Ag census report shows same farm acres, fewer farms

The United States Department of Agriculture recently released the final 2012 Census of Agriculture.

The number of farms in Kansas during 2012 was 61,773, down 6 percent from the 2007 census.

Land in farms remained the same, but the average size of farm was 747 acres, up 40 acres from 2007.

Market value of production was up 28 percent, and the average value of farms was $299,000, compared to $220,000 in 2007. The number of farms with sales of $500,000 or more was 5,180, up from 4,015 in 2007.

The average age of the principal farm operator was 58.2 years in 2012, compared to 57.7 years in 2007. The number of operators under the age of 34 was nearly unchanged while the number of operators over the age of 65 was down 3 percent.