This section presents statistics on farms and farm population; land use and irrigation; farm cooperatives; farm income, expenditures, and debt; farm output, productivity, and marketings; foreign trade in agricultural products; specific crops; and livestock, poultry, and their products. The principal sources of these data are the reports issued by the U.S. Bureau of the Census and by the Statistical Reporting Service (SRS) and the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Bureau of the Census has taken a census of agriculture every 10 years from 1840 to 1920 and roughly every 5 years from 1925 through 1974. Two 4-year censuses, taken for 1978 and 1982, adjusted the data reference year to coincide with the economic censuses for 1982. The 1982 Census of Agriculture is the most recent census for which reports are presently available. The Department of Agriculture publishes annually Agricultural Statistics, a general reference book on agricultural production, supplies, consumption, facilities, costs, and returns. The Economic Research Service publishes a series of annual reports, Economic Indicators of the Farm Sector. This series comprises five reports: Income and Balance Sheet Statistics, State Income and Balance Sheet Statistics, Production and Efficiency Statistics, Costs of Production, and Farm Sector Review. Situation reports issued periodically by the ERS present current data on a variety of crops. Sources of current data on agricultural exports and imports include Foreign Agricultural Trade of the United States, published by the ERS, and the reports of the Bureau of the Census, particularly U.S. General Imports, Schedule A, Commodity by Country, and U.S. Exports, Schedule B, Commodity by Country. Agricultural statistics have been issued by the Department of Agriculture for over 100 years. The 44 field offices of the SRS collect data on crops, livestock products, agricultural prices, farm employment, and other related subjects mainly through sample surveys. Information is obtained on some 75 crops and 50 livestock items as well as scores of items pertaining to agricultural production and marketing. State estimates and supporting information are sent to the Crop Reporting Board of SRS which reviews the estimates and issues reports containing State and national data. Among these reports are two annual summaries, Crop Production and Crop Values. Farms and farmland.—Over time, the Bureau of the Census has used varying definitions of a farm. Data shown from the census of agriculture reflect the changes in definition since figures are presented for "farms" as defined during the years indicated. For the Census of Agriculture for 1974, 1978, and 1982, a farm was defined as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were sold, or would have been sold during the census year. Control may have been exercised through ownership or management, or through a lease, rental, or cropping arrangement. Volume I census reports for 1978 and 1982 provide an explanation of the definition. The effect of the change in definition must be considered when comparing coverage estimates for all farms in the 1974, 1978, and 1982 censuses with those in previous censuses. In the 1969 census, as well as the 1959 and 1964 censuses, places of less than 10 acres were counted as farms if estimated sales of agricultural products for the year amounted to at least $250, and places of 10 or more acres if such sales amounted to at least $50. In the 1950 and 1954 censuses, places of 3 or more acres were counted as farms if the annual value of agricultural products, exclusive of homegarden products, amounted to $150 or more; places of less than 3 acres were counted as farms only if the annual sales amounted to $150 or more. For definitions used in earlier censuses, see U.S. Census of Agriculture: 1978, Vol. 5, Part 4, Procedural History. Unless otherwise stated in the specific tables of this section, the definition of a farm applicable to data originated by the Department of Agriculture is the one used by the Bureau of the Census for the agriculture census immediately preceding the year or years for which the data are shown. Currently included as farms are such diverse enterprises as nurseries, greenhouses, sod farms, mushroom operations, cranberry bogs, feedlots, fish farms, and hatcheries; excluded are business enterprises exclusively engaged in forest production and in production of fish, oysters, fowl, etc., from the ocean, game preserves, parks, and the like, when not grown in captivity. In the case of landowners who had one or more tenants, or renters, the land operated by each was counted as a separate farm. Farmland refers to all land under the control of a farm operator and considered as part of his farm, including land not actually under cultivation or not used for pasture or grazing. Rent-free land was included as part of the farm only if the operator had sole use of it. Land used for pasture or grazing on a per head basis that was neither owned nor leased by a farm operator is not included except for grazing lands controlled by grazing associations leased on a per acre basis. State totals for 1982 are not directly comparable with totals for 1978 or earlier censuses because of changes in the procedures of collecting data. For details, see 1982 census reports. Coverage estimates for 1982 indicate about 9.1 percent of all farms were not included in census totals. Coverage evaluation studies for the 1978 census indicated that 3.4 percent of all farms were not included in the census. Farms missed in the census were usually small and accounted for approximately 2 percent of the total value of agricultural products sold and approximately 2 percent of the land in farms. For more explanation about data comparability, see Appendixes A and C. 1982 Census of Agriculture, volume I reports and Coverage Evaluation, Volume 2, Part 2. Farm population.—Farm population consists of all persons living on farms in rural areas. Data prior to 1960 are based on self-identification by respondents as to whether they live on a farm, and are not based on any criterion for the definition of a farm. Except as noted, farm population data shown for 1960 to 1977 are based on the definition of a farm used for the 1969 Census of Agriculture. Farm population data for 1978 to 1983 are shown on the bases of both the 1969 and 1974 census farm definitions and are so indicated. Irrigation.—Irrigated land is defined by the Bureau of the Census as the acreage in farms to which water is artificially applied during the census year. In addition to collecting information on irrigation from individual farms in the census of agriculture, the Bureau of the Census collects data on the operation of irrigation water supply organizations at 10-year intervals. In 1978, irrigation information was collected from both individual farms and irrigation organizations. Farm income.