mi-press-releases News Release NR-13-15 February 20, 2013 U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Michigan Field Office Michigan Department of Agriculture Post Office Box 30239 Lansing, MI 48909-6248 Phone: (517) 324-5300 Facsimile: (517) 324-5299 E-mail: nass-mi@nass.usda.gov Web site: www.nass.usda.gov Jay V. Johnson, Director Michigan Farm Numbers The estimated number of farms in Michigan in 2012 was 54,700, according to Jay Johnson, Director of the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Land in farms was estimated to be 9.9 million acres, down 1 percent from last year. The average farm size in Michigan was 181 acres per farm, down 1 acre from 2011. The number of farms in the United States in 2012 was estimated at 2.2 million, down 11,630 farms from 2011. Total land in farms, at 914 million acres, decreased 3 million acres from 2011. The average farm size is 421 acres, up 1 acre from the previous year. Number of farms by economic sales class, 2011-2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State : $1,000- : $10,000- : $100,000- : $250,000- : : and year : $9,999 : $99,999 : $249,999 : $499,999 : $500,000+ : Total -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Michigan : 2011 : 32,300 14,000 3,700 2,200 2,700 54,900 2012 : 31,600 14,000 3,500 2,500 3,100 54,700 United States : 2011 : 1,202,450 599,360 145,350 100,800 133,670 2,181,630 2012 : 1,172,200 602,580 148,150 101,880 145,190 2,170,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Land in farms by economic sales class, 2011-2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State : $1,000- : $10,000- : $100,000- : $250,000- : : and year : $9,999 : $99,999 : $249,999 : $499,999 : $500,000+ : Total -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 acres : Michigan : 2011 : 1,650 1,800 1,350 1,500 3,700 10,000 2012 : 1,650 1,700 1,200 1,550 3,800 9,900 United States : 2011 : 100,830 224,910 138,880 146,505 305,875 917,000 2012 : 96,890 221,820 135,300 142,935 317,055 914,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A farm is defined as any establishment from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold during the year. The $1,000 threshold can be met by any combination of sales and government payments. Land in farms includes: crop and livestock acreage, wasteland, woodland, pasture, land in summer fallow, idle cropland, land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, and other set-aside or commodity acreage programs.