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 
28,093 
30,106 
27,413 
30,425 
23,823 
25,652 
27,350 
31,628 
Land in farms 
acres 
7,900,864 
8,109,975 
7,830,664 
8,367,843 
7,876,528 
7,837,545 
8,007,173 
8,928,827 
Average size of farm 
acres 
281 
269 
286 
275 
331 
306 
293 
282 
Estimated market value of 
land and buildings 
Average per farm 
dollars 
718,179 
554,270 
444,007 
338,828 
380,871 
291 ,332 
268,630 
381,817 
Average per acre 
dollars 
2,554 
2,058 
1,534 
1,236 
1,206 
972 
940 
1,351 
Estimated market value of all 
machinery and equipment 1 
....$1,000 
2,933,418 
2,378,327 
1,694,916 
1,654,927 
1,414,014 
1,186,601 
1,046,373 
1,373,382 
Average per farm 
dollars 
104,418 
78,998 
64,379 
54,406 
59,330 
46,299 
38,323 
43,528 
Farms by size: 
1 to 9 acres 
2,967 
3,282 
2,526 
2,525 
1,650 
1,934 
2,066 
2,461 
1 0 to 49 acres 
9,309 
10,394 
8,766 
9,488 
6,485 
6,895 
7,799 
9,411 
50 to 1 79 acres 
8,723 
8,457 
8,100 
9,530 
7,429 
7,891 
8,248 
9,565 
1 80 to 499 acres 
3,845 
4,550 
4,202 
4,651 
4,128 
4,553 
4,811 
5,632 
500 to 999 acres 
1,323 
1,501 
1,828 
2,124 
2,029 
2,471 
2,602 
2,617 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
1,051 
1,103 
1,253 
1,386 
1,388 
1,345 
1,279 
1,343 
2,000 acres or more 
875 
819 
738 
721 
714 
563 
545 
599 
Total cropland 
farms 
16,597 
19,866 
20,368 
23,275 
19,333 
21,777 
23,273 
27,424 
acres 
4,275,637 
4,691,344 
5,071,537 
5,567,627 
5,331,411 
5,552,733 
5,562,736 
6,093,474 
Harvested cropland 
farms 
12,918 
13,783 
14,017 
17,679 
15,115 
17,171 
18,644 
21,991 
acres 
3,447,617 
3,342,048 
3,332,146 
4,022,664 
3,882,648 
3,810,690 
3,599,678 
4,699,323 
Irrigated land 
farms 
3,015 
3,218 
3,496 
3,784 
3,400 
4,064 
3,929 
3,693 
acres 
1,092,881 
954,353 
938,841 
960,831 
942,528 
897,641 
646,677 
693,698 
Market value of agricultural 
products sold (see text) 
....$1,000 
3,809,401 
2,617,981 
1,815,803 
2,142,630 
2,031,277 
1,607,511 
1,340,162 
1,406,458 
Average per farm 
dollars 
135,600 
86,959 
66,239 
70,423 
85,265 
62,666 
49,000 
44,469 
Crops, including nursery 
and greenhouse crops 
....$1,000 
2,783,610 
1,604,647 
1,065,611 
1,457,793 
1,411,472 
1,111,346 
929,858 
994,976 
Livestock, poultry, and 
their products 
....$1,000 
1,025,791 
1,013,334 
750,192 
684,837 
619,805 
496,165 
410,304 
411,482 
Farms by value of sales 2 : 
Less than $2,500 
12,750 
14,626 
11,838 
11,578 
7,755 
8,008 
9,283 
12,209 
$2,500 to $4,999 
2,934 
2,934 
3,203 
4,345 
3,389 
3,664 
4,021 
4,384 
$5,000 to $9,999 
3,140 
3,295 
3,194 
3,902 
3,097 
3,407 
3,448 
3,515 
$10,000 to $24,999 
3,262 
3,167 
3,039 
3,323 
2,825 
3,149 
3,050 
3,112 
$25,000 to $49,999 
1,632 
1,771 
1,419 
1,521 
1,358 
1,593 
1,776 
2,043 
$50,000 to $99,999 
1,087 
1,091 
1,295 
1,332 
1,207 
1,670 
2,063 
2,387 
$100,000 to $499,999 
1,409 
1,817 
2,473 
3,313 
3,126 
3,545 
3,323 
3,582 
$500,000 or more 
1,879 
1,405 
952 
