USDA releases 2012 Census of Agriculture data

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the 2012 Census of Agriculture.

The numbers paint an interesting portrait of agriculture in America. There are now 914.5 million acres of farmland, 2.1 million farms, and 3.2 million farmers. Twenty-two percent of all farmers were "beginning farmers" in 2012, meaning they had operated a farm for 10 years or less.

Production expenses have never been higher for growers, but neither have sales. Growers recorded record numbers in both categories, selling $394.6 billion worth of agricultural products, but paying a cost of $328.9 billion to produce those products.

For greenhouse growers of crops, the numbers were mostly promising. Greenhouse mushroom production appears to have increased in terms of number of farmers, but not in terms of square footage:

• 2007 recorded 462 farms, producing with 45,308,740 square feet;
• 2012 rose to 712 farms, producing with 37,416,059 square feet.

But mushroom sales increased across the market (indoor and outdoor production):

• 2007---$985,295,349;
• 2012---$1,071,500,006.

Greenhouse tomatoes saw steady growth between 2007 and 2012: 

• 2007 recorded 2,926 farms with square footage of 43,949,871. Their reported value of sales was $393,783,610;
• 2012 reported 6,323 farms with square footage of 55,180,582. Their reported value of sales was $400,286,262.

The census also reported a somewhat amorphous category called "other greenhouse vegetables and herbs." The numbers are similarly promising:

• 2007 recorded 2,032 farms with 17,816,064 square feet of production;
• 2012 recorded 5,268 farms, with 42,819,149 square feet of production;
• Sales: 2007 had 2,015 report sales, totalling $159,251,078;
• 2012 reported sales totalling $234,199,741.

The final tally for greenhouse vegetables and fresh cut herbs broke down like this: 

• 2007 reported 4,075 farms with sq. footage of 61,765,935 and a total value of sales of $553,034,688;
• 2012 reported 8,750 farms with sq. footage of 97,999,731 and a total value of sales of $634,486,003.

All of the greenhouse related statistics are available at this link.

Other stats of note from the report: 70 percent of farms now have Internet access, up from 56.5 percent in 2007. About 150,000 farmers, nationwide, are selling their products directly to consumers. About 57,300 farms reported using a renewable energy source in 2012, up from 23,451 in 2007. Sixty-three percent of farms said they were using solar panels. Thirty percent of farm operators are now women.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack released a statement on the results:"The Census results reiterate the continued need for policies that help grow the rural economy from the middle out. The data illustrate the power of USDA efforts to grow the economy and strengthen infrastructure in rural America, create new market opportunities for farmers and ranchers, and provide access to capital, credit, and disaster assistance for producers of all sizes. The Census also shows the potential for continued growth in the bioeconomy, organics, and local and regional food systems. USDA will continue to focus on innovative, creative policies that give farmers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs the tools they need to attract a bright and diverse body of talent to rural America."

The preliminary results from the study were released Feb. 20, 2014 and showed the value of agriculture products in the U.S. had risen to rising to $394.6 billion in 2012, up $97.4 billion from 2007. However, the number of farms and farm land decreased slightly over the same five-year span.