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 
9,071 
10,327 
9,924 
10,045 
9,101 
9,079 
9,032 
8,277 
Land in farms 
acres 
715,057 
733,450 
805,682 
856,909 
832,600 
847,595 
894,426 
916,331 
Average size of farm 
acres 
79 
71 
81 
85 
91 
93 
99 
111 
Estimated market value of 
land and buildings 
Average per farm 
dollars 
1,008,402 
1,089,883 
741,808 
572,273 
594,206 
615,430 
396,198 
343,137 
Average per acre 
dollars 
12,792 
15,346 
9,245 
6,710 
6,642 
6,942 
3,969 
3,140 
Estimated market value of all 
machinery and equipment 1 
....$1,000 
739,015 
704,665 
514,666 
464,314 
436,613 
358,561 
340,478 
300,165 
Average per farm 
dollars 
81,470 
68,374 
53,954 
46,233 
48,011 
39,620 
37,768 
36,291 
Farms by size: 
1 to 9 acres 
2,237 
2,950 
2,511 
2,576 
2,249 
2,099 
1,862 
1,487 
1 0 to 49 acres 
4,221 
4,814 
4,481 
4,307 
3,807 
3,726 
3,549 
3,052 
50 to 1 79 acres 
1,790 
1,675 
1,959 
2,042 
1,927 
2,079 
2,316 
2,328 
180 to 499 acres 
541 
589 
629 
766 
768 
836 
939 
1,047 
500 to 999 acres 
182 
191 
228 
240 
238 
250 
292 
286 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
80 
91 
99 
92 
90 
74 
60 
62 
2,000 acres or more 
20 
17 
17 
22 
22 
15 
14 
15 
Total cropland 
farms 
7,107 
8,138 
8,342 
9,091 
8,322 
8,221 
8,268 
7,658 
acres 
456,751 
488,697 
547,668 
612,919 
594,928 
623,466 
642,534 
669,618 
Harvested cropland 
farms 
6,575 
7,180 
7,230 
8,017 
7,396 
7,149 
7,288 
6,940 
acres 
408,993 
415,542 
444,670 
498,912 
485,187 
491,518 
484,805 
570,031 
Irrigated land 
farms 
1,769 
2,055 
2,124 
2,222 
2,089 
1,911 
1,846 
1,681 
acres 
88,376 
95,277 
96,893 
94,380 
92,965 
80,409 
91,208 
83,049 
Market value of agricultural 
products sold (see text) 
....$1,000 
1,006,936 
986,885 
749,872 
707,161 
697,380 
532,988 
496,003 
435,966 
Average per farm 
dollars 
111,006 
95,564 
75,561 
70,399 
76,627 
58,706 
54,916 
52,672 
Crops, including nursery 
and greenhouse crops 
....$1,000 
890,767 
851,653 
657,494 
600,547 
592,713 
431,178 
370,580 
322,038 
Livestock, poultry, and 
their products 
....$1,000 
116,169 
135,233 
92,378 
106,613 
104,666 
101,810 
125,423 
113,928 
Farms by value of sales 2 : 
Less than $2,500 
3,808 
4,948 
5,233 
4,003 
3,352 
3,136 
3,089 
2,316 
$2,500 to $4,999 
1,030 
999 
991 
1,204 
1,105 
1,175 
1,281 
1,179 
$5,000 to $9,999 
958 
1,007 
820 
1,156 
1,097 
1,144 
1,163 
1,106 
$10,000 to $24,999 
1,032 
1,108 
951 
1,274 
1,195 
1,358 
1,201 
1,221 
$25,000 to $49,999 
600 
656 
489 
718 
689 
676 
632 
683 
$50,000 to $99,999 
524 
462 
381 
510 
502 
530 
578 
661 
$100,000 to $499,999 
692 
747 
719 
891 
874 
869 
932 
969 
$500,000 or more 
427 
400 
340 
289 
287 
191 
