Table 1. County Summary Highlights: 2012 (continued) 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Item 
Big Stone 
Blue Earth 
Brown 
Carlton 
Carver 
Cass 
Farms 
number 
400 
1,070 
1,055 
501 
789 
546 
Land in farms 
acres 
248,778 
376,460 
326,003 
92,549 
155,253 
157,215 
Average size of farm 
acres 
622 
352 
309 
185 
197 
288 
Median size of farm 
acres 
294 
140 
180 
140 
80 
150 
Estimated market value of land and buildings: 
Average per farm 
dollars 
2,426,079 
2,256,415 
1,705,125 
345,839 
1,139,812 
549,962 
Average per acre 
dollars 
3,901 
6,413 
5,518 
1,872 
5,793 
1,910 
Estimated market value of all machinery and 
equipment 
$1,000 
121,849 
251,154 
227,946 
27,696 
153,730 
37,645 
Average per farm 
dollars 
304,623 
234,723 
216,062 
55,282 
194,841 
68,947 
Farms by size: 
1 to 9 acres 
6 
68 
53 
14 
40 
18 
1 0 to 49 acres 
53 
220 
169 
94 
262 
92 
50 to 179 acres 
102 
330 
303 
179 
274 
207 
180 to 499 acres 
103 
212 
320 
185 
137 
160 
500 to 999 acres 
53 
139 
155 
26 
44 
49 
1 ,000 acres or more 
83 
101 
55 
3 
32 
20 
Total cropland 
farms 
381 
969 
982 
443 
737 
435 
acres 
215,735 
338,830 
296,379 
42,431 
131,550 
61,267 
Harvested cropland 
farms 
298 
739 
828 
418 
621 
395 
acres 
204,560 
323,701 
280,570 
38,077 
121,351 
54,758 
Irrigated land 
farms 
13 
16 
26 
12 
19 
21 
acres 
2,107 
1,707 
2,423 
(D) 
216 
8,753 
Market value of agricultural products sold (see text) .... 
$1,000 
164,624 
505,423 
382,917 
10,961 
134,398 
38,153 
Average per farm 
dollars 
411,561 
472,358 
362,954 
21,877 
170,340 
69,878 
Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops 
$1,000 
138,296 
261,754 
220,293 
5,401 
87,896 
10,496 
Livestock, poultry, and their products 
$1,000 
26,328 
243,670 
162,624 
5,560 
46,503 
27,657 
Farms by value of sales: 
Less than $2,500 
96 
309 
185 
164 
226 
176 
$2,500 to $4,999 
7 
22 
17 
62 
35 
57 
$5,000 to $9,999 
9 
35 
46 
79 
58 
71 
$10,000 to $24,999 
28 
59 
22 
79 
74 
71 
$25,000 to $49,999 
23 
61 
65 
58 
67 
83 
$50,000 to $99,999 
47 
88 
177 
47 
101 
44 
$100,000 or more 
190 
496 
543 
12 
228 
44 
Government payments 
farms 
343 
860 
932 
61 
492 
128 
$1,000 
3,512 
7,732 
7,384 
(D) 
3,149 
542 
Total income from farm-related sources, 
gross before taxes and expenses (see text) 
farms 
282 
692 
805 
136 
461 
198 
$1,000 
8,261 
13,684 
13,777 
372 
6,135 
1,434 
Total farm production expenses 
$1,000 
109,351 
369,680 
283,852 
10,807 
96,110 
36,192 
Average per farm 
dollars 
273,377 
345,495 
269,054 
21,572 
121,813 
66,285 
Net cash farm income of operation (see text) 
farms 
400 
1,070 
1,055 
501 
789 
546 
$1,000 
67,047 
157,159 
120,226 
700 
47,572 
3,938 
Average per farm 
dollars 
167,617 
146,878 
113,958 
1,397 
60,294 
7,212 
Principal operator by primary occupation: 
Farming 
number 
252 
575 
590 
219 
405 
295 
Other 
number 
148 
495 
465 
282 
384 
251 
Principal operator by days worked off farm: 
Any 
number 
199 
550 
655 
336 
453 
325 
200 days or more 
number 
102 
399 
400 
203 
309 
187 
Livestock and poultry: 
Cattle and calves inventory 
farms 
72 
140 
295 
279 
268 
271 
number 
4,632 
12,137 
40,727 
10,569 
22,915 
27,787 
Beef cows 
farms 
49 
77 
79 
215 
94 
220 
number 
1,649 
1,528 
2,282 
4,231 
1,431 
8,608 
Milk cows 
farms 
5 
15 
60 
42 
101 
16 
number 
410 
663 
4,893 
1,215 
8,011 
1,117 
Cattle and calves sold 
farms 
62 
122 
259 
202 
229 
212 
number 
2,247 
9,168 
36,553 
3,492 
9,584 
14,377 
Hogs and pigs inventory 
farms 
9 
99 
82 
9 
20 
15 
number 
41,005 
554,230 
218,163 
118 
29,567 
98 
Hogs and pigs sold 
farms 
9 
108 
84 
12 
15 
12 
number 
108,231 
1,899,235 
745,896 
158 
44,344 
376 
Sheep and lambs inventory 
farms 
6 
35 
21 
26 
36 
21 
number 
496 
2,017 
1,317 
409 
1,738 
521 
Layers inventory (see text) 
farms 
14 
39 
28 
83 
73 
64 
number 
293 
1,066 
829 
1,424 
1,534 
1,723 
Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold 
farms 
6 
12 
10 
16 
9 
10 
number 
665 
1,334 
560,960 
4,521 
685 
861 
Selected crops harvested: 
Corn for grain 
farms 
216 
592 
727 
15 
363 
57 
acres 
88,680 
176,791 
153,607 
489 
63,480 
6,183 
bushels 
13,891,117 
29,441,207 
24,108,561 
61,555 
10,450,283 
637,424 
Corn for silage or greenchop 
farms 
13 
31 
99 
16 
94 
40 
acres 
802 
1,172 
4,515 
667 
3,581 
2,526 
tons 
16,219 
20,405 
71,168 
6,497 
64,985 
34,283 
Wheat for grain, all 
farms 
84 
21 
27 
5 
29 
2 
acres 
12,448 
1,745 
723 
91 
716 
(D) 
bushels 
649,057 
114,375 
19,578 
3,320 
28,888 
(D) 
Winter wheat for grain 
farms 
2 
- 
1 
1 
4 
acres 
(D) 
- 
(D) 
(D) 
97 
- 
bushels 
(D) 
- 
(D) 
(D) 
4,308 
- 
Spring wheat for grain 
farms 
83 
21 
26 
4 
25 
2 
acres 
(D) 
1,745 
(D) 
(D) 
619 
(D) 
bushels 
(D) 
114,375 
(D) 
(D) 
24,580 
(D) 
-continued 
228 Minnesota 
2012 Census of Agriculture - County Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
