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 
24,721 
20,930 
15,170 
17,876 
14,094 
14,279 
14,249 
13,484 
Land in farms 
acres 
43,201,023 
43,238,049 
44,810,083 
46,177,267 
45,787,108 
46,849,244 
46,018,005 
47,096,085 
Average size of farm 
acres 
1,748 
2,066 
2,954 
2,583 
3,249 
3,281 
3,230 
3,493 
Estimated market value of 
land and buildings ^ 
Average per farm 
dollars 
755,185 
696,081 
698,908 
542,530 
625,307 
645,677 
582,012 
618,708 
Average per acre 
dollars 
432 
337 
234 
208 
195 
194 
180 
178 
Estimated market value of all 
machinery and equipment ' 
....$1,000 
1,491,077 
1,160,713 
799,643 
727,581 
619,915 
525,911 
468,262 
430,983 
Average per farm 
dollars 
60,610 
55,457 
58,262 
40,733 
44,047 
36,992 
33,093 
32,053 
Farms by size: 
1 to 9 acres 
7,861 
6,471 
3,586 
3,886 
2,594 
2,600 
2,421 
1,979 
1 0 to 49 acres 
4,811 
4,405 
3,195 
3,477 
2,618 
2,611 
2,710 
2,591 
50 to 1 79 acres 
3,357 
3,072 
2,317 
2,875 
2,163 
2,142 
2,164 
2,127 
1 80 to 499 acres 
2,438 
2,141 
1,706 
2,222 
1,721 
1,748 
1,846 
1,801 
500 to 999 acres 
1,723 
1,286 
1,006 
1,508 
1,232 
1,260 
1,341 
1,254 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
1,528 
1,092 
927 
1,285 
1,111 
1,161 
1,126 
1,171 
2,000 acres or more 
3,003 
2,463 
2,433 
2,623 
2,655 
2,757 
2,641 
2,561 
Total cropland 
farms 
13,674 
13,191 
10,855 
1 1 ,234 
9,435 
9,447 
9,429 
9,196 
acres 
1,976,689 
2,334,018 
2,575,107 
2,307,719 
2,179,428 
2,252,970 
2,279,119 
2,234,468 
Flarvested cropland 
farms 
10,617 
9,311 
7,204 
8,200 
7,008 
7,213 
7,269 
7,395 
acres 
690,858 
1,009,683 
856,166 
1,118,176 
1,079,953 
1,060,345 
989,214 
1 ,297,305 
Irrigated land 
farms 
1 1 ,430 
10,167 
8,282 
8,953 
7,444 
7,331 
7,022 
6,918 
acres 
680,318 
830,048 
844,799 
851 ,735 
804,616 
738,272 
718,449 
807,206 
Market value of agricultural 
products sold (see text) 
....$1,000 
2,550,147 
2,175,080 
1,700,030 
1,664,133 
1,617,708 
1,258,883 
1,060,112 
850,562 
Average per farm 
dollars 
103,157 
103,922 
112,065 
93,093 
114,780 
88,163 
74,399 
63,079 
Crops, including nursery 
and greenhouse crops 
....$1,000 
616,938 
553,140 
397,257 
496,240 
462,178 
375,571 
261,488 
232,230 
Livestock, poultry, and 
their products 
....$1,000 
1,933,209 
1,621,940 
1 ,302,773 
1,167,893 
1,155,530 
883,312 
798,624 
618,332 
Farms by value of sales 
Less than $2,500 
13,609 
10,496 
7,512 
7,979 
5,097 
4,868 
5,104 
4,851 
$2,500 to $4,999 
2,575 
2,520 
1,408 
2,059 
1,811 
1,840 
1,802 
1,816 
$5,000 to $9,999 
2,502 
2,252 
1,443 
1,971 
1,710 
1,738 
1,700 
1,552 
$10,000 to $24,999 
2,172 
2,064 
1,586 
1,981 
1,755 
1,852 
1,828 
1,743 
$25,000 to $49,999 
1,064 
1,065 
893 
1,142 
1,099 
1,208 
1,234 
1,143 
$50,000 to $99,999 
1,058 
844 
740 
924 
896 
969 
966 
902 
$100,000 to $499,999 
1,183 
1,135 
1,122 
1,316 
1,241 
1,379 
1,304 
1,188 
$500,000 or more 
