February 2008

Nebraska's number of farms and ranches declined during 2007, continuing the downward trend, according USDA's National Agricultural StatisticsService, Nebraska Field Office.

The number of farms and ranches in Nebraska is 47,300, down300 or less than 1% from 2006. Numbers of farms and ranches in Nebraska with less than$100,000 in agricultural sales declined 1,400 farms, while operations with more than $100,000were up 1,100 farms. The decline in smaller farms was the result of higher commodity pricespushing existing farms into higher sales categories.

Land in farms and ranches in Nebraska totaled 45.6 million acres, down slightly from lastyear. The average size of operation increased to 964 acres, up 4 acres from 2006.