Table 1. Historical Highlights: 2012 and Earlier Census Years 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
All farms 
2012 
2007 
2002 
1997 
Not adjusted for coverage 
1997 
1992 
1987 
1982 
Farms 
... number 
43,223 
48,753 
45,126 
49,872 
41,384 
37,905 
43,318 
48,448 
Land in farms 
acres 
8,902,654 
9,033,537 
8,904,387 
9,517,377 
8,704,385 
8,450,823 
9,145,753 
10,200,547 
Average size of farm 
acres 
206 
185 
197 
191 
210 
223 
211 
211 
Estimated market value of 
land and buildings 
Average per farm 
dollars 
547,524 
424,674 
335,217 
282,304 
298,244 
220,265 
168,161 
171,210 
Average per acre 
dollars 
2,658 
2,292 
1,698 
1,471 
1,442 
1,000 
800 
826 
Estimated market value of all 
machinery and equipment ' 
....$1,000 
3,077,900 
2,964,616 
1,842,080 
1,715,628 
1,485,851 
1,148,900 
1,115,106 
1,167,165 
Average per farm 
dollars 
71,211 
60,810 
42,705 
34,420 
35,914 
30,354 
25,831 
24,151 
Farms by size: 
1 to 9 acres 
2,919 
3,374 
2,571 
3,003 
2,141 
1,902 
2,602 
3,043 
1 0 to 49 acres 
13,267 
16,215 
14,175 
15,505 
1 1 ,854 
10,165 
12,356 
14,132 
50 to 1 79 acres 
16,079 
17,808 
16,950 
19,024 
16,015 
14,929 
16,514 
18,277 
1 80 to 499 acres 
7,238 
7,612 
7,692 
8,313 
7,561 
7,162 
7,776 
8,471 
500 to 999 acres 
2,230 
2,235 
2,237 
2,428 
2,277 
2,244 
2,469 
2,786 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
911 
960 
978 
1,083 
1,039 
990 
1,111 
1,186 
2,000 acres or more 
579 
549 
523 
516 
497 
513 
490 
553 
Total cropland 
farms 
26,707 
31,773 
34,073 
39,862 
34,407 
32,327 
37,148 
41,975 
acres 
2,758,521 
3,142,958 
3,732,751 
4,435,041 
4,197,670 
4,237,057 
4,496,607 
5,105,734 
Flarvested cropland 
farms 
21,283 
23,336 
23,327 
28,290 
24,819 
24,780 
28,509 
33,351 
acres 
2,158,026 
1,994,743 
1,995,139 
2,179,636 
2,077,139 
2,104,064 
2,231,623 
3,265,361 
Irrigated land 
farms 
1,747 
2,035 
1,698 
1,503 
1,301 
1,380 
1,344 
1,040 
acres 
113,008 
112,819 
108,783 
79,647 
76,871 
82,015 
84,054 
66,020 
Market value of agricultural 
products sold (see text) 
....$1,000 
5,571,173 
4,415,550 
3,264,949 
3,198,630 
3,098,989 
2,369,179 
1,908,303 
1,704,160 
Average per farm 
dollars 
128,894 
90,570 
72,352 
64,137 
74,884 
62,503 
44,053 
35,175 
Crops, including nursery 
and greenhouse crops 
....$1,000 
1,314,971 
676,987 
590,268 
656,185 
632,978 
649,110 
497,992 
606,916 
Livestock, poultry, and 
their products 
....$1,000 
4,256,202 
3,738,563 
2,674,681 
2,542,444 
2,466,010 
1 ,720,070 
1,410,311 
1 ,097,244 
Farms by value of sales 
Less than $2,500 
18,253 
22,582 
19,558 
20,414 
15,286 
1 1 ,663 
15,082 
19,246 
$2,500 to $4,999 
4,782 
5,458 
6,428 
8,259 
6,940 
6,506 
7,726 
7,916 
$5,000 to $9,999 
5,591 
5,702 
6,083 
7,444 
6,279 
5,936 
6,534 
6,100 
$10,000 to $24,999 
5,573 
6,457 
5,206 
5,526 
4,985 
5,076 
5,210 
5,230 
$25,000 to $49,999 
2,662 
2,538 
1,934 
1,948 
1,842 
2,178 
2,324 
2,702 
$50,000 to $99,999 
1,510 
1,287 
1,246 
1,477 
1,358 
1,661 
1,956 
2,698 
$100,000 to $499,999 
1,636 
2,389 
2,721 
