......: 36,500 36,200 31,300 31,300 858 865
Connecticut ...: 4,900 4,900 400 400 82 82
Delaware ......: 2,500 2,480 500 490 200 198
Florida .......: 47,500 47,500 9,250 9,250 195 195
Georgia .......: 47,800 47,600 10,400 10,300 218 216
:
Hawaii ........: 7,500 7,500 1,110 1,120 148 149
Idaho .........: 25,200 25,500 11,400 11,400 452 447
Illinois ......: 75,900 75,800 26,700 26,700 352 352
Indiana .......: 61,000 61,500 14,800 14,800 243 241
Iowa ..........: 92,600 92,600 30,800 30,800 333 333
Kansas ........: 65,500 65,500 46,200 46,200 705 705
Kentucky ......: 85,300 85,500 14,000 14,000 164 164
Louisiana .....: 30,000 30,000 8,050 8,050 268 268
Maine .........: 8,100 8,100 1,350 1,350 167 167
Maryland ......: 12,850 12,800 2,050 2,050 160 160
:
Massachusetts .: 7,700 7,700 520 520 68 68
Michigan ......: 55,000 54,800 10,000 10,000 182 182
Minnesota .....: 81,000 81,000 26,900 26,900 332 332
Mississippi ...: 42,000 42,300 11,000 11,050 262 261
Missouri ......: 108,000 108,000 29,100 29,100 269 269
Montana .......: 29,500 29,800 60,800 60,800 2,061 2,040
Nebraska ......: 47,400 47,200 45,600 45,600 962 966
Nevada ........: 3,100 3,080 5,900 5,900 1,903 1,916
New Hampshire .: 4,150 4,150 470 470 113 113
New Jersey ....: 10,300 10,300 730 730 71 71
:
New Mexico ....: 20,600 20,500 43,000 43,000 2,087 2,098
New York ......: 36,600 36,600 7,100 7,100 194 194
North Carolina : 52,500 52,400 8,600 8,600 164 164
North Dakota ..: 32,000 32,000 39,600 39,600 1,238 1,238
Ohio ..........: 75,000 74,900 13,900 13,800 185 184
Oklahoma ......: 86,600 86,500 35,100 35,100 405 406
Oregon ........: 38,600 38,600 16,400 16,400 425 425
Pennsylvania ..: 63,200 63,200 7,750 7,750 123 123
Rhode Island ..: 1,220 1,220 70 70 57 57
South Carolina : 26,900 27,000 4,900 4,900 182 181
:
South Dakota ..: 31,300 31,500 43,700 43,700 1,396 1,387
Tennessee .....: 79,000 78,700 10,900 10,900 138 139
Texas .........: 247,500 247,500 130,400 130,400 527 527
Utah ..........: 16,500 16,600 11,100 11,100 673 669
Vermont .......: 7,000 7,000 1,220 1,220 174 174
Virginia ......: 47,000 47,000 8,000 8,000 170 170
Washington ....: 39,500 39,500 14,800 14,800 375 375
West Virginia .: 23,200 23,200 3,700 3,700 159 159
Wisconsin .....: 78,000 78,000 15,200 15,200 195 195
Wyoming .......: 11,000 11,000 30,100 30,200 2,736 2,745
:
United States .:2,200,100 2,200,010 919,910 919,800 418 418
:
Puerto Rico ...: 11,200 10,400 470 450 42 43
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/Revised.
Number of Farms: Economic Sales Class by State, Region, United States, and
Puerto Rico 2008-2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Economic sales class
:-----------------------------------------------------------
State and region : $1,000-$9,999 : $10,000-$99,999 : $100,000-$249,999
:-----------------------------------------------------------
: 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: number
:
Northeast :
Connecticut .....: 3,050 3,050 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Maine ...........: 5,300 5,300 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Massachusetts ...: 4,800 4,800 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
New Hampshire ...: 2,900 2,900 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
New Jersey ......: 6,700 6,700 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
New York ........: 18,700 18,900 10,800 10,900 3,100 3,200
Pennsylvania ....: 37,000 37,000 15,500 15,500 5,600 5,600
Rhode Island ....: 740 750 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Vermont .........: 4,000 4,000 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
:
Other States 2/ .: 11,060 10,950 2,220 2,270
:
Total ...........: 83,190 83,400 37,360 37,350 10,920 11,070
:
North Central :
Illinois ........: 33,500 32,400 17,400 17,600 8,100 8,500
Indiana .........: 31,700 32,800 16,000 15,800 5,150 5,200
Iowa ............: 30,200 30,300 28,500 28,400 14,100 14,200
Kansas ..........: 28,300 28,500 22,500 22,200 6,600 6,700
Michigan ........: 32,300 32,100 14,500 14,400 3,600 3,500
Minnesota .......: 36,500 36,400 21,900 21,900 9,400 9,400
Missouri ........: 57,700 58,100 38,000 37,800 5,700 5,200
Nebraska ........: 12,300 11,700 14,200 13,400 7,600 8,600
North Dakota ....: 10,600 10,700 9,400 9,300 4,300 4,400
Ohio ............: 40,300 40,200 22,700 22,700 5,500 5,300
South Dakota ....: 9,400 9,200 9,600 9,800 5,200 5,000
Wisconsin .......: 39,000 38,800 20,500 20,500 9,300 9,400
:
Total ...........: 361,800 361,200 235,200 233,800 84,550 85,400
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See footnote(s) at end of table. --continued
Number of Farms: Economic Sales Class by State, Region, United States, and
Puerto Rico 2008-2009 - Continued
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Economic sales class
:-----------------------------------------------------------
State and region : $1,000-$9,999 : $10,000-$99,999 : $100,000-$249,999
