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 
35,537 
36,352 
37,255 
38,264 
31,757 
32,306 
37,743 
42,207 
Land in farms 
acres 
7,183,576 
7,174,743 
7,660,969 
7,788,241 
7,254,470 
7,458,015 
8,416,228 
9,189,559 
Average size of farm 
acres 
202 
197 
206 
204 
228 
231 
223 
218 
Estimated market value of 
land and buildings 
Average per farm 
dollars 
525,587 
449,010 
345,504 
272,670 
286,620 
282,546 
218,934 
177,988 
Average per acre 
dollars 
2,600 
2,275 
1,708 
1,327 
1,284 
1,237 
993 
817 
Estimated market value of all 
machinery and equipment 1 
....$1,000 
4,163,633 
3,546,042 
3,367,939 
2,162,595 
1,906,163 
1,862,289 
1,849,206 
2,006,892 
Average per farm 
dollars 
117,163 
97,550 
96,252 
56,522 
59,923 
57,738 
49,087 
47,561 
Farms by size: 
1 to 9 acres 
2,901 
2,914 
2,959 
3,102 
2,226 
2,129 
2,517 
2,763 
1 0 to 49 acres 
8,668 
8,799 
8,359 
7,723 
5,499 
5,201 
6,114 
6,575 
50 to 1 79 acres 
13,544 
13,847 
13,474 
14,085 
11,319 
11,147 
12,991 
14,676 
1 80 to 499 acres 
7,446 
7,739 
8,977 
9,897 
9,327 
10,305 
12,244 
14,203 
500 to 999 acres 
1,872 
2,014 
2,457 
2,567 
2,530 
2,713 
3,112 
3,274 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
762 
760 
812 
721 
688 
680 
654 
620 
2,000 acres or more 
344 
279 
217 
169 
168 
131 
111 
96 
Total cropland 
farms 
29,273 
31,083 
33,351 
34,701 
29,747 
30,651 
35,680 
40,276 
acres 
4,217,041 
4,314,954 
4,841,367 
4,961,538 
4,722,143 
4,876,169 
5,382,175 
5,697,926 
Harvested cropland 
farms 
26,569 
26,814 
29,162 
31,436 
27,569 
28,715 
33,664 
38,509 
acres 
3,783,661 
3,651,278 
3,846,368 
3,855,732 
3,716,942 
3,534,898 
3,899,819 
4,430,198 
Irrigated land 
farms 
3,404 
3,036 
3,307 
2,835 
2,501 
2,020 
1,992 
1,713 
acres 
59,807 
68,010 
74,663 
73,791 
69,197 
46,600 
50,920 
52,125 
Market value of agricultural 
products sold (see text) 
....$1,000 
5,415,125 
4,418,634 
3,117,834 
2,930,569 
2,834,512 
2,622,001 
2,441,860 
2,426,936 
Average per farm 
dollars 
152,380 
121,551 
83,689 
76,588 
89,256 
81,161 
64,697 
57,501 
Crops, including nursery 
and greenhouse crops 
....$1,000 
2,249,227 
1,561,927 
1,135,129 
1,066,347 
1,000,417 
809,291 
701,352 
657,719 
Livestock, poultry, and 
their products 
....$1,000 
3,165,898 
2,856,706 
1,982,706 
1,864,222 
1,834,095 
1,812,710 
1,740,508 
1,769,216 
Farms by value of sales 2 : 
Less than $2,500 
11,169 
13,004 
14,243 
1 1 ,542 
7,707 
7,324 
9,168 
10,479 
$2,500 to $4,999 
3,119 
3,075 
3,364 
4,096 
3,424 
3,389 
4,061 
4,421 
$5,000 to $9,999 
3,776 
3,770 
3,223 
4,119 
3,484 
3,536 
3,892 
4,339 
$10,000 to $24,999 
4,937 
4,706 
4,176 
4,997 
4,269 
4,156 
4,426 
4,654 
$25,000 to $49,999 
2,825 
2,694 
2,725 
2,941 
2,673 
2,601 
3,337 
4,187 
$50,000 to $99,999 
2,586 
2,253 
3,073 
3,496 
3,335 
3,973 
5,560 
6,731 
$100,000 to $499,999 
5,163 
5,100 
5,369 
6,077 
5,883 
6,588 
6,816 
6,966 
$500,000 or more 
1,962 
1,750 
1,082 
996 
982 
739 
483 
398 
