Table 45. Selected Operation and Operator Characteristics: 2012 and 2007 (continued) 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Item 
Hampden 
Hampshire 
Middlesex 
Nantucket 
Norfolk 
Plymouth 
Suffolk 
Worcester 
PRINCIPAL OPERATOR CHARACTERISTICS - Con 
Days worked off farm: 
None 
2012 
222 
268 
262 
10 
96 
275 
6 
516 
2007 
159 
197 
260 
4 
73 
297 
4 
462 
Any 
2012 
360 
531 
477 
10 
149 
550 
14 
1,044 
2007 
349 
514 
440 
10 
191 
585 
3 
1,085 
1 to 49 days 
2012 
45 
88 
79 
1 
16 
85 
2 
128 
2007 
51 
86 
92 
1 
33 
82 
- 
161 
50 to 99 days 
2012 
47 
29 
35 
- 
15 
55 
7 
58 
2007 
38 
25 
47 
1 
13 
73 
- 
77 
1 00 to 1 99 days 
2012 
18 
94 
72 
- 
16 
121 
- 
136 
2007 
44 
87 
49 
2 
19 
71 
- 
161 
200 days or more 
2012 
250 
320 
291 
9 
102 
289 
5 
722 
2007 
216 
316 
252 
6 
126 
359 
3 
686 
Years on present farm: 
2 years or less 
2012 
24 
40 
52 
3 
20 
1 
76 
2007 
40 
21 
36 
- 
14 
24 
- 
66 
3 or 4 years 
2012 
57 
52 
82 
1 
6 
37 
8 
96 
2007 
23 
62 
32 
- 
6 
44 
- 
106 
5 to 9 years 
2012 
80 
133 
94 
8 
24 
106 
8 
255 
2007 
88 
127 
121 
2 
54 
140 
1 
229 
1 0 years or more 
2012 
421 
574 
511 
11 
212 
662 
3 
1,133 
2007 
357 
501 
511 
12 
190 
674 
6 
1,146 
Average years on present farm 
2012 
20.7 
19.6 
21.0 
16.4 
23.1 
22.8 
8.5 
21.7 
2007 
21.2 
20.1 
20.7 
20.6 
19.4 
21.4 
19.9 
21.9 
Years operating any farm (see text): 
2 years or less 
2012 
17 
24 
38 
3 
12 
69 
2007 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
3 or 4 years 
2012 
60 
35 
63 
1 
6 
29 
7 
85 
2007 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
5 to 9 years 
2012 
81 
114 
101 
8 
22 
85 
6 
214 
2007 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
1 0 years or more 
2012 
424 
626 
537 
11 
214 
699 
7 
1,192 
2007 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
Average years on any farm 
2012 
22.2 
22.6 
22.7 
18.3 
24.9 
24.8 
11.4 
23.6 
2007 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
(NA) 
Age group: 
Under 25 years 
2012 
24 
8 
2 
. 
. 
5 
. 