:-----------------------------------------------------------
: 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: number
:
South :
Alabama .........: 31,000 31,200 12,500 12,400 1,300 1,300
Arkansas ........: 27,900 27,600 13,200 13,000 1,600 1,700
Delaware ........: 1,000 1,000 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Florida .........: 29,500 29,500 12,700 12,700 2,100 2,100
Georgia .........: 30,200 30,100 10,000 10,000 2,500 2,500
Kentucky ........: 54,000 54,000 25,200 25,400 2,900 3,000
Louisiana .......: 18,700 18,700 7,900 7,900 1,100 1,100
Maryland ........: 7,100 7,100 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Mississippi .....: 27,400 27,500 9,900 10,100 1,050 950
North Carolina ..: 32,700 32,600 11,300 11,300 2,000 2,050
Oklahoma ........: 51,000 51,000 28,000 28,000 3,800 3,700
South Carolina ..: 19,500 19,600 5,400 5,400 600 600
Tennessee .......: 55,900 56,100 19,100 18,400 1,650 1,600
Texas ...........: 163,800 171,000 65,100 59,000 7,500 7,700
Virginia ........: 30,000 29,800 13,300 13,600 1,450 1,300
West Virginia ...: 18,400 18,400 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
:
Other States 3/ .: 8,030 7,930 1,210 1,220
:
Total ...........: 598,100 605,200 241,630 235,130 30,760 30,820
:
West :
Alaska ..........: 360 350 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Arizona .........: 12,000 12,000 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
California ......: 35,500 35,600 26,600 26,800 6,500 6,400
Colorado ........: 20,600 19,500 10,400 11,300 2,600 2,700
Hawaii ..........: 4,600 4,600 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Idaho ...........: 13,300 13,400 7,000 7,200 1,900 1,700
Montana .........: 13,100 13,500 9,400 9,300 3,700 3,500
Nevada ..........: 1,650 1,650 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
New Mexico ......: 13,800 13,700 5,000 5,000 800 840
Oregon ..........: 24,400 24,400 8,900 9,300 2,300 2,100
Utah ............: 10,100 10,200 4,700 4,700 840 840
Washington ......: 24,400 24,300 8,900 9,000 2,000 2,000
Wyoming .........: 5,200 5,200 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
:
Other States 4/ .: 9,410 9,100 2,130 2,120
:
Total ...........: 179,010 178,400 90,310 91,700 22,770 22,200
:
United States .....:1,222,100 1,228,200 604,500 597,980 149,000 149,490
:
Puerto Rico .......: 7,200 6,800 3,000 2,800 500 400
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See footnote(s) at end of table. --continued
Number of Farms: Economic Sales Class by State, Region, United States, and
Puerto Rico 2008-2009 - Continued
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Economic sales class
:-----------------------------------------------------------
State and region : $250,000-$499,999 : $500,000 & over : Total
:-----------------------------------------------------------
: 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: number
:
Northeast :
Connecticut .....: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 4,900 4,900
Maine ...........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 8,100 8,100
Massachusetts ...: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 7,700 7,700
New Hampshire ...: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 4,150 4,150
New Jersey ......: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 10,300 10,300
New York ........: 1,700 1,600 2,300 2,000 36,600 36,600
Pennsylvania ....: 2,800 2,800 2,300 2,300 63,200 63,200
Rhode Island ....: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 1,220 1,220
Vermont .........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 7,000 7,000
:
Other States 2/ .: 1,220 1,320 1,380 1,330
:
Total ...........: 5,720 5,720 5,980 5,630 143,170 143,170
:
North Central :
Illinois ........: 7,900 8,100 9,000 9,200 75,900 75,800
Indiana .........: 3,600 3,200 4,550 4,500 61,000 61,500
Iowa ............: 9,800 9,800 10,000 9,900 92,600 92,600
Kansas ..........: 3,900 3,900 4,200 4,200 65,500 65,500
Michigan ........: 2,100 2,200 2,500 2,600 55,000 54,800
Minnesota .......: 6,400 6,500 6,800 6,800 81,000 81,000
Missouri ........: 2,900 3,100 3,700 3,800 108,000 108,000
Nebraska ........: 6,000 6,000 7,300 7,500 47,400 47,200
North Dakota ....: 3,700 3,700 4,000 3,900 32,000 32,000
Ohio ............: 3,300 3,400 3,200 3,300 75,000 74,900
South Dakota ....: 3,900 4,200 3,200 3,300 31,300 31,500
Wisconsin .......: 5,200 5,500 4,000 3,800 78,000 78,000
:
Total ...........: 58,700 59,600 62,450 62,800 802,700 802,800
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See footnote(s) at end of table. --continued
Number of Farms: Economic Sales Class by State, Region, United States, and
Puerto Rico 2008-2009 - Continued
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Economic sales class
:-----------------------------------------------------------
State and region : $250,000-$499,999 : $500,000 & over : Total
:-----------------------------------------------------------
