United States Department of AgricultureNational Agricultural Statistics Service
USDA/NASS: Programs and Census of Agriculture
Washington State Conservation Commission
9/18/14
NASS MISSION
The National Agricultural Statistics
Service provides timely, accurate, and
useful statistics in service to U.S.
agriculture.
CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE
A complete count, taken every five years,
of America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them.
CENSUS HISTORY
The first Census of Agriculture was
conducted in 1840 in 26 states and
the District of Columbia.
“FARM” DEFINED
Any place from which $1,000 of agricultural products were produced
and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the Census year.
CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE
• The most complete agricultural data available.
• The only source of uniform, comprehensive and objective information for every county in the nation.
• Information on land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, and more.
LAND IN FARMS
2007 2012 % Change
Land in farms 14,972,789 14,748,107 -1.5
Total cropland 7,609,210 7,526,742 -1.1
Cropland harvested 4,387,169 4,342,904 -1.0
Woodland 1,988,322 2,139,141 +7.6
Permanent pasture 4,775,287 4,518,550 -5.4
Other land 599,970 563,674 -6.0
Map of Percent of Land rented or leased from
others
WASHINGTON HIGHLIGHTS
State 2002 2007 2012 % Change 2012/2007
Washington $5,330,740 $6,792,856 $9,135,440 +34.5%
U.S. $200,646,355 $297,220,491 $394,646,980 +32.8%
Market Value of Agricultural Products Sold ($1,000) *
* Market value of agricultural products sold does not include payments received for participation in other federal farm programs.
Map of 2012 TVP by County(Dot Density)
WASHINGTON HIGHLIGHTS
State Less than $50,000
$50,000-$249,999
$250,000-$499,999
$500,000 or more
Washington 29,767 3,461 1,286 2,735
U.S. 1,591,804 268,249 94,072 155,178
2012 Number of Farms by Economic Class
201220072002199719921987198240.0
42.0
44.0
46.0
48.0
50.0
52.0
54.0
56.0
58.0
60.058.3
57.1
55.354.3
53.3
52.0
50.5
Average Age of Principal Operator, 1982 to 2012Age
TOP WHEAT COUNTIES
2012 bushels
Whitman County, WA 32,943,471
Lincoln County, WA 19,744,297
Chouteau County, MT 19,486,328
Ward County, ND 17,041,630
Cavalier County, ND 17,032,116
TOP APPLE COUNTIES
2012 acres
Yakima County, WA 50,270
Grant County, WA 43,471
Okanogan County, WA 20,774
Wayne County, NY 20,387
Benton County, WA 16,380
TOP SWEET CORN COUNTIES
2012 acres
Grant County, WA 25,856
Benton County, WA 25,392
Renville County, MN 24,186
Portage County, WI 23,829
Palm Beach County, FL 22,918
INTERESTING (to me) FACTS
• #6 – WA Rank in US for the Number of Beginning Farmers 10 years and less – 30%
• 1,243 of WA’s 37,249 farms account for 75% of sales
• 41% of farms <$1000 sales – “Point Farms”
FULL CENSUS REPORT
• Online at www.agcensus.usda.gov• Searchable database• Full publication• Charts/maps
OTHER CENSUS PRODUCTSOther census products that were or will be released in 2014 include:
• State and County Profiles – May• Congressional Districts Profiles - July• Congressional Districts Rankings - July• REG Profiles - August• American Indians - August• Organic Production - September• Watersheds - November• Farm Typology - December• Specialty Crops - December
SUPPLEMENTAL SURVEYSOther census products that will be released in 2014 include:
•Census of Aquaculture • Released September
•Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey• Released October
Thank You.
Questions??