The number of farms and ranches in Nebraska is 48,000, down 300 or less than 1% from 2004. Land in farms and ranches in Nebraska declined to 45.7 million acres. The average size of operation increased to 952 acres, up 4 acres from last year.

In the United States, the number of farms and ranches continued to decline during 2005. The number of farms and ranches in the U. S. at 2.1 million, is 0.6% fewer than in 2004. Land in farms and ranches in the U.S. at 933.4 million acres decreased 2.9 million acres while the average size of operation increased to 444 acres, up 1 acre from the previous year.

Source: USDA NASS Farms, Land in Farms, and Livestock Operations 2005, Summary, January 2006.

Number of Farms and Land in Farms: Nebraska and United States, 1996-20051
	Nebraska			United States
		Land in	Average		Land in	Average
		Farms	Farm Size		Farms	Farm Size
Year	Farms	(1,000 acres)	(acres)	Farms	(1,000 acres)	(acres)
1996	56,000	46,400	829	2,190,500	958,675	438
1997	55,000	46,400	844	2,190,510	956,010	436
1998	55,000	46,400	844	2,192,330	952,080	434
1999	54,000	46,300	857	2,187,280	948,460	434
2000	52,000	46,100	887	2,166,780	945,080	436
2001	50,000	46,000	920	2,148,630	942,070	438
2002	49,400	45,900	929	2,135,360	940,300	440
2003	48,500	45,900	946	2,126,860	938,650	441
2004	48,300	45,800	948	2,112,970	936,295	443
2005	48,000	45,700	952	2,100,990	933,400	444
1A farm is any establishment from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were sold or would normally be sold during the year.

Farms and Land in Farms by Economic Sales Class, Nebraska and United States, 2003-2005
Economic	Number of Farms						Land in Farms
Sales	Nebraska			United States			Nebraska			United States
Class	2003	2004	2005	2003	2004	2005	2003	2004	2005	2003	2004	2005
	1,000						1,000 acres
$1,000-$9,999	13.1	12.6	12.5	1,199.3	1,181.2	1,168.2	1.6	1.5	1.5	124.8	120.9	118.4
$10,000-$99,999	19.0	18.4	17.7	600.5	599.3	596.4	10.7	10.1	9.1	270.1	266.6	260.7
$100,000-$249,999	9.1	9.1	8.9	167.2	167.0	166.9	12.6	12.0	11.5	196.1	193.7	192.2
$250,000-$499,999	4.3	4.7	4.9	86.6	89.0	90.0	10.0	10.1	10.2	150.1	151.4	152.3
$500,000 & Over	3.0	3.5	4.0	73.3	76.5	79.4	11.0	12.1	13.4	197.6	203.8	210.0
Source: USDA NASS Farms, Land in Farms, and Livestock Operations 2005 Summary, January 2006

Copyright 2006 by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. All rights reserved.

Published by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperating with the counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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