: 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: number
:
South :
Alabama .........: 1,400 1,400 2,300 2,200 48,500 48,500
Arkansas ........: 1,700 1,900 4,900 4,900 49,300 49,100
Delaware ........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 2,500 2,480
Florida .........: 1,100 1,100 2,100 2,100 47,500 47,500
Georgia .........: 1,600 1,400 3,500 3,600 47,800 47,600
Kentucky ........: 1,400 1,450 1,800 1,650 85,300 85,500
Louisiana .......: 800 800 1,500 1,500 30,000 30,000
Maryland ........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 12,850 12,800
Mississippi .....: 900 1,000 2,750 2,750 42,000 42,300
North Carolina ..: 2,500 2,450 4,000 4,000 52,500 52,400
Oklahoma ........: 1,800 1,800 2,000 2,000 86,600 86,500
South Carolina ..: 300 300 1,100 1,100 26,900 27,000
Tennessee .......: 950 1,100 1,400 1,500 79,000 78,700
Texas ...........: 4,500 4,500 6,600 5,300 247,500 247,500
Virginia ........: 950 900 1,300 1,400 47,000 47,000
West Virginia ...: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 23,200 23,200
:
Other States 3/ .: 850 860 1,960 1,970
:
Total ...........: 20,750 20,960 37,210 35,970 928,450 928,080
:
West :
Alaska ..........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 680 680
Arizona .........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 15,600 15,500
California ......: 4,000 4,000 8,900 8,700 81,500 81,500
Colorado ........: 1,200 1,100 1,700 1,600 36,500 36,200
Hawaii ..........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 7,500 7,500
Idaho ...........: 1,200 1,200 1,800 2,000 25,200 25,500
Montana .........: 2,100 2,300 1,200 1,200 29,500 29,800
Nevada ..........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 3,100 3,080
New Mexico ......: 400 400 600 560 20,600 20,500
Oregon ..........: 1,200 1,000 1,800 1,800 38,600 38,600
Utah ............: 410 400 450 460 16,500 16,600
Washington ......: 1,700 1,700 2,500 2,500 39,500 39,500
Wyoming .........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 11,000 11,000
:
Other States 4/ .: 1,120 1,240 1,410 1,500
:
Total ...........: 13,330 13,340 20,360 20,320 325,780 325,960
:
United States .....: 98,500 99,620 126,000 124,720 2,200,100 2,200,010
:
Puerto Rico .......: 250 200 250 200 11,200 10,400
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(NA) Not available.
1/ Revised.
2/ Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode
Island, and Vermont.
3/ Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia.
4/ Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, and Wyoming.
Land in Farms: Economic Sales Class by State, Region, United States, and
Puerto Rico 2008-2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Economic sales class
:-----------------------------------------------------------
State and region : $1,000-$9,999 : $10,000-$99,999 : $100,000-$249,999
:-----------------------------------------------------------
: 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: 1,000 acres
:
Northeast .........:
Connecticut .....: 130 130 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Maine ...........: 480 480 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Massachusetts ...: 210 210 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
New Hampshire ...: 230 230 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
New Jersey ......: 180 180 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
New York ........: 1,400 1,500 1,700 1,800 960 960
Pennsylvania ....: 2,400 2,400 2,050 2,050 1,150 1,150
Rhode Island ....: 30 30 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Vermont .........: 340 340 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
:
Other States 2/ .: 1,260 1,250 490 500
:
Total ...........: 5,400 5,500 5,010 5,100 2,600 2,610
:
North Central .....:
Illinois ........: 1,500 1,300 2,300 2,200 3,300 3,400
Indiana .........: 1,300 1,300 2,100 2,200 1,900 1,900
Iowa ............: 1,700 1,600 4,700 4,800 5,400 5,400
Kansas ..........: 3,200 3,300 9,900 9,600 8,300 8,300
Michigan ........: 1,800 1,700 2,000 1,900 1,400 1,300
Minnesota .......: 3,200 3,100 4,800 4,800 4,200 4,200
Missouri ........: 5,000 4,900 10,400 10,400 3,900 3,400
Nebraska ........: 1,400 1,300 6,200 6,200 8,300 8,200
North Dakota ....: 2,000 1,800 6,200 6,200 6,900 6,900
Ohio ............: 2,000 1,950 3,200 3,200 2,200 2,200
South Dakota ....: 1,600 1,500 7,300 7,400 9,400 9,300
Wisconsin .......: 2,700 2,400 3,300 3,200 2,700 2,700
:
Total ...........: 27,400 26,150 62,400 62,100 57,900 57,200
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See footnote(s) at end of table. --continued
Land in Farms: Economic Sales Class by State, Region, United States, and
Puerto Rico 2008-2009 - Continued
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Economic sales class
:-----------------------------------------------------------
State and region : $1,000-$9,999 : $10,000-$99,999 : $100,000-$249,999
