USDA to Publish Entire Ag Census Data [May 2 2014]

Apr 11, 2014

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

Stay tuned.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will publish the full version of the 2012 Census of Agriculture report. It’s scheduled to be released May 2, 2014 at 11am (CT).

Preliminary data of the census had been released earlier this year.

Over a year ago NASS mailed out the first questionnaire to farmers, and soon the final report will be out. The census will provide information on the national, state and county levels. It will cover information on various agricultural practices including conventional, organic and speciality crops.

For the first time since the preliminary release, the report will include new or expanded data on biomass production, equine, Internet access, agroforestry and more. The data in the report aid policymakers and producers in making informed decisions.

Recap of the preliminary data:

• In 2012 crop sales of $212.4 billion surpassed livestock sales of $18.2.2 billion

• From 2007 to 2012 average farm sales increased from $137,807 to $187,093

• Farm operators are getting older. The average age of a farmer was 58.3 years

• Compared to the 2007 census, the 2012 report found that the U.S. had 2.1 million farms, which was down 4.3 per cent from 2007

The preliminary report can be found here.

Video: How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality.

In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.