6 
2007 
4 
4 
4 
- 
- 
6 
- 
5 
25 to 34 years 
2012 
20 
43 
67 
- 
4 
16 
12 
53 
2007 
17 
47 
22 
3 
14 
21 
- 
47 
35 to 44 years 
2012 
61 
76 
66 
- 
25 
94 
4 
144 
2007 
67 
79 
99 
2 
49 
126 
" 
202 
45 to 54 years 
2012 
139 
186 
193 
8 
83 
209 
1 
406 
2007 
144 
229 
198 
1 
74 
257 
4 
467 
55 to 59 years 
2012 
84 
133 
125 
3 
35 
124 
1 
275 
2007 
73 
110 
114 
4 
32 
116 
- 
241 
60 to 64 years 
2012 
91 
128 
88 
2 
21 
114 
- 
241 
2007 
70 
70 
89 
2 
45 
117 
2 
190 
65 to 69 years 
2012 
69 
56 
72 
6 
37 
100 
1 
182 
2007 
43 
75 
63 
- 
18 
92 
- 
148 
70 years and over 
2012 
94 
169 
126 
1 
40 
163 
1 
253 
2007 
90 
97 
111 
2 
32 
147 
1 
247 
Average age 
2012 
56.4 
57.6 
56.5 
58.0 
57.7 
58.2 
39.7 
57.9 
2007 
56.6 
55.6 
56.2 
51.9 
54.8 
56.4 
58.1 
56.5 
INTERNET ACCESS (SEE TEXT) 
Internet access 
2012 
433 
628 
628 
17 
200 
651 
17 
1,292 
2007 
348 
480 
533 
12 
171 
597 
4 
981 
Dial-up service 
farms, 2012 
15 
25 
35 
6 
8 
15 
- 
52 
DSL service 
farms, 2012 
90 
189 
84 
2 
34 
74 
- 
314 
Cable modem service 
farms, 2012 
271 
338 
279 
9 
101 
319 
12 
682 
Fiber-optic service 
farms, 2012 
3 
19 
241 
- 
56 
205 
1 
94 
Mobile broadband plan for computer 
or cell phone 
farms, 2012 
33 
67 
73 
33 
113 
1 
106 
Satellite service 
farms, 2012 
29 
13 
21 
- 
2 
14 
- 
115 
Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) 
farms, 2012 
25 
29 
23 
- 
25 
16 
6 
31 
Other Internet service 
farms, 2012 
1 
18 
5 
- 
- 
7 
- 
6 
TYPE OF ORGANIZATION (SEE TEXT) 
Operation with over 50 percent ownership interest held 
by operator and/or persons related to operator by 
blood/marriage/adoption farms, 2012 
572 
754 
681 
18 
226 
745 
10 
1,529 
acres, 2012 
37,132 
49,410 
25,639 
403 
7,992 
43,159 
12 
93,241 
Limited Liability Corporation 
farms, 2012 
24 
43 
52 
- 
18 
59 
2 
76 
acres, 2012 
2,434 
4,097 
2,627 
- 
713 
4,730 
(D) 
8,740 
OPERATION'S LEGAL STATUS FOR TAX 
PURPOSES (SEE TEXT) 
Family or individual 
farms, 2012 
484 
633 
537 
16 
160 
569 
10 
1,344 
2007 
429 
603 
548 
8 
199 
647 
5 
1,345 
acres, 2012 
28,739 
33,465 
17,232 
(D) 
4,819 
(D) 
12 
(D) 
2007 
30,210 
36,735 
(D) 
(D) 
(D) 
23,610 
(D) 
79,562 
Partnership 
farms, 2012 
50 
74 
55 
1 
14 
63 
1 
114 
2007 
38 
58 
43 
- 
25 
71 
- 
100 
acres, 2012 
5,623 
9,519 
2,909 
(D) 
1,438 
5,613 
(D) 
13,394 
2007 
3,870 
7,985 
1,891 
1,461 
4,927 
14,725 
Corporation: 
Family-held 
farms, 2012 
29 
53 
68 
2 
36 
125 
76 
2007 
35 
29 
80 
5 
23 
134 
- 
81 
acres, 2012 
3,251 
8,779 
5,285 
(D) 
1,293 
18,535 
- 
9,287 
2007 
2,415 
5,402 
6,240 
286 
1,925 
13,818 
- 
7,798 
Other than family held 
farms, 2012 
3 
14 
33 
1 
21 
24 
3 
3 
2007 
2 
4 
2 
1 
12 
16 
1 
5 
acres, 2012 
(D) 
465 
1,324 
(D) 
866 
(D) 
3 
(D) 
2007 
(D) 
(D) 
(D) 
(D) 
166 
5,176 
(D) 
42 
Other - cooperative, estate or trust, 
institutional, etc 
farms, 2012 
16 
25 
46 
14 
44 
6 
23 
2007 
4 
17 
27 
- 
5 
14 
1 
16 
acres, 2012 
(D) 
1,723 
1,480 
- 
1,032 
(D) 
(D) 
(D) 
2007 
(D) 
(D) 
3,148 
- 
(D) 
2,081 
(D) 
4,230 
2012 Census of Agriculture - County Data Massachusetts 309 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