:-----------------------------------------------------------
: 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: 1,000 acres
:
South .............:
Alabama .........: 3,000 3,100 3,100 3,100 800 800
Arkansas ........: 2,300 2,100 3,150 3,200 950 1,100
Delaware ........: 30 30 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Florida .........: 1,400 1,400 1,950 1,950 900 900
Georgia .........: 3,200 3,100 2,350 2,500 1,000 1,000
Kentucky ........: 4,400 4,400 5,010 4,900 1,320 1,400
Louisiana .......: 1,400 1,400 1,950 1,950 900 900
Maryland ........: 400 400 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Mississippi .....: 3,500 3,400 2,600 2,650 1,000 900
North Carolina ..: 2,000 2,000 1,650 1,600 800 800
Oklahoma ........: 6,000 6,000 12,600 12,600 6,100 6,000
South Carolina ..: 1,900 1,800 1,200 1,300 400 400
Tennessee .......: 3,750 3,800 3,700 3,600 900 800
Texas ...........: 18,800 19,500 43,500 44,000 20,800 18,400
Virginia ........: 2,300 2,200 2,900 3,000 900 800
West Virginia ...: 1,920 1,900 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
:
Other States 3/ .: 1,840 1,800 530 540
:
Total ...........: 56,300 56,530 87,500 88,150 37,300 34,740
:
West ..............:
Alaska ..........: 270 270 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Arizona .........: 750 750 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
California ......: 1,800 1,800 5,000 4,900 3,600 3,700
Colorado ........: 2,700 2,600 8,400 9,400 5,900 5,800
Hawaii ..........: 80 80 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Idaho ...........: 950 1,000 2,400 2,200 1,950 1,900
Montana .........: 2,500 2,500 12,000 12,000 15,400 15,400
Nevada ..........: 200 200 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
New Mexico ......: 3,000 3,000 11,300 11,300 8,400 8,500
Oregon ..........: 1,700 1,600 3,400 3,600 3,100 3,200
Utah ............: 850 900 2,250 2,300 1,500 1,400
Washington ......: 1,300 1,300 3,100 3,100 1,800 1,800
Wyoming .........: 1,500 1,300 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
:
Other States 4/ .: 22,550 22,750 11,850 11,750
:
Total ...........: 17,600 17,300 70,400 71,550 53,500 53,450
:
United States .....: 106,700 105,480 225,310 226,900 151,300 148,000
:
Puerto Rico .......: 120 120 160 155 70 65
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See footnote(s) at end of table. --continued
Land in Farms: Economic Sales Class by State, Region, United States, and
Puerto Rico 2008-2009 - Continued
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Economic sales class
:-----------------------------------------------------------
State and region : $250,000-$499,999 : $500,000 & over : Total
:-----------------------------------------------------------
: 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: 1,000 acres
:
Northeast :
Connecticut .....: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 400 400
Maine ...........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 1,350 1,350
Massachusetts ...: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 520 520
New Hampshire ...: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 470 470
New Jersey ......: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 730 730
New York ........: 850 810 2,190 2,030 7,100 7,100
Pennsylvania ....: 950 950 1,200 1,200 7,750 7,750
Rhode Island ....: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 70 70
Vermont .........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 1,220 1,220
:
Other States 2/ .: 445 455 965 955
:
Total ...........: 2,245 2,215 4,355 4,185 19,610 19,610
:
North Central :
Illinois ........: 4,800 4,800 14,800 15,000 26,700 26,700
Indiana .........: 2,500 2,500 7,000 6,900 14,800 14,800
Iowa ............: 6,900 6,900 12,100 12,100 30,800 30,800
Kansas ..........: 8,400 8,200 16,400 16,800 46,200 46,200
Michigan ........: 1,400 1,500 3,400 3,600 10,000 10,000
Minnesota .......: 4,800 4,800 9,900 10,000 26,900 26,900
Missouri ........: 3,200 3,400 6,600 7,000 29,100 29,100
Nebraska ........: 9,100 9,700 20,600 20,200 45,600 45,600
North Dakota ....: 8,200 8,400 16,300 16,300 39,600 39,600
Ohio ............: 2,400 2,350 4,100 4,100 13,900 13,800
South Dakota ....: 10,400 10,300 15,000 15,200 43,700 43,700
Wisconsin .......: 2,600 2,800 3,900 4,100 15,200 15,200
:
Total ...........: 64,700 65,650 130,100 131,300 342,500 342,400
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See footnote(s) at end of table. --continued
Land in Farms: Economic Sales Class by State, Region, United States, and
Puerto Rico 2008-2009 - Continued
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Economic sales class
:-----------------------------------------------------------
State and region : $250,000-$499,999 : $500,000 & over : Total
:-----------------------------------------------------------
: 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: 1,000 acres
:
South :
Alabama .........: 700 700 1,350 1,300 8,950 9,000
