The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service released the final 2012 Census of Agriculture results sharing a wide range of information about what agricultural products were raised in the United States and Nebraska in 2012, and where, how, and by whom they were grown. The data, which is reported at the national, state and county level, will help farmers, ranchers, local officials, agribusiness and others make decisions for the future.

Included in the data:

• Nebraska ranked 5th nationally in crop sales and 4th in livestock sales. The top five states in crop sales were 1) California; 2) Iowa; 3) Illionois; 4) Minnesota, and 5) Nebraska. The top five in livestock sales were 1) Texas; 2) Iowa; 3) California; 4) Nebraska; and 5) Nebraska.
   
• Cherry County, Nebraska was the top beef producing county in the nation.  Custer is in the top five too.
   
• The top soybean producing counties in Nebraska were 1) Antelope; 2) Saunders; 3) Fillmore; 4) Phelps; and 4) Gage.
   
• The top corn producing counties in Nebraska were 1) York; 2) Custer; 3) Buffalo; 4) Hamilton; and 5) Hall.
   
• The number of farms in Nebraska during 2012 was 49,969, up 5% from the 2007 Census of Agriculture. Land in farms, at 45.3 million acres, remained about the same as that reported five years prior. The average size of farm was 907 acres, down 5% or 46 acres from 2007.
   
• Market value of production was $23.1 billion, up 49% from 2007. The average value per farm was $462,000, compared to $325,000 in 2007. The number of farms with sales of $500,000 or more was 8,717, up from 5,921 in 2007.
   
• During 2012, the average age of the principal operator was 55.7 years compared to 55.9 years in 2007. The number of operators under the age of 34 was 4,747, up 42% from 2007 while the number of operators over the age of 65 totaled 13,177, up 1% from 2007.

To provide easier access to the data, NASS created a number of online tools for people to find and use Census data, including:

• Quick Stats 2.0 – an online database to retrieve customized tables. For those new to this tool, a new tutorial video provides easy-to-follow instructions.
• API – a tool for developers.
• Agricultural Atlas Maps - profiles of the nation's agriculture at the county-level in a series of multicolor pattern and dot maps
• Desktop Data Query Tool- a downloadable desktop tool to analyze data without Internet access once you have downloaded and installed this tool.

For more information about the Census of Agriculture including all the final 2012 Census of Agriculture results, see www.agcensus.usda.gov.