March 21, 2007

Agricultural Census

In 2002 there were a reported 2,128,982 farms in the United States. The average size of the farm was 441 acres. That year it was reported that the average net farm income of operations per farm was $19,032. For farms that reported net gains, the median profit was $56,679 while net losses for farms averaged $13,937.

Since 1840 the United States has collected data on agriculture and its’ related aspects. Initially this information was gathered by the Census Bureau, but in 1992 the U.S. Department of Agriculture took over operation of compiling and disseminating the data. The agriculture census is conducted every five years in years ending in 2 and 7. Statistics collected include data on farms, farmers, livestock, crops, income and a host of related issues. While it is too early to determine how farms have fared in the past five years, we can appreciate the dedication and perseverance that farmers have to their trade.

Information obtained from the 2002 Census of Agriculture, Table 1 and Table 4.