Arkansas ........: 1,400 1,300 5,900 5,900 13,700 13,600
Delaware ........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 500 490
Florida .........: 900 900 4,100 4,100 9,250 9,250
Georgia .........: 950 900 2,900 2,800 10,400 10,300
Kentucky ........: 1,020 1,100 2,250 2,200 14,000 14,000
Louisiana .......: 900 900 2,900 2,900 8,050 8,050
Maryland ........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 2,050 2,050
Mississippi .....: 900 1,000 3,000 3,100 11,000 11,050
North Carolina ..: 1,150 1,200 3,000 3,000 8,600 8,600
Oklahoma ........: 4,300 4,400 6,100 6,100 35,100 35,100
South Carolina ..: 300 300 1,100 1,100 4,900 4,900
Tennessee .......: 800 900 1,750 1,800 10,900 10,900
Texas ...........: 15,300 20,500 32,000 28,000 130,400 130,400
Virginia ........: 650 650 1,250 1,350 8,000 8,000
West Virginia ...: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 3,700 3,700
:
Other States 3/ .: 430 420 1,100 1,150
:
Total ...........: 29,700 35,170 68,700 64,800 279,500 279,390
:
West :
Alaska ..........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 890 880
Arizona .........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 26,100 26,100
California ......: 2,900 2,900 12,100 12,100 25,400 25,400
Colorado ........: 5,600 5,400 8,700 8,100 31,300 31,300
Hawaii ..........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 1,110 1,120
Idaho ...........: 1,300 1,200 4,800 5,100 11,400 11,400
Montana .........: 14,400 14,400 16,500 16,500 60,800 60,800
Nevada ..........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 5,900 5,900
New Mexico ......: 7,700 7,700 12,600 12,500 43,000 43,000
Oregon ..........: 2,600 2,400 5,600 5,600 16,400 16,400
Utah ............: 1,200 1,100 5,300 5,400 11,100 11,100
Washington ......: 2,800 2,800 5,800 5,800 14,800 14,800
Wyoming .........: (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 30,100 30,200
:
Other States 4/ .: 8,400 8,500 18,500 18,600
:
Total ...........: 46,900 46,400 89,900 89,700 278,300 278,400
:
United States .....: 143,545 149,435 293,055 289,985 919,910 919,800
:
Puerto Rico .......: 40 40 80 70 470 450
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(NA) Not available.
1/ Revised.
2/ Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode
Island, and Vermont.
3/ Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia.
4/ Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, and Wyoming.
Cattle and Calves: Number of Operations and Percent of Inventory by Size
Group, United States, 2008-2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Operations : Percent of inventory
:--------------------------------------------------------
Head : : : :
: 2008 1/ : 2009 : 2008 1/ : 2009
: : : :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ------- number ------ ----- percent -----
:
Cattle and calves .....:
1-49 .................: 645,000 642,000 11.4 11.4
50-99 ................: 133,000 132,000 9.7 9.7
100-499 ..............: 147,600 146,300 31.2 31.2
500-999 ..............: 19,100 19,000 13.4 13.5
1,000-1,999 ..........: 6,600 6,500 9.1 9.0
2,000-4,999 ..........: 3,030 3,010 8.8 8.8
5,000-9,999 ..........: 700 720 4.7 4.8
10,000-19,999 ........: 260 270 3.5 3.7
20,000+ ..............: 210 200 8.2 7.9
:
Total ................: 955,500 950,000 100.0 100.0
:
Beef cows2/ :
1-49 .................: 601,000 598,000 28.5 28.3
50-99 ................: 83,000 82,000 17.1 17.1
100-499 ..............: 67,200 67,200 38.0 38.0
500-999 ..............: 4,340 4,350 8.7 8.8
1,000-1,999 ..........: 1,125 1,110 4.5 4.5
2,000-4,999 ..........: 280 280 2.1 2.1
5,000+ ...............: 55 60 1.1 1.2
:
Total ................: 757,000 753,000 100.0 100.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Revised.
2/ Included in operations with cattle.
Milk Cows: Number of Operations, Percent of Inventory, and Percent of Milk
Production by Size Group, United States, 2008-2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: : Percent of : Percent of
: Operations 1/ : inventory : production 2/
Head :-----------------------------------------------------------------
: : : : : :
: 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009
: : : : : :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ----- number ---- --------------- percent --------------
:
1-29 .........: 21,300 20,400 1.8 1.8 1.2 1.2
30-49 ........: 11,900 11,500 5.1 4.9 3.9 3.8
50-99 ........: 17,800 17,300 13.1 13.0 11.5 11.4
100-199 ......: 8,700 8,600 12.5 12.4 11.8 11.6
200-499 ......: 3,950 3,850 12.6 12.3 13.1 12.5
500-999 ......: 1,720 1,700 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.6
1,000-1,999 ..: 900 910 13.1 13.3 15.5 15.7
2,000+ .......: 730 740 29.3 29.8 30.5 31.2
:
Total ........: 67,000 65,000 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Included in operations with cattle.
2/ Estimates reflect the average distributions of various probability surveys
conducted during the year.
