Census of Agriculture

Top 5 Takeaways From the Latest Census of Agriculture

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 14:49:17 GMT

USDA NASS has released its report from the 2022 Census of Agriculture . When compared to the last census in 2017, the new data provided insights to the direction of the agriculture industry.

Here are the five biggest takeaways:

1. Decline in the total number of farms, acreage and operators

(Farm Journal)

The total number of farms and ranches currently sits at 1.9 million, which is a decrease of 7% from 2017. Those farms are operating a total of 880 million acres - down 2%. The overall number of operators declined by just under 26,000.

2. Increased product value generates overall higher farm income, despite higher farm expenses

(Farm Journal)

It’s no secret things are more expensive than they were in 2017. USDA’s data showed the total farm production expenses for the average farm was $223,175 in 2022, compared to $159,821 in 2017. However, the census also showed the increased value of products led to overall higher farm income despite those expenses.

(Farm Journal)

The average net farm income per operation was nearly $80,000 in 2022 - almost double 2017’s $43,053.

3. More off-farm decision makers

While the majority of farms are still family owned, the number of farms in an LLC increased by just over 50,000, while those that have corporations involved in day-to-day decisions increased by a little under 10,000.

The number of farms listing three or more producers as decision makers increased as those naming between one to two producers as decision makers declined.

Not only was there an increase in the number of decision makers, but also the number of off-farm operators: 996,739 from 869,392 in 2017.

4. Newer and younger farm operators

(Farm Journal)

Despite a slight increase in the average age of the U.S. farmer from 57.5 to 58.1 years old, the new census data showed more new and young operators on the farm. Just over 1 million of the total 3.4 million operators have been in the business for 10 years or less.

There was also an increase in the number of operators aged 44 and younger who are involved in day-to-day decision making.

5. Uptick in conservation efforts on the farm

The data shows producers have spent the past five years ramping up their conservation practices.

Over 10,000 more farms are using conservation or reduced tillage in their fields. And while slightly fewer operations are using cover crops, the total number of acres they are planted on has increased.

A total of 153,101 farms and ranches also used renewable energy producing systems, compared to 133,176 farms in 2017 - a 15% increase. Of those operations, 76% reported using solar panels.

America’s Top 25 Beef Cow Counties

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:49:40 GMT

53,307 beef cows
26.5 cows per sq. mile

54,371 beef cows
27.9 cows per sq. mile

54,394 beef cows
16.2 cows per sq. mile

55,484 beef cows
21.9 cows per sq. mile

55,668 beef cows
14.7 cows per sq. mile

55,924 beef cows
6.0 cows per sq. mile

56,448 beef cows
87.9 cows per sq. mile

57,341 beef cows
53.6 cows per sq. mile

57,847 beef cows
14.4 cows per sq. mile

57,999 beef cows
25.1 cows per sq. mile

63,816 beef cows
22.0 cows per sq. mile

66,395 beef cows
44.0 cows per sq. mile

67,102 beef cows*
69.2 cows per sq. mile

68,865 beef cows
6.7 cows per sq. mile

68,964 beef cows
42.6 cows per sq. mile

Click here to see the top 10 beef cow counties and an indepth analysis of the findings.

Bigger Herds, More Beef Operations, Census Says

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:23:53 GMT

The number of U.S. beef cow operations increased slightly in the five-year period between 2012 and 2017, according to data released in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported a total of 729,046 operations with beef cows, which is about 36% of total U.S. farms. The increase in number of operations with beef cows was 1,140 when compared to the 2012 Census of Agriculture.

With 31.722 million beef cows in 2017, the average herd size of all U.S. producers was 43.5 cows.

The overall increase in beef cow operations, however, is in contrast to the overall number of U.S. farms, which declined 3% from 2012 to 2017. Since the 1997 Census of Agriculture, the total number of farms in the U.S. has declined 7.8%.

The slight increase in cow operations in the 2017 census, also contrasts with the 19% overall decline in cow outfits in 20 years. Since the 1997 census, the number of cow operations has been reduced 170,710.

Despite that overall 20-year decline, the latest census data on cow operations shows growth in every size category above 50 cows. The category of operations with 50-99 cows increased 11%, the 100-499 cow category increased 13%, the 500-999 cow category increased 7%, and the category of operations with more than 1,000 cows increased 8%.

