Trends in Maine Agriculture a summary of the 2012 Census of Agriculture

Gary Keough, State StatisticianUSDA National Agricultural Statistics

Service New England Field Office

United States Department of AgricultureNational Agricultural Statistics Service

CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE

A complete count, taken every five years,

of America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them.

“FARM” DEFINED

Any place from which $1,000 of agricultural products were produced

and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the Census year.

2012 DATA COLLECTION

• NASS mailed questionnaires for the 2012 Census of Agriculture to farm and ranch operators in late December 2012 to collect data for the 2012 calendar year.

• Completed forms were due by February 4, 2013. • NASS continued to collect Census data through

summer 2013. • Producers returned their forms by mail or online.

Number of farms and land in farms

• 8,174 farms in 2012, up slightly from 8,136 farms in 2007

• 1,455,304 acres in 2012, up from 1,347,566 acres in 2007

FARMS AND LAND IN FARMS

2012Total

2007total 2012 as percent of 2007

Farms number 8,174 8,136 100%

Land in farms acres 1,455,304 1,347,566 108% Average size of farm

acres 178 166 107% Median size of farm

acres 67 65

6

Farm Numbers and Land in Farm Comparisons, 2007 and 2012

7

Land Use2012 2007 Percent Change

acres

All Other LAND 121,402 95,620 27%

CROPLAND 477,343 529,253 -10%

PASTURELAND 81,707 62,014 32%

WOODLAND 773,652 660,679 17%

Total 1,454,104 1,347,566 8%

Land Use Comparisons, 2007 and 2012

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1997 2002 2007 20120

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

Maine Agricultural Land Use, Acres

Other landWoodland, not pasturedWoodland, pasturedPernament PastureCropland

1 to 9 acres

10 to 49 acres

50 to 179 acres

180 to 499 acres

500 to 999 acres

1,000 acres or more

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500

Farms by Size, 2007 and 2012

Maine 2007

Maine 2012

Number of farms

Size

in a

cres

12

ECONOMICS

• 2012 Total Farm Income $810.2 million, up from $661.4 million in 2007

• 2012 Total Expenses, $645.6 million, up from $493.7 million in 2007

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Farm Income Source 2012 2007Percent Change

COMMODITY TOTALS - SALES 763,062,000 617,190,000 24%

GOVT PROGRAMS, FEDERAL 10,162,000 8,815,000 15%

INCOME, FARM-RELATED 37,017,000 35,359,000 5%

AG SERVICES, CUSTOMWORK & OTHER 8,002,000 12,809,000 -38%

AG TOURISM & RECREATIONAL SERVICES 1,803,000 1,012,000 78%

CROP & ANIMAL INSURANCE PAYMENTS 2,945,000 1,080,000 173%

FOREST PRODUCTS, (EXCL CHRISTMAS TREES & SHORT TERM WOODY CROPS & MAPLE SYRUP) 8,616,000 5,816,000 48%

GOVT PROGRAMS, STATE & LOCAL 1,587,000 1,205,000 32%

OTHER 11,135,000 11,299,000 -1%PATRONAGE DIVIDENDS & REFUNDS FROM

COOPERATIVES 604,000 405,000 49%

RENT, LAND & BUILDINGS 2,325,000 1,733,000 34%

Total 810,241,000 661,364,000 23%

Excludes value added sales

Expenses2012 2007

Farms Expenses($000)

Farms Expenses($000)

Total 8,173 645,631 8,136 493,693

Avg. per Farm 78,996 60,680

15

16

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Net Cash Farm Income2012 2007

Farms Income($000)

Farms Income($000)

Net Cash Income, all farms

8,173 164,610 8,136 167,671

Avg. per Farm 20,141 20,609

Net Cash Income, farms with gains

3,177 271,086 3,235 229,963

Avg. per Farm 85,328 71,086Net Cash Income, farms with losses

4,996 106,476 4,901 62,292

Avg. per Farm 21,312 12,710

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Farms with total production expenses equal to market value of agricultural products sold, government payments, and farm-related income are included as farms with gains of less than $1,000.