Hogs and Pigs: Number of Operations and Percent of Inventory by Size Group,
United States, 2008-2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Operations : Percent of inventory
:-----------------------------------------------------------
Head : : : :
: 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009
: : : :
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ------- number ------ ------ percent -----
:
1-99 ..............: 50,680 50,400 0.9 0.9
100-499 ...........: 6,740 6,100 2.5 2.3
500-999 ...........: 3,490 3,200 3.5 3.3
1,000-1,999 .......: 3,950 3,550 8.0 7.5
2,000-4,999 .......: 5,370 5,250 24.0 24.0
5,000+ ............: 2,920 2,950 61.1 62.0
:
Total .............: 73,150 71,450 100.0 100.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hogs and Pigs: Number of Operations and Percent of Inventory by Size Group,
Based on Ownership, United States, 2008-2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Operations : Percent of inventory
:-----------------------------------------------------------
Head : : : :
: 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009
: : : :
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ------- number ------ ------ percent -----
:
1-99 ..............: 50,610 50,370 1.0 0.9
100-499 ...........: 5,870 5,370 2.4 2.2
500-999 ...........: 2,380 2,050 2.4 2.2
1,000-1,999 .......: 2,160 1,900 4.5 4.0
2,000-4,999 .......: 2,350 2,200 10.7 9.7
5,000-9,999 .......: 705 745 7.4 8.0
10,000-19,999 .....: 365 350 7.4 7.3
20,000-49,999 .....: 185 185 8.5 9.0
50,000+ ...........: 135 130 55.7 56.7
:
Total .............: 64,760 63,300 100.0 100.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheep and Goat Operations: Number of Operations with Sheep or Goats, United
States, 2008-2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commodity : 2008 1/ : 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: number number
:
Sheep ..................................: 82,500 82,000
:
Angora Goats ...........................: 6,500 5,400
Milk Goats .............................: 29,000 30,000
Meat and Other Goats ...................: 129,000 130,000
All Goats ..............................: 150,000 152,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Revised.
Breeding Sheep: Survey Percent by Size Group, United States, 2008-2009
[Percents reflect distributions from the January annual survey]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: 1-99 head : 100-499 head :500-4,999 head : 5,000+ head
Item :-----------------------------------------------------------------
: 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operations : 92.5 93.7 6.2 5.2 1.2 1.0 0.1 0.1
:
Inventory : 32.6 36.2 22.7 20.8 30.2 31.3 14.5 11.7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reliability of Farm Numbers and Land in Farms Data in this Report
Survey Procedures: Data are collected by the National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS) during the June Agricultural Survey using sampling
procedures to ensure every farm and ranch has a chance of being selected.
NASS uses a multiple sampling frame approach to count farms and measure land
in farms. An Area Sampling Frame that divides all land into segments is built
for every State. A sample of segments is selected in each State and
enumerated in early June. Highly trained interviewers locate each sampled
segment and identify every farm and ranch operating land in the segment and
the number of acres in each operation.
These data are used to compute summary indications of farm numbers and acres
of land in farms. Additionally, all farms found in the segments are checked
against a list of farms and ranches maintained by NASS to determine if the
farm is on the list. Operations found in the Area Frame sample that are not
on the list provide a measure of incompleteness of the list. The summarized
totals for these non-overlap (or not-on-list) operations are combined with
summarized totals collected from a sample selected from the list to calculate
additional indications of farms and land in farms.
Estimation Procedures: Data are checked for reasonableness and consistency
and summarized for each state. State estimates are aggregated to regional and
national totals for Headquarters review. Field Offices perform a thorough
review of their survey results and historical data relationships and
recommend official estimates. Headquarters establishes regional and national
estimates and ensures that state estimates are in balance with the Regional
and National numbers.
Revision Policy: Estimates are subject to revision the following year and
following review of the five-year Census of Agriculture. The basis for
revision must be supported by additional data which directly affects the
level of the estimate.
Reliability: Two types of errors, sampling and non-sampling, are possible in
an estimate based on a sample survey. Both types can affect the quality of
the estimates.
Sampling error occurs because a complete census is not taken. The sampling
error measures the variation in estimates from the average of all possible
samples. An estimate of 100 with a sampling error of 1 would mean that
chances are 19 out of 20 that the estimates from all possible samples
averaged together would be between 98 and 102; which is the survey estimate,
plus or minus two times the sampling error. The sampling error expressed as a
percent of the estimate is called the relative sampling error. The relative
sampling error for the U.S. number of farms and land in farms is 1.3 and 1.4
percent respectively. The sampling error for total number of farms and total
land in farms is less than the sampling error for each component of the
total, such as number of farms by economic sales class. Relative sampling
errors by economic sales class generally ranged from 1.8 to 3.4 percent for
number of farms and 2.1 to 6.8 percent for land in farms at the U.S. level.
Non-sampling errors can occur in complete censuses as well as sample surveys.
They are caused by the inability to obtain correct information from each
person surveyed, differences in interpreting questions or definitions, and
mistakes in coding or processing the data. Special efforts are taken at each
step of the survey to minimize non-sampling errors.
Terms and Definitions
A farm is "any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were
produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the year".
Government payments are included in sales. Ranches, institutional farms,
experimental and research farms, and Indian Reservations are included as
farms. Places with the entire acreage enrolled in the Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP), Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), or other government programs
are counted as farms.
The definition of a farm was first established in 1850 and has changed nine
times since. The current definition was first used for the 1974 Census.