2,900 
2,830 
3,825 
3,946 
4,173 
$500,000 or more 
3,216 
2,340 
1,950 
1,904 
1,864 
1,060 
540 
353 
Farms by legal status for tax 
purposes (see text): 
Family or individual 
39,417 
45,014 
42,359 
45,640 
37,697 
34,257 
39,553 
44,009 
Partnership 
2,107 
2,377 
1,882 
3,138 
2,734 
2,843 
3,014 
3,754 
Corporation 
1,316 
1,017 
658 
822 
735 
666 
570 
513 
Other-cooperative, estate 
or trust, institutional, etc 
383 
345 
227 
272 
218 
139 
181 
172 
Principal operator by days of work 
off farm 
None 
16,775 
17,262 
20,519 
16,265 
13,961 
13,492 
14,206 
14,774 
Any 
26,448 
31,491 
24,607 
31,134 
25,259 
21,921 
26,899 
29,776 
200 days or more 
17,692 
19,748 
18,443 
23,163 
18,677 
16,343 
20,154 
22,074 
Principal operator by primary occupation: 
Farming 
19,114 
19,416 
23,950 
17,600 
15,568 
15,712 
16,398 
18,316 
Other 
24,109 
29,337 
21,176 
32,272 
25,816 
22,193 
26,920 
30,132 
Average age of principal operator 
years 
59.3 
57.6 
56.6 
54.7 
54.9 
54.8 
53.1 
51.8 
Total farm production 
expenses ' 
....$1,000 
4,736,277 
3,922,143 
2,588,600 
2,773,210 
2,509,917 
1,930,063 
1,610,833 
(NA) 
Selected farm production 
expenses ^ 
Livestock and poultry purchased 
or leased 
....$1,000 
751,245 
701,381 
505,196 
368,188 
341,450 
294,066 
290,518 
203,688 
Feed purchased 
....$1,000 
2,195,586 
1,611,020 
927,774 
1,271,085 
1,140,545 
731,753 
570,084 
467,749 
Fertilizer, lime, and soil 
conditioners purchased ® 
....$1,000 
241,072 
168,838 
106,697 
114,890 
106,011 
103,080 
86,491 
110,580 
Gasoline, fuels, and oils purchased 
....$1,000 
179,640 
163,784 
93,418 
89,561 
80,237 
76,567 
64,535 
95,501 
Flired farm labor 
....$1,000 
225,716 
208,023 
180,937 
146,880 
134,016 
140,414 
123,018 
87,505 
Interest expense ® 
....$1,000 
145,257 
130,780 
112,871 
101,357 
90,000 
82,647 
81,110 
110,691 
Chemicals purchased 
....$1,000 
146,534 
84,495 
79,322 
82,184 
73,867 
72,317 
64,530 
63,014 
Livestock and poultry: 
Cattle and calves 
inventory 
farms 
21,149 
23,970 
27,094 
32,432 
28,450 
26,360 
29,844 
33,671 
number 
1,236,467 
1,187,171 
1 ,437,795 
1,546,399 
1,530,566 
1,453,137 
1,450,416 
1,652,524 
Beef cows 
farms 
19,685 
21,415 
23,558 
28,258 
25,384 
23,925 
25,879 
29,016 
number 
722,787 
678,949 
765,901 
823,317 
832,298 
771,151 
748,002 
785,032 
Milk cows 
farms 
219 
157 
223 
700 
608 
995 
1,336 
2,361 
number 
9,116 
12,962 
18,939 
28,019 
27,848 
45,454 
45,994 
58,946 
Cattle and calves sold 
farms 
17,620 
21,356 
23,088 
31,225 
27,705 
25,532 
29,320 
31,281 
number 
612,863 
711,735 
782,393 
791,879 
767,806 
676,215 
831,908 
822,127 
Hogs and pigs inventory 
farms 
689 
753 
576 
1,282 
932 
1,880 
3,585 
6,061 
number 
142,555 
178,275 
168,013 
196,561 
183,811 
307,672 
353,062 
463,840 
Hogs and pigs sold 
farms 
379 
547 
561 
999 
750 
1,715 
3,220 
5,127 
number 
446,448 
733,285 
713,668 
398,583 
380,853 
571,680 
648,262 
785,996 
See footnote(s) at end of table. -continued 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
Alabama 7 
