Table 1. County Summary Highlights: 2012 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Item 
South Dakota 
Aurora 
Beadle 
Bennett 
Bon Flomme 
Brookings 
Brown 
Farms 
number 
31,989 
442 
754 
219 
671 
1,023 
1,056 
Land in farms 
acres 
43,257,079 
442,007 
793,756 
606,496 
351,596 
449,020 
1,078,794 
Average size of farm 
acres 
1,352 
1,000 
1,053 
2,769 
524 
439 
1,022 
Median size of farm 
acres 
337 
425 
326 
1,440 
320 
140 
250 
Estimated market value of land and buildings: 
Average per farm 
dollars 
2,281,026 
2,361,031 
3,014,624 
1 ,564,995 
1,529,962 
1,870,065 
2,980,409 
Average per acre 
dollars 
1,687 
2,361 
2,864 
565 
2,920 
4,261 
2,917 
Estimated market value of all machinery and 
equipment 
$1,000 
7,721,279 
100,054 
222,749 
43,441 
127,140 
200,306 
336,539 
Average per farm 
dollars 
241,388 
226,366 
295,424 
198,361 
189,478 
195,802 
318,693 
Farms by size: 
1 to 9 acres 
1,300 
9 
28 
8 
20 
76 
56 
1 0 to 49 acres 
4,976 
45 
118 
8 
116 
248 
193 
50 to 1 79 acres 
6,419 
71 
165 
30 
135 
262 
217 
1 80 to 499 acres 
5,353 
107 
116 
23 
143 
192 
179 
500 to 999 acres 
4,229 
57 
97 
23 
165 
121 
123 
1 ,000 acres or more 
9,712 
153 
230 
127 
92 
124 
288 
Total cropland 
farms 
26,422 
387 
655 
179 
617 
820 
913 
acres 
19,147,320 
267,707 
576,930 
178,644 
277,172 
327,406 
854,474 
Flarvested cropland 
farms 
21,340 
308 
554 
149 
512 
627 
716 
acres 
16,392,000 
245,146 
524,271 
130,669 
253,714 
284,894 
748,210 
Irrigated land 
farms 
1 ,656 
1 
50 
27 
27 
68 
25 
acres 
378,678 
(D) 
1 1 ,220 
6,603 
6,625 
16,871 
6,430 
Market value of agricultural products sold (see text) .... 
$1,000 
10,170,227 
127,256 
300,158 
62,152 
107,859 
312,533 
520,639 
Average per farm 
dollars 
317,929 
287,910 
398,087 
283,798 
160,743 
305,506 
493,030 
Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops 
$1,000 
6,072,922 
68,196 
190,063 
22,270 
41,325 
162,340 
462,905 
Livestock, poultry, and their products 
$1,000 
4,097,304 
59,060 
110,094 
39,882 
66,534 
150,193 
57,734 
Farms by value of sales: 
Less than $2,500 
7,945 
97 
176 
27 
168 
329 
334 
$2,500 to $4,999 
1,495 
15 
30 
8 
26 
80 
49 
$5,000 to $9,999 
1,767 
13 
48 
16 
34 
73 
72 
$10,000 to $24,999 
2,527 
27 
65 
10 
75 
103 
62 
$25,000 to $49,999 
2,281 
48 
24 
22 
71 
38 
52 
$50,000 to $99,999 
2,946 
41 
57 
24 
94 
94 
57 
$100,000 or more 
13,028 
201 
354 
112 
203 
306 
430 
Government payments 
farms 
22,793 
360 
565 
161 
579 
699 
700 
$1,000 
283,797 
3,875 
7,071 
2,139 
4,954 
7,038 
17,500 
Total income from farm-related sources. 