156 
124 
Farms by legal status for tax 
purposes (see text): 
Family or individual 
7,329 
8,679 
8,578 
8,454 
7,604 
7,553 
7,530 
6,933 
Partnership 
787 
726 
576 
678 
635 
668 
740 
732 
Corporation 
824 
829 
701 
826 
783 
780 
704 
563 
Other-cooperative, estate 
or trust, institutional, etc 
131 
93 
69 
87 
79 
78 
58 
49 
Principal operator by days of work 
off farm 3 : 
None 
3,369 
3,208 
4,364 
3,766 
3,503 
3,475 
3,199 
3,087 
Any 
5,702 
7,119 
5,560 
5,842 
5,188 
5,094 
5,375 
4,592 
200 days or more 
3,369 
4,107 
3,862 
3,931 
3,478 
3,396 
3,666 
3,076 
Principal operator by primary occupation: 
Farming 
4,493 
4,626 
5,193 
4,204 
3,920 
4,218 
4,180 
4,197 
Other 
4,578 
5,701 
4,731 
5,841 
5,181 
4,861 
4,852 
4,080 
Average age of principal operator 
years 
59.5 
57.1 
55.1 
55.2 
55.4 
53.9 
52.9 
51.9 
Total farm production 
expenses 1 
....$1,000 
913,289 
835,211 
647,202 
535,420 
513,326 
430,843 
387,693 
(NA) 
Selected farm production 
expenses 
Livestock and poultry purchased 
or leased 
....$1,000 
14,758 
11,977 
8,265 
10,665 
10,339 
9,487 
15,067 
13,577 
Feed purchased 
....$1,000 
54,047 
41,361 
31,277 
39,314 
38,309 
32,427 
34,115 
33,530 
Fertilizer, lime, and soil 
conditioners purchased 4 5 
....$1,000 
65,101 
43,892 
28,203 
29,647 
28,256 
25,949 
23,767 
26,140 
Gasoline, fuels, and oils purchased 
....$1,000 
55,991 
51,333 
25,155 
27,282 
25,935 
22,184 
19,961 
28,878 
Hired farm labor 
....$1,000 
267,547 
237,683 
186,913 
148,621 
142,869 
115,161 
87,608 
62,380 
Interest expense 6 
....$1,000 
30,982 
24,207 
19,898 
22,375 
21,483 
17,122 
20,320 
22,870 
Chemicals purchased 4 
....$1,000 
38,606 
28,288 
22,541 
21,285 
20,487 
19,152 
17,267 
14,530 
Livestock and poultry: 
Cattle and calves 
inventory 
farms 
1,224 
1,435 
1,513 
1,873 
1,703 
1,934 
2,231 
2,394 
number 
31,449 
38,198 
41,747 
58,483 
56,643 
69,134 
77,581 
94,999 
Beef cows 
farms 
871 
932 
535 
1,158 
1,039 
1,152 
1,176 
1,151 
number 
9,500 
9,298 
8,037 
12,943 
12,192 
12,280 
11,359 
Milk cows 
farms 
127 
152 
136 
307 
296 
450 
584 
number 
7,192 
9,790 
12,497 
18,219 
18,041 
23,926 
32,067 
Cattle and calves sold 
farms 
960 
1,136 
1,227 
1,630 
1,506 
1,668 
2,049 
2,078 
number 
11,691 
13,955 
15,540 
23,964 
23,362 
28,989 
43,257 
48,050 
Hogs and pigs inventory 
farms 
298 
271 
357 
523 
431 
640 
680 
889 
number 
7,901 
8,551 
14,162 
25,390 
23,189 
29,645 
31,968 
53,767 
Hogs and pigs sold 
farms 
256 
381 
378 
407 
350 
530 
661 
816 
number 
12,548 
23,420 
30,820 
42,819 
40,396 
44,325 
52,320 
74,235 
See footnote(s) at end of table. -continued 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
New Jersey 7 