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2007 20120

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

Market Value of Ag Products Sold 2007 and 2012

Other Crops

Nursery/Greenhouse

Fruits and Berries

Vegetables

Livestock

Million dollars

20

21

Less than $50,000

$50,000 to $249,999

$250,000 to $999,999

$1,000,000 or more

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000

Farms by Economic Class, 2007 and 2012

Maine 2007

Maine 2012

Number of farms

Econ

omic

Clas

s

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Economic Sales Classfarms sales

% of farms

Cumulative % of total

farm% of sales Cumulative

% of Sales

LESS THAN 1,000 $ 1,990 444,000 24% 24.3% 0.1% 0%

1,000 TO 2,499 $ 1,122 1,649,000 14% 38.1% 0.2% 0%

2,500 TO 4,999 $ 1,050 3,585,000 13% 50.9% 0.5% 1%

5,000 TO 9,999 $ 1,077 7,094,000 13% 64.1% 0.9% 2%

10,000 TO 24,999 $ 1,125 16,434,000 14% 77.9% 2.2% 4%

25,000 TO 49,999 $ 620 19,972,000 8% 85.5% 2.6% 6%

50,000 TO 99,999 $ 404 27,651,000 5% 90.4% 3.6% 10%

100,000 TO 249,999 $ 339 52,144,000 4% 94.5% 6.8% 17%

250,000 TO 499,999 $ 202 69,568,000 2% 97.0% 9.1% 26%

500,000 TO 999,999 $ 120 86,326,000 1% 98.5% 11.3% 37%

1,000,000 OR MORE $ 124 478,194,000 2% 100.0% 62.7% 100%

Total 8,173 763,061,000 100% 100%

2012 Economic Sales Class Comparisons

Economic Sales Class

Farms with $500,000 sales and above totaled 244 and accounted for 3% of farms and 74% of all gross sales.Farms with $250,000 sales and above totaled 446 and accounted for 5% of farms and 83% of all gross sales.Farms with $100,000 sales and above totaled 785 and accounted for 10% of farms and 90% of all gross sales.

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Direct Market SalesMaine

Direct Market Sales2012

USRanking 2007 Change

OPERATIONS WITH SALES 2,311 23 1,705 + 606 farms

SALES, MEASURED IN $ 24,793,000 21 18,419,000 +$6,374,000SALES, MEASURED IN $ / OPERATION 10,728 16 10,803 -$75SALES, MEASURED IN PCT OF FARM OPERATIONS 28.3 5 21.0 +7.3%SALES, MEASURED IN PCT OF FARM SALES 3.2 8 3.0 +0.2%

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Direct Market SalesCounties

County SalesMillion $

Ranking of all US Counties

York 3.287 68th

Cumberland 3.027 78th

Lincoln 2.613 94th

Aroostook 2.488 101st

28

ConnecticutMaine

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

Rhode Island

Vermont

New EnglandU.S.

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

9.0

10.0

Percentage of Total Market Value of Agriculture Salesfrom Direct Sales, New England States and U.S.

2002, 2007, and 2012 Census of Agriculture

2002 2007 2012

Per

cen

t

ConnecticutMaine

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

Rhode Island

Vermont

New EnglandU.S.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Percentage of Farms with Direct SalesNew England States and U.S., 2002, 2007, and 2012 Census of

Agriculture

2002 2007 2012

Pe

rce

nt

Community Supported Agriculture

• Maine had 406 farms with CSAs which rank 8th nationally. This is 5 percent of all farms and ranks 3rd nationally by percent of farms.

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2012 2007 Change

Farms with CSA 406 159 +247 farms

Community Supported AgricultureCounties

County Number of farms

Ranking of all US Counties

Waldo 65 6th

Androscoggin 58 9th

York 41 20nd (tie)

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Wholesale direct to retailers and institutions

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• Maine had 1,074 farms that market directly to retailers which ranks 17th nationally. This is 13 percent of all farms and ranks 7th nationally by percent of farms.

