Table 1. County Summary Highlights: 2012 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Item 
Massachusetts 
Barnstable 
Berkshire 
Bristol 
Dukes 
Essex 
Franklin 
Farms 
number 
7,755 
333 
525 
717 
88 
522 
780 
Land in farms 
acres 
523,517 
4,676 
61 ,656 
34,869 
12,717 
22,397 
89,772 
Average size of farm 
acres 
68 
14 
117 
49 
145 
43 
115 
Median size of farm 
acres 
23 
4 
50 
20 
10 
16 
50 
Estimated market value of land and buildings: 
Average per farm 
dollars 
704,071 
500,691 
824,923 
709,223 
1,416,198 
893,350 
700,144 
Average per acre 
dollars 
10,430 
35,657 
7,024 
14,584 
9,800 
20,821 
6,083 
Estimated market value of all machinery and 
equipment 
$1,000 
418,149 
16,653 
27,025 
36,862 
7,475 
29,304 
53,792 
Average per farm 
dollars 
53,948 
50,009 
51,475 
51,411 
84,945 
56,138 
68,965 
Farms by size: 
1 to 9 acres 
2,322 
234 
86 
213 
37 
185 
133 
1 0 to 49 acres 
2,913 
72 
176 
321 
36 
222 
252 
50 to 1 79 acres 
1,833 
23 
171 
144 
12 
94 
249 
180 to 499 acres 
574 
4 
69 
34 
1 
16 
120 
500 to 999 acres 
81 
- 
16 
3 
- 
3 
19 
1 ,000 acres or more 
32 
- 
7 
2 
2 
2 
7 
Total cropland 
farms 
5,249 
165 
347 
477 
44 
322 
528 
acres 
160,789 
1,543 
18,381 
11,879 
(D) 
9,183 
22,499 
Harvested cropland 
farms 
4,834 
143 
320 
426 
43 
271 
487 
acres 
137,039 
1,362 
16,622 
10,040 
478 
(D) 
18,679 
Irrigated land 
farms 
1,746 
113 
65 
153 
23 
112 
129 
acres 
23,433 
1,180 
223 
1,612 
205 
615 
2,050 
Market value of agricultural products sold (see text) .... 
$1,000 
492,211 
19,127 
22,468 
37,658 
3,491 
25,163 
55,056 
Average per farm 
dollars 
63,470 
57,440 
42,797 
52,522 
39,666 
48,204 
70,584 
Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops 
$1,000 
382,915 
9,707 
10,140 
29,899 
2,509 
18,053 
39,064 
Livestock, poultry, and their products 
$1,000 
109,296 
9,420 
12,328 
7,760 
982 
7,109 
15,992 
Farms by value of sales: 
Less than $2,500 
3,663 
119 
271 
319 
35 
273 
354 
$2,500 to $4,999 
727 
27 
41 
65 
11 
45 
82 
$5,000 to $9,999 
828 
52 
58 
73 
12 
42 
95 
$10,000 to $24,999 
861 
46 
59 
85 
15 
50 
87 
$25,000 to $49,999 
486 
26 
47 
60 
6 
30 
43 
$50,000 to $99,999 
432 
25 
14 
53 
3 
40 
39 
$100,000 or more 
758 
38 
35 
62 
6 
42 
80 
Government payments 
farms 
780 
25 
49 
91 
3 
21 
128 
$1,000 
8,124 
358 
268 
1,527 
(D) 
207 
1,987 
Total income from farm-related sources, 
gross before taxes and expenses (see text) 
farms 
2,716 
91 
191 
246 
25 
165 
356 
$1,000 
78,482 
4,218 
5,096 
5,983 
326 
11,287 
6,657 
Total farm production expenses 
$1,000 
539,319 
23,363 
28,325 
44,306 
7,120 
42,290 
61,694 
Average per farm 
dollars 
69,545 
70,160 
53,951 
61,793 
80,915 
81,016 
79,095 
Net cash farm income of operation (see text) 
farms 
7,755 
333 
525 
717 
88 
522 
780 
$1,000 
39,499 
340 
-492 
863 
-3,227 
-5,633 
2,005 
Average per farm 
dollars 
5,093 
1,021 
-937 
1,203 
-36,665 
-10,792 
2,571 
Principal operator by primary occupation: 
Farming 
number 
3,878 
193 
268 
351 
49 
296 
444 
Other 
number 
3,877 
140 
257 
366 
39 
226 
336 
Principal operator by days worked off farm: 
Any 
number 
5,019 
218 
320 
457 
58 
337 
494 
200 days or more 
number 
3,070 
112 
172 
297 
45 
149 
307 
Livestock and poultry: 
Cattle and calves inventory 
farms 
1,423 
12 
138 
172 
16 
54 
210 
number 
35,703 
(D) 
7,328 
3,838 
282 
1,237 
5,746 
Beef cows 
farms 
849 
6 
84 
115 
10 
27 
119 
number 
6,240 
(D) 
803 
866 
55 
248 
806 
Milk cows 
farms 
278 
6 
32 
17 
2 
14 
48 
number 
12,500 
(D) 
2,892 
1,057 
(D) 
403 
2,335 
Cattle and calves sold 
farms 
870 
7 
90 
109 
10 
32 
122 
number 
13,691 
(D) 
2,713 
1,481 
73 
416 
2,029 
Hogs and pigs inventory 
farms 
478 
7 
68 
42 
17 
44 
48 
number 
11,151 
53 
922 
1,698 
246 
978 
254 
Hogs and pigs sold 
farms 
432 
4 
61 
40 
17 
47 
40 
number 
23,536 
42 
1,372 
3,061 
440 
1,199 
521 
Sheep and lambs inventory 
farms 
776 
20 
82 
80 
26 
29 
66 
number 
12,504 
204 
1,381 
1,280 
412 
(D) 
1,402 
Layers inventory (see text) 
farms 
1,795 
67 
133 
198 
25 
113 
180 
number 
153,925 
2,651 
4,424 
7,362 
2,265 
4,397 
8,516 
Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold 
farms 
204 
1 
14 
5 
9 
10 
36 
number 
80,913 
(D) 
8,150 
2,150 
11,012 
5,108 
4,094 
Selected crops harvested: 
Corn for grain 
farms 
56 
- 
4 
4 
1 
2 
10 
acres 
2,810 
- 
(D) 
26 
(D) 
(D) 
577 
bushels 
401,986 
- 
(D) 
2,556 
(D) 
(D) 
(D) 
Corn for silage or greenchop 
farms 
163 
- 
17 
21 
1 
7 
29 
acres 
11,872 
- 
2,577 
1,527 
(D) 
549 
2,337 
tons 
220,172 
- 
50,686 
28,247 
(D) 
9,975 
43,032 
Wheat for grain, all 
farms 
7 
- 
2 
2 
- 
1 
acres 
(D) 
- 
(D) 
(D) 
- 
- 
(D) 
bushels 
(D) 
- 
(D) 
(D) 
- 
- 
(D) 
Winter wheat for grain 
farms 
7 
- 
2 
2 
- 
- 
1 
acres 
(D) 
- 
(D) 
(D) 
- 
- 
(D) 
bushels 
(D) 
- 
(D) 
(D) 
- 
- 
(D) 
Spring wheat for grain 
farms 
1 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
1 
acres 
(D) 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
(D) 
bushels 
(D) 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
(D) 
-continued 
224 Massachusetts 
2012 Census of Agriculture - County Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
