Table 55. Selected Operator Characteristics for Principal, Second, and Third Operator: 2012 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Characteristics 
All operators 1 
Principal operator 
Second operator 
Third operator 
Operators number 
150,514 
99,171 
45,116 
6,227 
Sex of operator: 
Male 
104,575 
88,044 
12,777 
3,754 
Spouse of principal operator 
3,015 
(X) 
2,953 
62 
Female 
45,939 
11,127 
32,339 
2,473 
Spouse of principal operator 
30,743 
(X) 
29,971 
772 
Primary occupation: 
Farming 
60,554 
43,788 
14,597 
2,169 
Other 
89,960 
55,383 
30,519 
4,058 
Place of residence: 
On farm operated 
115,496 
77,331 
34,992 
3,173 
Not on farm operated 
35,018 
21,840 
10,124 
3,054 
Days worked off farm: 
None 
54,912 
37,495 
15,477 
1,940 
Any 
95,602 
61,676 
29,639 
4,287 
1 to 49 days 
11,669 
7,239 
3,847 
583 
50 to 99 days 
6,340 
4,037 
1,945 
358 
1 00 to 1 99 days 
12,349 
7,938 
3,930 
481 
200 days or more 
65,244 
42,462 
19,917 
2,865 
Years on present farm: 
2 years or less 
6,369 
3,397 
2,241 
731 
3 or 4 years 
8,382 
4,588 
3,064 
730 
5 to 9 years 
22,918 
13,560 
8,070 
1,288 
10 years or more 
112,845 
77,626 
31,741 
3,478 
Years operating any farm (see text): 
2 years or less 
4,542 
2,297 
1,629 
616 
3 or 4 years 
6,697 
3,585 
2,518 
594 
5 to 9 years 
19,640 
11,251 
7,188 
1,201 
10 years or more 
119,635 
82,038 
33,781 
3,816 
Age group: 
Under 25 years 
2,401 
636 
855 
910 
25 to 34 years 
10,202 
5,594 
3,641 
967 
35 to 44 years 
17,559 
10,182 
6,534 
843 
45 to 54 years 
35,108 
22,064 
11,751 
1,293 
55 to 64 years 
40,813 
27,041 
12,615 
1,157 
65 to 74 years 
28,248 
20,552 
7,059 
637 
75 years and over 
16,183 
13,102 
2,661 
420 
Average age 
56.4 
58.3 
53.7 
46.6 
Number of persons living in household 
300,642 
255,029 
35,363 
10,250 
1 Data were collected for a maximum of three operators per farm. 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
Missouri 43 