gross before taxes and expenses (see text) 
farms 
20,242 
343 
480 
114 
493 
629 
660 
$1,000 
939,643 
15,341 
16,376 
4,699 
38,374 
24,733 
17,304 
Total farm production expenses 
$1,000 
8,104,502 
115,706 
239,716 
46,111 
122,856 
244,873 
351,676 
Average per farm 
dollars 
253,353 
261,779 
317,926 
210,553 
183,094 
239,367 
333,026 
Net cash farm income of operation (see text) 
farms 
31,989 
442 
754 
219 
671 
1,023 
1,056 
$1,000 
3,289,165 
30,766 
83,889 
22,879 
28,330 
99,432 
203,768 
Average per farm 
dollars 
102,822 
69,605 
1 1 1 ,258 
104,469 
42,221 
97,196 
192,962 
Principal operator by primary occupation: 
Farming 
number 
18,844 
268 
419 
149 
367 
473 
606 
Other 
number 
13,145 
174 
335 
70 
304 
550 
450 
Principal operator by days worked off farm: 
Any 
number 
17,940 
218 
418 
115 
379 
677 
594 
200 days or more 
number 
11,551 
143 
284 
71 
248 
461 
360 
Livestock and poultry: 
Cattle and calves inventory 
farms 
15,583 
254 
360 
149 
351 
400 
341 
number 
3,893,251 
56,295 
94,623 
72,141 
51,167 
83,527 
54,706 
Beef cows 
farms 
13,327 
215 
313 
125 
286 
317 
309 
number 
1,610,559 
25,023 
34,811 
27,496 
12,608 
18,792 
23,854 
Milk cows 
farms 
689 
7 
13 
3 
6 
26 
10 
number 
91,831 
520 
1,075 
6 
696 
13,514 
679 
Cattle and calves sold 
farms 
14,306 
231 
339 
135 
314 
337 
324 
number 
2,567,027 
37,230 
57,561 
40,828 
43,986 
54,071 
40,485 
Flogs and pigs inventory 
farms 
681 
3 
12 
10 
16 
41 
19 
number 
1,191,162 
(D) 
46,386 
294 
19,270 
46,580 
14,500 
Flogs and pigs sold 
farms 
678 
3 
13 
10 
19 
34 
17 
number 
3,914,312 
(D) 
136,718 
66 
48,506 
103,351 
29,271 
Sheep and lambs inventory 
farms 
1,798 
40 
37 
- 
18 
107 
54 
number 
257,676 
4,747 
4,134 
- 
1,837 
11,251 
2,533 
Layers inventory (see text) 
farms 
1,703 
16 
28 
9 
29 
67 
39 
number 
2,450,780 
(D) 
910 
167 
1,500 
2,148 
1,228 
Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold 
farms 
155 
1 
- 
1 
14 
7 
number 
144,015 
- 
(D) 
- 
(D) 
1,006 
644 
Selected crops harvested: 
Corn for grain 
farms 
12,260 
216 
364 
45 
322 
358 
462 
acres 
5,289,110 
81,059 
206,287 
19,235 
81,875 
118,295 
350,820 
bushels 
480,330,680 
4,559,729 
17,807,493 
956,237 
2,435,774 
15,790,641 
47,899,190 
Corn for silage or greenchop 
farms 
4,499 
108 
145 
24 
203 
124 
53 
acres 
592,643 
10,930 
21,581 
6,599 
32,392 
12,876 
9,363 
tons 
5,127,364 
93,909 
214,440 
39,380 
150,469 
176,746 
62,387 
Wheat for grain, all 
farms 
4,804 
52 
85 
71 
80 
68 
88 
acres 
2,203,785 
22,364 
21,176 
37,258 
7,175 
7,660 
25,301 
bushels 
100,675,153 
1,667,982 
1,145,190 
1,193,967 
458,247 
384,748 
1,263,163 
Winter wheat for grain 
farms 
2,784 
50 
71 
69 
80 
18 
12 
acres 
1 ,208,309 
21,528 
15,433 
34,349 
6,935 
1,437 
3,157 
bushels 
61,168,956 
1,611,934 
867,458 
1,128,448 
451,047 
76,578 
188,222 
Spring wheat for grain 
farms 
2,908 
3 
34 
9 
4 
59 
83 
acres 
991,083 
836 
5,743 
2,909 
240 
6,223 
22,144 
bushels 
39,365,987 
56,048 
277,732 
65,519 
7,200 
308,170 
1,074,941 
-continued 
2012 Census of Agriculture - County Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
South Dakota 225 
