The Census of Agriculture is the most complete account of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Every Thursday USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will highlight new Census data and the power of the information to shape the future of American agriculture.
As we’re bracing for another arctic winter blast here in Minnesota, it is the perfect time for me to get indoors and introduce you to our state’s agriculture with the help of the results from the most recent Census of Agriculture.
While, according to the Census Bureau, less than 1 percent of our state’s population are involved in agriculture, our state ranks fifth in the United States for the value of agricultural products sold. In 2012, Minnesota farmers sold nearly $21.3 billion worth of products.
Just as with other Midwestern states, our top agricultural products are corn and soybeans. Our growers planted more than 8.3 million acres to corn for grain and more than 7 million acres to soybeans in 2012. Looking at a more unique crop, our growers lead the nation in sugarbeet production in 2012. That year they harvested more than 12.3 million tons of that crop.
Crops may be the larger portion of our agriculture, but Minnesota livestock sector is not too shabby either. In 2012, our livestock producers sold more than $7.4 billion worth of livestock, poultry and their products, such as eggs and milk. We are especially proud of our turkey industry. You may not know this, but Minnesota is the #1 producer of turkeys in the United States. The latest Census of Agriculture counted nearly 19.5 million birds on our state’s farms.
Our farmers take many steps to make sure Minnesota residents have access to fresh locally-grown food. In 2012, there were 4,213 farms in our state selling products directly to individuals. In addition, 305 farms in Minnesota participated in Community Supported Agriculture programs, bridging the relationship between farmers and consumers. To meet consumer demand for organic products, our farmers also produced and sold more than $67 million worth of organic products in 2012.
This is just a small sample of what the Land of 10,000 Lakes has to offer. Don’t forget, the Census of Agriculture also gives us details of our farms and those who tend to them. I didn’t get a chance to discuss farmer demographics here, but you can check them out by visiting www.agcensus.usda.gov.