Wholesale direct to retailers and institutionsCounties

County Number of farms Ranking of all US Counties

Waldo 115 34th

Hancock 101 45th (tie)

York 10 45th (tie)

Penobscot 96 55th

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Agri-tourism 2012 2007Percent Change

OPERATIONS WITH AG TOURISM 270 112 141%AG TOURISM RECEIPTS, MEASURED IN $ 1,803,000 1,012,000 78%

AG TOURISM RECEIPTS, MEASURED IN $ / OPERATION 6,678 9,039 -26%

Agri-tourism

Ag labor

2012 2007 Per. Change

LABOR, HIRED - NUMBER OF WORKERS 15,072 15,634 -3.6%

LABOR, HIRED - OPERATIONS WITH WORKERS 2,415 1,886 28.0%LABOR, HIRED, GE 150 DAYS - NUMBER OF WORKERS 4,594 3,561 29.0%LABOR, HIRED, LT 150 DAYS - NUMBER OF WORKERS 10,478 12,073 -13.2%

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DEMOGRAPHICS

• Average age of the principal operator was 57.0 years compared to 56.4 years in 2007 years

• 29% of principal farm operators are women, up from 25% in 2007

Under 25 years

25 to 34 years

35 to 44 years

45 to 54 years

55 to 64 years

65 to 74 years

75 years and over

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000

Principal Operators by Age Group, 2007 and 2012

Maine 2007

Maine 2012

Number of farms

Age

Grou

p

Age group:2012Total

2012Percent of total

2007total

2007Percent of total

2012 as percent of 2007

Net Change

Under 25 years 62 1% 46 1% 135% 16

25 to 34 years 489 6% 350 4% 140% 139

35 to 44 years 834 10% 991 12% 84% -157

45 to 54 years 1,938 24% 2,277 28% 85% -339

55 to 64 years 2,484 30% 2,351 29% 106% 133

65 to 74 years 1,652 20% 1,357 17% 122% 295

75 years and over

7159%

7649% 94% -49

Principal Operator Age Group Comparisons,

2012 and 2007

Source: Census of Agriculture

Years on present farm: 2012

Total

2012Percent of total

2007total

2007Percent of

total

2012 as percent of

2007Net

Change 2 years or less 373 5% 250 3% 149% 123 3 or 4 years 620 8% 684 8% 91% -64

5 to 9 years 1,432 18% 1,480 18% 97% -48

10 years or more 5,749 70% 5,722 70% 100% 27

Beginning Farmers Years on present farm, 2007 and 2012

Women Principal Farm Operators

•Average age of women principal operators was 53.3 years compared to 51.9 years in 2007 years in 2007

Sex of operator: 2012

Total

2012Percent of

total2007total

2007Percent of

total

2012 as percent of

2007

Male 5,793 71% 6,093 75% 95%

Female 2,381 29% 2,043 25% 117%

Percentage of Farms with Women Principal Operators,New England States and U.S., 2002, 2007, and 2012

Censuses of Agriculture

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

New Hampshire Maine

MassachusettsConnecticut

Rhode IslandVermont US

2002 2007 2012

44

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CENSUS DATA INSIGHTS

• The full 2012 Census publication is certain to show interesting trends over the past five years.

• It will contain several pieces of data that were collected for the first-time ever, including new information on:

• biomass• Internet access• regional food marketing and distribution • land use practices, and• agroforestry.

FINDING CENSUS DATA

• Census data are available:• Online at www.agcensus.usda.gov• NASS Quick Stats: http://quickstats.nass.usda.gov• Desktop Data Query tool:

http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/Online_Resources/Desktop_Application/

FINDING CENSUS DATA

• Other Census Products:• State and County profiles:

http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/Online_Resources/County_Profiles/Maine/index.asp

• 2012 Congressional Districts: http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/Online_Resources/Congressional_District_Profiles/

• Agricultural Atlas: http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/Online_Resources/Ag_Atlas_Maps/

FINDING CENSUS DATA

• Other Census Products:• Special Organic Tabulation, September 2014• Watersheds, November 2014• Typology, December 2014

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Contact info:

Gary KeoughUSDA NASS New England Field Office53 Pleasant St. Rm 3450Concord, NH 03301

603-227-3129Gary_keough@nass.usda.gov