2017 Ag Census Released

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the results of the 2017 Census of Agriculture in April, which showcased a wider net of demographic information as well as provided financial health of those involved in the industry. The Census is taken every five years, and provides the most complete set of data for American agriculture. It also provides information such as land use, farm ownership and decision-making, demographics, production practices, income and expenses.

This year’s census, released by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), showed the average age of all U.S. farm producers was 57.5 years, which is up from 56.3 years from the 2012 Census. The amount of acreage farmed nationwide was 900 million acres, which is down 1.6 percent from 2012, however the average farm size increased by the same percentage to 441 acres. The number of farms nationwide fell by 3.2 percent from 2.11 million to 2.04 million.

This year’s census was the first census that allowed operations to list more than one principal operator, providing a more accurate picture of the role of women and young farmers. In previous years these other operators were listed as secondary operators, regardless of their level of involvement. As a result of this change, the Census showed an increase of female producers, up by 27 percent to 1.23 million.

In 2017, U.S. farms and ranches produced close to $398 billion in ag products, according to NASS, which is down slightly from $394.6 billion in 2012. Crop and livestock commodities accounted for half of the total, however, NASS did indicate that in 2012 the value of crop sales exceeded livestock sales, but provided a return to longer-term trend in 2017.

The overall number of farms and ranches dropped by three percent, to just over 2 million and total acres cultivated fell by 1.6 percent to 900 million. While the number of large and small-sized farms grew between 2012 and 2017, the middle-sized farms fell. As farms consolidated, so did farm production, as just over five percent of farms accounted for 75 percent of all sales. A total of 56.4 percent of operations lost money in 2017. These statistics are troubling. “We’ve got older farmers, fewer farms and fewer farm families on the land," National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson stated. “None of that is positive for American agriculture or our rural communities.”

The Census didn’t produce all bad news, as it did show that many farmers are engaged in on-farm energy production. The number of farms and ranches with renewable energy production, including solar panels and wind turbines, grew more than 100 percent.

“This Ag Census made some major leaps for capturing better demographic information in addition to the wide variety of production practices and overall financial health of those involved in family farm agriculture,” said President Johnson. “This is important to federal, state and local policymakers, as well as farmers and ranchers.

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue echoed the sentiment stating “The department prides itself on being facts-based and data-driven, and the data in the Census is what the department relies on to make policy decisions. We have to have data like this to help us improve American agriculture.

NASS is the only organization in America dedicated to collecting and disseminating agriculture statistics to the public.