Those increases in the upper size categories means more of the nation’s beef cows are in larger herds. For instance, the total U.S. beef cow inventory was 31.722 in 2017, and 27% of those cows were in herds under 50 head. Another 19% of the cows were in herds of 50 to 99 cows. Therefore, the breakdown included 46% of the cows were in herds under 100 cows, with 54% of the cows in herds greater than 100 head.

Among the largest beef cow operations, NASS counted 5,938 operations with more than 500 cows, representing 5.47 million cows, or 17% of the nation’s total beef cows. The number of operations in the 500-plus cow category was up 430 operations from the 2012 census (7%).

Related story:

Larger Feedlots Increase, Smaller Lots Decline, Census Says

According to the 2017 census data, cow outfits with more than 500 cows had an average of 921 cows per operation. Operations with fewer than 50 cows had an average herd size of 15 head. Operations with 100 to 500 cows had an average herd size of 186 cows.

Want to learn more about the data and trends from the 2017 Census of Agriculture? Visit AgWeb.com/AgCensus2017

Larger Feedlots Increase, Smaller Lots Decline, Census Says

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:23:53 GMT

U.S. feedlots with more than 500 cattle on feed increased in numbers 12% during the five year period between 2012 and 2017, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Over the same period, feedlots with fewer than 500 head on feed declined in numbers by 5%.

The 2017 Census of Agriculture, conducted by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) counted 25,776 feedlots with at least one animal, which is 3% fewer than the 26,586 feedlots counted in the 2012 Census. The 2017 Census found 15,025,052 cattle on feed, 4% more than in 2012.

The number of America’s largest cattle feedlots has gradually increased. The 2017 Census found 700 operations with 2,500 head or more on feed, combining for 10.6 million head, or 71% of the total on feed. Seven more feedlots fell into this category than five years earlier.

Feedlots with 1,000 to 2,499 cattle on feed totaled 645, or 141 more than five years earlier. Those feedlots accounted for 973,247 cattle on feed, or 6% of the total. Combined, the two largest feedlot categories (1,000 head and greater) account for 77% of the cattle on feed.

The top three categories of feedlots – those with 500 head or more – totaled 3,171 lots, accounting for 12.87 million cattle on feed (86%).

NASS reported 22,605 feedlots with fewer than 500 head, and they represent 2.15 million head (14%).

The number of feedlot operations with 1-19 head declined 16%; those with 20-49 head declined 5%; feedlots with 50-99 head increased 1.5%; those with 100-199 head were unchanged; and feedlots with 200-499 head declined 6%.

Want to learn more about the data and trends from the 2017 Census of Agriculture? Visit AgWeb.com/AgCensus2017

2017 Ag Census: Total Number Of U.S. Farms Declines 3%

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:23:53 GMT

The total number of farms in the United States declined 3% from 2012 to 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2017 Census of Agriculture released Thursday, April 11. Since the 1997 Census of Agriculture, the number of farms in the U.S. has declined 7.8%.

The total number of farms on Dec. 31, 2017, was calculated at 2,042,220, which was 67,110 fewer than reported in the 2012 Census of Agriculture.

The Census of Agriculture is conducted every five years by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) with information directly from farmers and ranchers. Overall, USDA said there continue to be more of the largest and smallest operations and fewer middle-sized farms. The average age of all farmers and ranchers continues to rise.

NASS found the average size of farms in 2017 was 441 acres, up slightly from 434 acres in 2012. However, the total number of land in farms in 2017 was down 1.5%, totaling slightly more than 900 million acres.

The number of farms with cropland declined 5% from 2012 to 2017, yet the number of acres farmed in crops increased 1.7% to 396.4 million acres.

While NASS found the overall number of farmers declined, the declines occurred among mid-sized farms. Both the smallest sized farms (less than 9 acres) and the largest farms (2,000 acres of more), showed increases. Farms with fewer than 9 acres (273,325 farms) increased by 18% since the 2012 census, and farms with more than 2,000 acres (85,127) increased 3.5%.

(Farm Journal)

For specific crops, NASS reported a decline of nearly 13% in the number of farms growing corn, an 11% decline in the number of cotton farms, a 25% decline in farms growing sorghum for grain, and a 31% decline in the number of farms raising winter wheat for grain.