Land in farms consists of agricultural land used for crops, pasture, or
grazing. Also included is woodland and wasteland not actually under
cultivation or used for pasture or grazing, provided it was part of the farm
operator's total operation. Land in farms includes acres in the Conservation
Reserve, Wetlands Reserve Programs, or other government programs.
Land in farms includes land owned and operated as well as land rented from
others. Land used rent-free is included as land rented from others. All
grazing land, except land used under government permits on a per-head basis,
is included as land in farms provided it was part of a farm or ranch. Land
under the exclusive use of a grazing association is reported by the grazing
association and included as land in farms. All land in American Indian
reservations used for growing crops or grazing livestock is included as land
in farms. Land in reservations not reported by individual American Indians or
non-Native Americans is reported in the name of the cooperative group that
used the land. In many instances, the entire American Indian reservation is
reported as one farm.
Economic sales classes are based on the gross value of agricultural products
sold. Government program payments are also included.
Point Farms are places that did not have $1,000 of reported sales for the
year, but had sufficient crops and livestock to normally have sales of $1,000
or more.
A cattle operation is any place having one or more head of cattle on hand on
December 31.
A beef cow operation is any place having one or more head of beef cows on
hand on December 31.
A milk cow operation is any place having one or more head of milk cows on
hand on December 31.
A hogs and pigs operation is any place having one or more hog or pig on hand
on December 31.
A sheep and lamb operation is any place having one or more head of sheep or
lambs on hand on December 31.
A goat and kid operation is any place having one or more head of goats or
kids on hand on December 31.
Farm Definition History
The definition of a farm has remained the same since 1974. Activities
included as agriculture, however, have undergone modification in recent
years. Beginning in 1995, operations having 5 or more horses or ponies and no
other agricultural sales were counted as horse farms. An operation with 1 or
more horses with agricultural sales of at least $1,000, qualified as a farm.
Two industries, maple syrup and short rotation woody crop farms, were added
beginning in 1997 as a result of the new North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS). These changes were made to achieve
comparability with the Census of Agriculture farm definition. All the changes
in the farm definition beginning in 1995 were carried back to 1993 and
included in the 1993-1998 estimates. These changes bring comparability
between the Census of Agriculture data and the annually published NASS
estimates. Because of these changes in the farm definition, the official
estimates show a level difference in the number of farms between 1992 and
1993 in some states. To further align the counting of farms with the Census
of Agriculture, places with 100 acres or more of pasture only in 2002 were
included in farm and land in farm numbers. The handling of Indian reservation
land was changed in 2002 to provide some accounting for individual farms.
Minimum Criteria for "FARM" Definition, 1840 - Present
and Enumeration of Apiaries and Fur Farms
Year Acres in Value of Value of Sales of Required some Apiaries and Fur
Place Agricultural Agricultural Products Agricultural Farms
Products Operations Enumerated
(Produced)
1974 - Present - - - - $1,000 or more - - - -
1959 Less than 10 - - $250 or more - - - -
10 or more - - $50 or more - - - -
1954 Less than 3 - - $150 or more - - - -
3 or more $150 or more - - - - - -
1950 Less than 3 - - $150 or more - - Apiaries
3 or more $150 or more - - - - Fur Farms
1935 - 1945 Less than 3 $250 or more - - - - Apiaries
3 or more - - - - X Fur Farms
1930 Less than 3 $250 or more - - - - Apiaries
3 or more - - - - X - -
1925 Less than 3 $250 or more - - - - - -
3 or more - - - - X - -
1910 - 1925 Less than 3 $250 or more - - - - Apiaries
3 or more - - - - X - -
1900 Less than 3 - - - - - - Apiaries
3 or more - - - - X - -
1870 - 1890 Less than 3 - - $500 or more - - Apiaries
3 or more - - - - X - -
1860 - - - - - - - - - -
1850 - - $100 or more - - - - Apiaries
1840 - - - - - - - - - -
Historic Estimates: Final estimates of Farms and Land in Farms in earlier years are available in Statistical Bulletins,
No. 991 for 1998-2002, No. 955 for 1993-97, No. 895 for 1988-92, No. 792 for 1979-87, SpSy3 for 1975-80,
No. 594 for 1969-75, No. 507 for 1959-70, No. 316 for number of farm estimates for 1910-59 and land in farms estimates
for 1950-59.
Historic Estimates: Final estimates of Farms and Land in Farms in earlier
years are available in Statistical Bulletins, No. 991 for 1998-2002, No. 955
for 1993-97, No. 895 for 1988-92, No. 792 for 1979-87, SpSy3 for 1975-80, No.
594 for 1969-75, No. 507 for 1959-70, No. 316 for number of farm estimates
for 1910-59 and land in farms estimates for 1950-59.
Special Note Regarding the 2007 Estimates
Census: The Farms, Land in Farms, and Livestock Operations publication is
produced annually. The purpose of this publication is to provide annual
estimates of Farms, Land in Farms, and Operations with Livestock. It also
provides revisions, as necessary, to previous year estimates. The Census of
Agriculture, conducted every five years provides a base from which the annual
surveys measure the change from that base. At the end of the next five year
cycle, the annual estimates are revised based on inter-census trends.