Farms by legal status for tax 
purposes (see text): 
Family or individual 
29,679 
30,621 
32,654 
32,813 
26,855 
27,346 
32,149 
36,543 
Partnership 
3,096 
3,347 
2,846 
3,465 
3,153 
3,284 
3,835 
4,086 
Corporation 
2,355 
2,110 
1,581 
1,771 
1,568 
1,521 
1,545 
1,385 
Other-cooperative, estate 
or trust, institutional, etc 
407 
274 
174 
215 
181 
155 
214 
193 
Principal operator by days of work 
off farm 3 : 
None 
15,751 
14,282 
18,492 
16,736 
14,960 
15,838 
18,079 
19,456 
Any 
19,786 
22,070 
18,763 
19,779 
15,286 
14,472 
17,596 
19,890 
200 days or more 
12,414 
13,640 
12,748 
13,117 
9,886 
9,355 
11,506 
13,094 
Principal operator by primary occupation: 
Farming 
20,400 
19,624 
22,664 
20,607 
18,426 
19,934 
22,977 
25,564 
Other 
15,137 
16,728 
14,591 
17,657 
13,331 
12,372 
14,766 
16,643 
Average age of principal operator 
years 
57.1 
56.2 
54.1 
52.9 
53.5 
52.5 
51.4 
50.0 
Total farm production 
expenses 1 
....$1,000 
4,535,138 
3,503,312 
2,796,920 
2,434,019 
2,191,903 
2,142,169 
1,897,458 
(NA) 
Selected farm production 
expenses ': 
Livestock and poultry purchased 
or leased 
....$1,000 
139,833 
117,208 
122,666 
127,396 
111,258 
113,243 
98,770 
95,488 
Feed purchased 
....$1,000 
1,007,295 
695,165 
537,185 
506,730 
482,735 
458,038 
399,658 
444,460 
Fertilizer, lime, and soil 
conditioners purchased 4 5 
....$1,000 
264,876 
172,920 
103,849 
104,751 
93,010 
94,324 
94,811 
109,479 
Gasoline, fuels, and oils purchased 
....$1,000 
313,194 
226,204 
115,975 
109,629 
97,075 
100,002 
91,096 
142,542 
Hired farm labor 
....$1,000 
730,687 
583,051 
448,924 
383,795 
336,357 
336,461 
277,463 
246,022 
Interest expense 6 
....$1,000 
155,861 
159,396 
128,020 
144,324 
130,266 
125,135 
140,484 
184,613 
Chemicals purchased 4 
....$1,000 
151,480 
103,710 
80,700 
88,674 
75,892 
67,322 
60,635 
56,139 
Livestock and poultry: 
Cattle and calves 
inventory 
farms 
13,559 
13,589 
15,971 
18,862 
16,444 
18,134 
22,250 
27,354 
number 
1,419,365 
1,443,297 
1,453,365 
1,479,571 
1,450,090 
1,470,610 
1,603,390 
1,781,748 
Beef cows 
farms 
6,579 
6,803 
6,598 
6,403 
6,160 
5,880 
6,798 
8,661 
number 
86,030 
103,620 
80,831 
80,157 
86,078 
72,971 
71,627 
77,712 
Milk cows 
farms 
5,427 
5,683 
7,388 
9,286 
8,732 
10,696 
13,840 
17,236 
number 
610,712 
626,455 
670,003 
699,404 
700,480 
721 ,286 
814,461 
875,113 
Cattle and calves sold 
farms 
10,555 
10,898 
1 1 ,972 
17,077 
15,494 
17,167 
21,153 
25,234 
number 
618,558 
583,468 
579,216 
652,986 
618,039 
639,193 
754,488 
747,448 
Hogs and pigs inventory 
farms 
1,912 
1,871 
1,527 
1,731 
1,508 
2,094 
2,644 
4,325 
number 
74,671 
85,741 
81,886 
80,861 
79,000 
90,282 
99,560 
118,378 
Hogs and pigs sold 
farms 
1,629 
1,817 
1,490 
1,145 
1,001 
1,498 
1,957 
2,810 
number 
337,333 
322,396 
255,445 
167,954 
167,201 
168,196 
172,072 
183,165 
See footnote(s) at end of table. -continued 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
New York 7 