558 
554 
466 
504 
485 
425 
311 
226 
Farms by legal status for tax 
purposes (see text): 
Family or individual 
21,610 
18,185 
13,455 
15,194 
11,783 
1 1 ,959 
1 1 ,929 
1 1 ,440 
Partnership 
1,290 
1,456 
885 
1,338 
1,158 
1,276 
1,362 
1,202 
Corporation 
1,079 
839 
631 
991 
848 
794 
753 
617 
Other-cooperative, estate 
or trust, institutional, etc 
742 
450 
199 
353 
305 
250 
205 
225 
Principal operator by days of work 
off farm 
None 
8,933 
7,481 
6,998 
6,956 
5,752 
5,708 
5,265 
4,462 
Any 
15,788 
13,449 
8,172 
9,906 
7,506 
7,590 
8,137 
7,809 
200 days or more 
8,974 
7,230 
5,551 
6,327 
4,592 
4,673 
4,937 
4,752 
Principal operator by primary occupation: 
Farming 
12,392 
10,040 
8,482 
8,368 
7,197 
7,540 
7,243 
6,896 
Other 
12,329 
10,890 
6,688 
9,508 
6,897 
6,739 
7,006 
6,588 
Average age of principal operator 
years 
60.5 
59.6 
56.4 
55.9 
56.5 
55.3 
53.7 
51.9 
Total farm production 
expenses ' 
....$1,000 
2,459,316 
1,904,465 
1,500,021 
1,256,455 
1 ,204,227 
1,049,010 
892,641 
(NA) 
Selected farm production 
expenses ^ 
Livestock and poultry purchased 
or leased 
....$1,000 
137,673 
187,501 
217,212 
227,417 
221,246 
257,230 
268,175 
227,193 
Feed purchased 
....$1,000 
1,124,762 
697,004 
486,979 
337,980 
334,541 
221,787 
163,870 
143,887 
Fertilizer, lime, and soil 
conditioners purchased ® 
....$1,000 
67,627 
57,807 
32,645 
37,391 
34,563 
29,236 
20,913 
18,245 
Gasoline, fuels, and oils purchased 
....$1,000 
130,982 
112,281 
51,544 
53,171 
49,544 
49,222 
41,585 
50,808 
Flired farm labor 
....$1,000 
252,521 
218,193 
182,380 
146,740 
140,862 
115,633 
98,309 
61,178 
Interest expense ® 
....$1,000 
92,053 
86,921 
82,017 
84,361 
78,791 
69,101 
68,124 
76,151 
Chemicals purchased 
....$1,000 
38,897 
29,835 
19,735 
19,289 
18,085 
15,096 
13,079 
8,462 
Livestock and poultry: 
Cattle and calves 
inventory 
farms 
12,796 
9,508 
6,845 
9,992 
8,677 
8,964 
8,926 
9,189 
number 
1,354,240 
1,525,976 
1,590,769 
1 ,704,463 
1,676,171 
1 ,589,978 
1,445,062 
1,535,348 
Beef cows 
farms 
1 1 ,004 
8,208 
5,571 
7,774 
6,894 
7,248 
6,939 
7,269 
number 
461,595 
530,173 
516,104 
594,607 
581,812 
631,738 
572,828 
597,132 
Milk cows 
farms 
410 
272 
377 
620 
523 
650 
848 
1,357 
number 
318,878 
326,400 
315,130 
216,038 
215,844 
110,422 
58,606 
53,877 
Cattle and calves sold 
farms 
7,963 
7,021 
5,622 
8,920 
8,094 
8,426 
8,517 
8,404 
number 
909,923 
952,841 
1 ,064,524 
1,329,677 
1,308,236 
1,181,980 
1 ,298,570 
1,149,750 
Hogs and pigs inventory 
farms 
211 
395 
346 
547 
346 
496 
592 
914 
number 
1,294 
1,972 
3,489 
8,276 
6,114 
20,233 
44,248 
39,485 
Hogs and pigs sold 
farms 
177 
351 
306 
375 
246 
326 
373 
560 
number 
2,383 
3,792 
5,114 
1 1 ,260 
7,997 
43,633 
89,200 
84,958 
See footnote(s) at end of table. -continued 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
New Mexico 7 
