Introduction 
HISTORY 
The 2012 Census of Agriculture is the 28 th Federal 
census of agriculture and the fourth conducted by the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National 
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census 
conducted the census of agriculture for 156 years 
(1840-1996). The 1997 Appropriations Act 
contained a provision that transferred the 
responsibility for the census of agriculture to NASS. 
The history of collecting data on U.S. agriculture 
dates back as far as President George Washington, 
who kept meticulous statistical records describing 
his own and other farms. In 1791, President 
Washington wrote to farmers requesting information 
on land values, crop acreages, crop yields, livestock 
prices, and taxes. Washington compiled the results 
on an area extending roughly 250 miles from north 
to south and 100 miles from east to west which today 
lies in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West 
Virginia, and the District of Columbia, where most 
of the young country’s population lived. In effect, 
Washington’s inquiry was an attempt to fulfill the 
need for sound agricultural data for a nation that was 
heavily reliant on the success of agriculture. Such 
informal inquiries worked while the Nation was 
young, but were insufficient as the country 
expanded. 
In 1839, Congress appropriated $1,000 for “carrying 
out agricultural investigations, and procuring 
agricultural statistics.” The first agriculture census 
was taken in 1840 as part of the sixth decennial 
census of population. As the country expanded and 
agriculture evolved, the decade between censuses 
became too long an interval to capture the changes in 
agricultural production. After the 1920 census, the 
census interval was changed to every five years 
resulting in a separate mid-decade census of 
2012 Census of Agriculture 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
agriculture being conducted in 1925, 1935, and 
1945. The agriculture census continued to be taken 
as part of the decennial census through 1950. From 
1954 to 1974, the census was taken for the years 
ending in 4 and 9. In 1976, Congress changed the 5- 
year data collection cycle to years ending in 2 and 7 
to coincide with other economic censuses. That 5- 
year cycle continues to this day. 
USES OF CENSUS DATA 
The census of agriculture provides a detailed picture 
of U.S. farms and ranches every five years. It is the 
only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural 
data for every State and county or county equivalent. 
Census of agriculture data are routinely used by farm 
organizations, businesses, State departments of 
agriculture, elected representatives and legislative 
bodies at all levels of government, public and private 
sector analysts, the news media, and colleges and 
universities. The data are frequently used to: 
• Show the importance and value of agriculture at 
the county, state, and national levels; 
• Provide agricultural news media and agricultural 
associations’ benchmark statistics for stories and 
articles on U.S. agriculture and the foods we 
produce; 
• Compare the income and costs of production; 
• Provide important data about the demographics 
and financial well being of producers; 
• Evaluate historical agricultural trends to 
formulate farm and rural policies and develop 
programs that help agricultural producers; 
• Allocate local and national funds for farm 
programs, e.g. extension service projects, 
INTRODUCTION VII 