The 2007 Census of Agriculture showed a significant increase in the number of
farms, and reversed the downward trend that was shown in the annual estimates
of Farm Numbers since the 2002 Census of Agriculture. NASS believes that some
of the increase is due to methodological changes that allowed NASS to more
accurately count small farms in the 2007 Census. This is discussed in more
detail below.
Methodological Discussion: Each year NASS conducts the June Area Frame
Survey (AFS) to provide an estimate of the number of farms and the land in
farms. The exception is Alaska, which does not have an area frame and uses a
list survey instead. The area frame is stratified by land use. A sample of
approximately 11,000 segments of land (each approximately one square mile in
size) is selected, and field enumerators visit each sampled segment to
identify agricultural activity within the segment. The AFS is assumed to
provide complete coverage of the universe of farm and ranch operations
because the area-based frame covers all land in the U.S.
In preparation for the census of agriculture, NASS builds the Census Mail
List (CML) consisting of all known farms and potential farms. In addition,
NASS uses the area frame sample to measure and account for the incompleteness
of the CML in a dual-frame estimation procedure. This dual-frame estimation
procedure assumes complete coverage of the universe of farm and ranch
operations because the undercoverage of the CML is accounted for through the
area frame sample.
Results from the 2002 Census of Agriculture indicated undercoverage of farms
in the lowest value of sales categories. This category includes a high
concentration of disadvantaged and minority farm operators. In preparation
for the 2007 Census, NASS exerted more extensive efforts than in previous
censuses to build a comprehensive list. Additionally, NASS worked with
several community based organizations and producer groups to enhance
awareness, to increase response, and to improve coverage of these types of
farms. This resulted in a 2007 CML with 3,194,373 records as compared with
2,841,788 in 2002. Additionally, NASS augmented the area frame sample with
segments that were located in areas where small and minority operated farms
were likely to be located.
The 2007 Census of Agriculture produced a greater number of farms in the
lowest value of sales categories. The extensive list building efforts and the
augmentation of the area frame sample allowed NASS to capture more of the
small farms with less than $10,000 in value of agricultural sales.
Additionally, 2007 was a year of relatively high commodity prices. As the
value of farm commodities increased, more very small operations are able to
meet the $1,000 value of sales threshold to qualify as a farm in the census.
After the 2007 Census of Agriculture NASS conducted a classification error
research study for the census in five states. The study used data from the
2007 AFS and the 2007 census to examine whether there were farms incorrectly
classified as nonfarms, and whether there were any nonfarms incorrectly
classified as farms. Records in the 2007 AFS were matched to the 2007 census
using probabilistic record linkage. Records whose farm status differed in the
two data collections were interviewed to determine which data source was
correct.
Results of the study showed that where there were discrepancies in farm
status between the two reports, the census data was more often correct than
the AFS data. Some AFS farms had not been correctly classified by the
enumeration and processing procedures. These results challenged the NASS
assumption made for its annual estimates that all farms are captured using
the AFS estimation procedures. This assumption had been made on the basis of
the completeness of the frame, the high quality of the personal enumeration
mode utilized for the data collection, and the extensive training of field
enumerators collecting the data. However, the more extensive census
procedures using dual-frame estimation produced a larger farm count than the
AFS estimation. This result and the results of the research study provided
evidence that the AFS procedure is underestimating the number of farms.
Because the AFS estimate is the major indicator for producing annual farm
number estimates, it is likely these farms were also underestimated in the
non census years.
The 2007- 2009 farm number estimates reflect adjustments in the number of
farms based on estimates produced by the 2007 Census of Agriculture. NASS has
launched a research initiative to address the methodological issues discussed
above.
Information Contacts
Listed below are the commodity statisticians in the Economics Section of the
Environmental, Economics, and Demographics Branch of the National
Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information.
E-mail inquiries may be sent to nass@nass.usda.gov.
Kevin Barnes, Chief, Environmental, Economics, and Demographics
Branch (202) 720-6146
Kevin Hintzman, Head, Economics Section (202) 690-3223
Richard Barton - ARMS (202) 690-1052
Daryl Brinkman - Prices Received, Prices Received Indexes (202) 720-8844
Kuan Chen - Prices, Prices Research (202) 720-5446
Angie Considine - Cash Rents (202) 720-2250
Mark Gorsak - Prices, Prices Research (202) 720-3225
Michael Mathison - ARMS (202) 720-3243
Joe Samson - Cash Receipts, Grazing Fees (202) 690-3347
Scott Shimmin - Farm Numbers, Land in Farms, Land Values (202) 690-3231
Jennifer Sissom - Prices Paid, Prices Paid Indexes (202) 690-3229
Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch (202) 720-3570
Scott Hollis, Head, Livestock Section (202) 720-3570
Sherry Bertramsen - Livestock Slaughter (515) 284-4340
Jim Collom - Dairy Products (202) 690-3236
Joe Gaynor - Dairy Products Prices (202) 690-2168
Jason Hardegree - Cattle, Cattle on Feed (202) 720-3040
Mike Miller - Milk Production and Milk Cows (202) 720-3278
Everett Olbert - Sheep & Lambs, Goats & Kids (202) 720-4751
Nick Streff - Hogs and Pigs (202) 720-3106
Access to NASS Reports
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