Among livestock operations, the most significant decline in number of farms was among dairies. From 2012 to 2017, NASS counted a 15% decline in operations, leaving a total of 54,599 farms with milk cows in the U.S.

Contrasting with the decline in dairy farms, both beef cattle and hog farms saw increases in total farms in the 2017 NASS numbers.

U.S. farms with hogs and pigs totaled 66,439 in 2017, a 5% increase. Farms with beef cows totaled 729,046 in 2017, a 3% increase.

U.S. farms with laying hens saw a 15% increase to 232,500. Farms with broilers and other type meat chickens sold saw a slight decline to 32,751.

Want to learn more about the data and trends from the 2017 Census of Agriculture? Visit AgWeb.com/AgCensus2017

(Farm Journal)

America’s Top 25 Beef Cow Counties, Page 2

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:21:34 GMT

Updated July 10, 2019

71,880 beef cows
12.9 cows per sq. mile

72,778 beef cows
15.0 cows per sq. mile

75,551 beef cows
7.6 cows per sq. mile

76,103 beef cows
4.4 cows per sq. mile

79,459 beef cows
22.8 cows per sq. mile

79,847 beef cows
18.3 cows per sq. mile

80,188 beef cows
31.1 cows per sq. mile

94,958 beef cows*
36.9 cows per sq. mile

96,467 beef cows
39.9 cows per sq. mile

148,000 beef cows*
24.8 cows per sq. mile

*Drovers Estimate (see “Behind the Numbers”)

Behind the Numbers

Texas is America’s top beef cow state, with 4.57 million head. In fact, Texas boasts 14% of all the nation’s beef cows, yet only two Texas counties makes the top-25 list of America’s leading beef cow counties. Ranking number 13 on the list is Lavaca County with 67,102 cows, and Gonzales County at number 18 with 57,341 cows. Our top 25 beef cow counties was revealed in data from the 2017 Census of Agriculture released in April, 2019.

Similar to Texas, Missouri is America’s second-leading beef cow state with 2.16 million cows, yet only one county cracks the top-25, Polk at number 19 with 56,448 cows. And Oklahoma, the nation’s third-largest beef cow state, also put only one county, Osage, with 57,999 cows, into the top-25 beef cow county list.

One state, however, is home to the nation’s top four beef cow counties. (Note: This is a list of beef cows only. Feedlot and stocker cattle are not included in the list.)

Nebraska, with 1.9 million beef cows, the fourth-largest state by beef cow numbers, is home to the nation’s top four beef counties. Coming in at number four is Lincoln County, home to 80,188 beef cows. Custer County, NE is number three with 94,958 beef cows, and Holt County, Neb., is number two at 96,467 beef cows.

The nation’s top beef cow county is Cherry County, located in north-central Nebraska. Cherry County’s total number of beef cows is estimated by Drovers at 148,893. The National Agricultural Statistics Service did not report a beef cow number in the 2017 Census of Agriculture for Cherry County due to its commitment to avoid disclosing individual data.

Here’s what NASS says about such omissions: “If publishing a particular data item would identify an operation (for example, if there is only one producer of a particular commodity in a county), NASS does not publish the information. In such cases, the data are suppressed and shown as ‘(D),’ meaning ‘withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.’

NASS, however, did report beef cow numbers for Cherry County in the 2012 Census of Agriculture. In that report NASS listed 135,852 beef cows in Cherry County, owned by 769 operations.

Drovers arrived at its estimate of 148,893 cows for 2017 by increasing the 2012 total by 9.6%., which is the percentage of Nebraska’s beef cow herd increase from 2012 to 2017.

Census of Agriculture

Top 5 Takeaways From the Latest Census of Agriculture

America’s Top 25 Beef Cow Counties

Bigger Herds, More Beef Operations, Census Says

Larger Feedlots Increase, Smaller Lots Decline, Census Says

2017 Ag Census: Total Number Of U.S. Farms Declines 3%

America’s Top 25 Beef Cow Counties, Page 2

*Drovers Estimate (see “Behind the Numbers”)

Behind the Numbers

Related Articles:

Bigger Herds, More Beef Operations, Census Says

Census Roundup: Dairy Consolidates, Beef and Pig Operations Grow