—Gross farm income comprises cash receipts from farm marketings of crops and livestock, Federal government payments made directly to farmers for farm-related activities, rental value of farm homes, value of farm products consumed in farm homes and other farm-related income such as machine hire and custom work. Farm marketings represent agricultural products sold by farmers multiplied by prices received per unit of production at the local market. Information on prices received for farm products is generally obtained by the SRS Crop Reporting Board from surveys of firms (such as grain elevators, packers, and processors) purchasing agricultural commodities direct from producers. In some cases, the price information is obtained directly from the producers. Season average prices received by farmers are calculated by weighting monthly prices by monthly sales during the crop marketing season, beginning with the first month in which a particular crop harvest begins. Crops.—Estimates of crop acreage and production by the SRS are based on current sample survey data obtained from individual reporters and objective yield counts, reports of carlot shipments, market records, personal field observations by field statisticians, and reports from other sources. Cotton acreage and production are based on sample survey data and on ginning information gathered by the Bureau of the Census. Price supports.—Under law, farm income from many commodities is supported through two basic Government-supported mechanisms available to producers of eligible commodities: (1) a market price support (loan rate) through which producers may place any portion of their production in approved storage and receive a loan at a specified rate. The farmer may repay the loan with interest and retain the commodity or, at the end of the loan period (currently nine months), forfeit the commodity as full payment of the loan; (2) a farm income support (target price) whose payments vary inversely with the market price of the specified commodity. "Deficiency payments" are made when market prices for a specified period are below the target prices. The payment rate is the difference between the target price and market price, or between the target price and loan rate, whichever is smaller. Livestock.—Annual inventory numbers of livestock and estimates of livestock, dairy, and poultry production prepared by the Department of Agriculture are based on information from farmers and ranchers obtained by probability survey sampling methods. The U.S. Census of Agriculture numbers of livestock are the result of field enumeration of farm and ranch operators up until 1969. The 1969 and later censuses were taken by mail and include adjustments for nonresponse. The 1978 census includes the results of an area sample to account for farms and ranches not on the mailing list Statistical reliability.—For a discussion of statistical collection and estimation, sampling procedures, and measures of statistical reliability pertaining to Census Bureau and Department of Agriculture data, see Appendix III. Historical statistics.—Tabular headnotes provide cross-references, where applicable, to Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970. See Appendix I. No. 1105. Farm Population, 1930 To 1983, And Farm Employment, By Type, 1930 To 1984 iition of farm p [In thousands, except percent For definition of farm population, see text, p 630. See also Historical Statistics, Colonial Times to 1 C 76 and K 1-2 and K 174-176) ■As of April 1 except, beginning 1960, April-centered annual averages. Prior to 1959, excludes Alaska, and 1960, Hawaii. 1 Includes Armed Forces abroad. s Prior to 1974, averages of monthly estimates of employed during last full calendar week ending at least one day before end of month; 1974-1960 annual quarterly averages; 1961, average based on employment data from Jan. and April quarterly surveys; 1962-1984, based on Jury survey. * Includes farm operators doing 1 or more hours of farm work and unpaid family members doing 15 or more hours of farm work during survey week. * Includes all persons doing 1 or more hours of farm work for pay during survey week. Members of operators' families doing any farm work for cash wages are counted as hired workers. Source: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Farm Population Estimates, 1910-70; Farm Population Estimates, annual and Farm Labor, quarterly through April 1961 and annual beginning July 1982. Population data also published by U.S. Bureau of the Census in Current Population Reports, series P-27, No. 57, and earlier reports. No. 1106. Farm Population, By Characteristics: 1960 To 1983 [I960, as of April; beginning 1970, April-centered annual averages. For definition of farm population, see text, p. 630] NA Not available. X Not applicable. '14 years old and over. Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Currant Population Reports, series P-27, No. 57 and earlier reports, and unpublished data No. 1107. Characteristics Of Farm And Nonfarm Families: 1970 To 1983 [As of March. 1970 based on 1969 census farm definition. 1980 and 1983 based on 1974 definition; see text p. 630 Based on Current Population Survey, see text, pp.1 and 2 and Appendix III. 1970, 1980 and 1983 data are based on population controls from 1960. 1970 and 1980 censuses respectively; see text p. 2] Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. Current Population Reports, series P-20. No. 218, and series P-27, Nos 54 and 57. No. 1108. Money Income Of Farm And Nonfarm Families, By Race: 1975 To 1982 [Number of families as of March 1983. 1975 data are based on population controls from 1970 census; 1980 and 1982 data are based on population controls from 1980 census. 1975 based on 1969 census farm definition, later data based on 1974 census farm definition. See headnote, table 742. For definition of median, see Guide to Tabular Presentation] No. 1109. Farms—Number And Acreage: 1950 To 1984 [Estimated. Prior to 1959. excludes Alaska and Hawaii. For definition of farms and farmland, see text pp. 629 and 630. 1950 and 1954. farms and farmlands as defined in census year shown; beginning 1959. based on census year definition indicated. Data for census years (indicated by italics) have been adjusted for underenumeration and are used as reference points along with data from acreage and livestock surveys in estimating data for other years. Minus sign (- ) indicates decrease. See also Histoncml Statistics, Colonial Times to 1970, series K 4-7] X Not applicable. 'Average annual change from preceding year shown. For 1950, change from 1945. Source: U.S. Dept of Agriculture. Statistical Reporting Service. Number of Farms, 1910-1959; Land in Farms 1950-1959, by States (Statistical Bulletin No 316); Number ol Farms and Land m Farms, 1959-70 (Statistical Bulletin No 507); Farms and Land m Farms. 1989-75 (Statistical Bulletin No. 594); Farm Numbers, 1975-80: and Crop Production (August 1964 release! |