Table 69. Summary by Age and Primary Occupation of Principal Operator: 2012 (continued) 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Total farming 
and other 
occupations 
Farming 
Item 
Total 
Age of operator (years) 
Under 25 
25 to 34 
35 to 44 
45 to 54 
55 to 64 
65 and over 
FERTILIZERS AND CHEMICALS 
Commercial fertilizer, lime, and soil 
conditioners used 
farms 
2,751 
1,695 
16 
188 
131 
320 
492 
548 
acres treated 
86,121 
66,953 
122 
2,717 
4,397 
15,683 
19,813 
24,221 
Manure used 
farms 
1,155 
720 
8 
61 
58 
170 
197 
226 
acres treated 
24,374 
19,318 
20 
362 
1,318 
5,008 
5,533 
7,077 
Acres treated to control- 
Insects 
farms 
1,775 
1,164 
22 
127 
92 
242 
343 
338 
acres 
44,407 
36,486 
128 
1,347 
3,429 
8,603 
11,637 
1 1 ,342 
Weeds, grass, or brush 
farms 
1,873 
1,225 
10 
101 
92 
256 
381 
385 
acres 
58,478 
47,356 
116 
1,375 
3,524 
10,944 
14,842 
16,555 
Nematodes 
farms 
333 
222 
- 
13 
19 
51 
71 
68 
acres 
15,359 
1 1 ,294 
- 
217 
733 
3,730 
3,451 
3,163 
Diseases in crops and orchards 
farms 
921 
649 
8 
46 
60 
138 
207 
190 
Chemicals used to control growth, 
acres 
28,054 
22,953 
30 
644 
2,324 
6,134 
7,677 
6,144 
thin fruit, ripen, or defoliate 
farms 
240 
165 
- 
4 
26 
21 
62 
52 
acres on which used 
10,086 
7,913 
" 
186 
743 
2,373 
2,316 
2,295 
LAND USE PRACTICES 
Land drained by tile 
farms 
244 
156 
5 
2 
18 
33 
48 
50 
acres 
4,863 
3,764 
(D) 
(D) 
245 
1,186 
1,189 
1,121 
Land artificially drained by ditches 
farms 
832 
552 
6 
37 
34 
138 
158 
179 
acres 
17,569 
13,967 
30 
416 
1,115 
4,113 
3,624 
4,669 
Land under conservation easement 
farms 
773 
410 
10 
28 
49 
66 
133 
124 
Cropland on which no-till practices were 
acres 
51,619 
32,832 
50 
1,865 
1,255 
3,277 
15,773 
10,612 
used 
farms 
406 
279 
2 
39 
23 
54 
68 
93 
Cropland on which conservation tillage, 
including no till, practices were 
acres 
5,379 
4,261 
(D) 
85 
(D) 
1,087 
642 
2,012 
used 
farms 
247 
181 
- 
19 
14 
40 
57 
51 
Cropland on which conventional tillage 
acres 
7,815 
7,002 
" 
54 
133 
894 
1,653 
4,268 
practices were used 
farms 
1,430 
915 
3 
109 
72 
201 
279 
251 
Cropland planted to a cover crop 
acres 
27,417 
22,874 
75 
1,094 
2,039 
4,956 
7,096 
7,614 
(excluding CRP) 
farms 
973 
710 
11 
135 
65 
161 
165 
173 
acres 
17,085 
14,856 
36 
922 
1,046 
3,885 
4,178 
4,789 
ENERGY 
Renewable energy producing systems 
farms 
465 
296 
2 
18 
26 
77 
86 
87 
Solar panels 
farms 
392 
246 
2 
18 
24 
63 
70 
69 
Wind turbines 
farms 
59 
37 
- 
- 
6 
9 
13 
9 
Methane digesters 
farms 
1 
1 
- 
- 
1 
- 
- 
- 
Geoexchange systems 
farms 
18 
14 
2 
- 
6 
3 
3 
Small hydro systems 
farms 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
Biodiesel 
farms 
17 
9 
- 
- 
- 
3 
1 
5 
Ethanol 
farms 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
Other 
farms 
15 
11 
- 
3 
4 
4 
Wind rights leased to others 
farms 
8 
7 
- 
- 
- 
- 
5 
2 
TENURE 
Full owners 
farms 
5,754 
2,668 
23 
82 
172 
589 
759 
1,043 
Part owners 
farms 
1,202 
758 
5 
45 
67 
178 
235 
228 
Tenants 
farms 
799 
452 
8 
125 
67 
76 
110 
66 
OWNED AND RENTED LAND 
Land owned 
farms 
6,958 
3,427 
28 
127 
239 
767 
994 
1,272 
acres 
446,103 
264,038 
198 
4,517 
15,173 
61,636 
84,400 
98,114 
Owned land in farms 
farms 
6,956 
3,426 
28 
127 
239 
767 
994 
1,271 
acres 
435,233 
257,797 
180 
4,469 
14,411 
60,683 
82,258 
95,796 
Land rented or leased from others 
farms 
2,012 
1,220 
19 
170 
134 
254 
345 
298 
acres 
90,860 
64,350 
218 
3,340 
5,434 
15,433 
18,526 
21,399 
Rented or leased land in farms 
farms 
2,001 
1,210 
13 
170 
134 
254 
345 
294 
acres 
88,284 
63,770 
158 
3,340 
5,434 
15,395 
18,313 
21,130 
Land rented or leased to others 
farms 
458 
239 
12 
7 
18 
46 
81 
75 
acres 
13,446 
6,821 
78 
48 
762 
991 
2,355 
2,587 
NUMBER OF OPERATORS 
Total operators 
Farms by number of operators: 
number 
12,595 
6,347 
69 
434 
493 
1,406 
1,730 
2,215 
1 operator 
3,937 
1,992 
15 
107 
143 
433 
598 
696 
2 operators 
3,116 
1,505 
15 
118 
141 
309 
425 
497 
3 operators 
518 
261 
- 
17 
20 
68 
57 
99 
4 operators 
124 
77 
6 
10 
2 
20 
16 
23 
5 or more operators 
60 
43 
- 
- 
- 
13 
8 
22 
Total women operators 
Farms by number of women operators: 
number 
5,243 
2,697 
36 
221 
244 
655 
710 
831 
1 operator 
4,110 
2,064 
12 
129 
199 
499 
607 
618 
2 operators 
394 
199 
12 
28 
15 
45 
30 
69 
3 operators 
89 
57 
- 
12 
5 
22 
2 
16 
4 operators 
9 
8 
- 
- 
- 
- 
3 
5 
5 or more operators 
7 
6 
- 
- 
- 
5 
1 
See footnote(s) at end of table. -continued 
198 Massachusetts 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