1,111 
1,066 
616 
386 
356 
Farms by legal status for tax 
purposes (see text): 
Family or individual 
24,525 
25,716 
24,915 
26,736 
20,633 
22,310 
24,322 
28,255 
Partnership 
1,788 
2,395 
1,323 
2,141 
1,850 
2,032 
1,926 
2,402 
Corporation 
1,552 
1,775 
1,041 
1,334 
1,164 
1,105 
905 
724 
Other-cooperative, estate 
or trust, institutional, etc 
228 
220 
134 
214 
176 
205 
197 
247 
Principal operator by days of work 
off farm 3 : 
None 
10,482 
10,413 
13,095 
10,623 
8,851 
10,555 
1 1 ,078 
10,888 
Any 
17,611 
19,693 
14,318 
17,579 
13,128 
13,024 
14,388 
17,721 
200 days or more 
1 1 ,447 
11,866 
10,092 
11,636 
8,550 
8,594 
9,202 
11,312 
Principal operator by primary occupation: 
Farming 
12,136 
12,591 
14,805 
13,315 
11,281 
12,931 
13,496 
14,629 
Other 
15,957 
17,515 
12,608 
17,110 
12,542 
12,721 
13,854 
16,999 
Average age of principal operator 
years 
58.5 
57.3 
55.1 
53.5 
53.7 
53.5 
52.0 
50.5 
Total farm production 
expenses 1 
....$1,000 
2,820,092 
2,118,965 
1,615,624 
1,657,726 
1,466,483 
1,309,012 
1,022,931 
(NA) 
Selected farm production 
expenses ': 
Livestock and poultry purchased 
or leased 
....$1,000 
134,875 
120,621 
89,122 
84,341 
73,786 
63,257 
55,167 
64,469 
Feed purchased 
....$1,000 
452,403 
369,975 
260,900 
290,852 
247,019 
171,376 
135,012 
169,501 
Fertilizer, lime, and soil 
conditioners purchased 4 5 
....$1,000 
315,831 
228,664 
126,666 
142,397 
128,104 
121,097 
86,079 
95,050 
Gasoline, fuels, and oils purchased 
....$1,000 
235,089 
179,282 
89,018 
96,514 
85,572 
91,578 
74,326 
122,494 
Hired farm labor 
....$1,000 
251,287 
191,748 
181,647 
179,549 
163,558 
146,667 
121,984 
107,345 
Interest expense 6 
....$1,000 
81,570 
69,870 
73,597 
85,849 
75,495 
70,931 
72,918 
133,823 
Chemicals purchased 4 
....$1,000 
280,126 
179,158 
159,159 
192,734 
173,185 
170,327 
112,347 
117,109 
Livestock and poultry: 
Cattle and calves 
inventory 
farms 
13,687 
14,075 
15,022 
18,525 
14,589 
15,036 
16,033 
20,049 
number 
788,967 
878,664 
855,717 
930,114 
877,124 
844,260 
813,295 
1,003,833 
Beef cows 
farms 
12,115 
12,355 
12,775 
15,701 
12,669 
13,112 
13,551 
16,936 
number 
434,252 
510,837 
478,428 
504,611 
490,437 
441,725 
422,604 
480,918 
Milk cows 
farms 
121 
298 
422 
1,176 
982 
1,279 
1,581 
2,652 
number 
16,089 
28,338 
44,519 
68,205 
64,888 
78,976 
83,381 
100,159 
Cattle and calves sold 
farms 
10,121 
10,977 
1 1 ,925 
17,231 
13,953 
14,131 
15,248 
17,994 
number 
364,436 
403,495 
408,531 
449,689 
418,642 
375,903 
402,235 
434,781 
Hogs and pigs inventory 
farms 
658 
718 
680 
906 
633 
844 
1,262 
2,188 
number 
6,806 
10,615 
18,262 
25,229 
20,338 
37,519 
51,857 
55,657 
Hogs and pigs sold 
farms 
382 
525 
540 
516 
373 
534 
807 
1,259 
number 
7,636 
15,513 
(D) 
37,689 
28,527 
57,244 
72,940 
71,260 
See footnote(s) at end of table. -continued 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
Louisiana 7 
