Census of Agriculture

Purpose

The census of agriculture provides comprehensive statistics about agricultural operations, production, operators, and land use every five years.  Responsibility for the Census of Agriculture was transferred from the U.S. Census Bureau to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) in 1997.

Coverage and Content

• The census of agriculture covers all operators of U.S. farms or ranches that sold  $1,000 worth of agricultural products during the census year
• All operators provide crop acreage and quantities harvested, inventories of livestock and poultry, value of products sold, land use and ownership, irrigation activities, amount of commodity credit loans, number of hired laborers, federal program payments, and operator characteristics
• Selected operators provide additional information on production expenses (including interest), fertilizer and chemical use, machinery and equipment, market value of land and buildings, and income from farm-related sources.
  
  

Frequency

Data collection begins in December of the census year and responses are due the following February 1. Reported data are for activities taking place during the census calendar year.

• Since 1982, the census of agriculture has been conducted every five years for years ending in "2" and "7".
• Between 1954 and 1978, censuses were taken for years ending in "4" and "9"
• Agriculture inquiries were first asked on the 1840 decennial census.
  
  

More Information

• State Library of Iowa and many federal depository libraries have copies of historical agriculture census data 
• More recent census data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service:
• http://www.nass.usda.gov