Welcome to the Minnesota Statistics page. Here you will find frequently requested data specific to this state from AFT's Farms Under Threat: The State of the States report, the National Resources Inventory and the Census of Agriculture. You also can link to additional information and data sources.
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Farms Under Threat
National Resources Inventory
Census of Agriculture
Other Data Sources
Farms Under Threat: The State of the States
All estimates represent figures for the Conterminous U.S.
Total and Agricultural Land Cover/Use
| Data Item | Acres |
| Total land area in 2016 | 53,968,000 |
| Agricultural land in 2016 | 24,957,600 |
| Cropland in 2016 | 20,266,900 |
| Pastureland in 2016 | 3,360,200 |
| Rangeland in 2016 | 100 |
| Woodland in 2016 | 1,330,400 |
| Agricultural land in 2001 | 24,400,200 |
High-quality Agricultural Land
| Data Item | Acres |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 | 19,670,600 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 | 19,464,500 |
| Best agricultural land in 2016 | 15,777,700 |
| Best agricultural land in 2001 | 15,413,200 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land is the land best-suited to long-term, intensive crop production within the Conterminous United States; and each state’s “best land” is approximately the better half of all agricultural land in each state. For more information about these categories of high-quality agricultural land and how they were identified, see the interactive website for Farms Under Threat: The State of the States, and the fact sheet about AFT’s Productivity, Versatility, and Resiliency (PVR) Analysis.
Agricultural Land Converted from 2001-2016
| Data Item | Acres |
| Agricultural land developed or compromised | 179,900 |
| Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) | 70,200 |
| Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) | 109,700 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised | 85,600 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD | 37,200 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR | 48,400 |
| Best agricultural land developed or compromised | 33,500 |
| Best agricultural land converted to UHD | 4,200 |
| Best agricultural land converted to LDR | 29,300 |
Learn More
- Read the full report Farms Under Threat: The State of the States
- Explore our maps, policy scorecard, and background data from Farms Under Threat: The State of the States on our interactive website, www.farmland.org/farmsunderthreat.
2012 National Resources Inventory
| 1997-2002 | 2002-2007 | 2007-2012 | 1982-2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural land converted to developed land (acres) | 75,200 | 44,900 | 27,700 | 470,900 |
| Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 26,380,800 | 26,163,100 | 26,025,000 | 26,862,200 |
| Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 17,045,700 | 16,978,400 | 16,881,200 | 17,148,600 |
| Forest land converted to developed land (acres) | 35,200 | 38,300 | 17,600 | 234,300 |
| Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) | NA | 4,700 | NA | 28,400 |
| Total surface area (acres) | 54,009,900 | 54,009,900 | 54,009,900 | 54,009,900 |
Census of Agriculture
| Data Item | 2007 | 2012 | 2017 |
| Farms | 80,992 | 74,542 | 68,822 |
| Land in Farms (acres) | 26,917,962 | 26,035,838 | 25,516,982 |
| Cropland (acres) | 21,948,603 | 21,597,136 | 21,786,756 |
| Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) | 1,469,816 | 1,271,242 | 1,073,788 |
| Woodland (acres) | 1,862,251 | 1,641,521 | 1,392,385 |
| Land in Buildings (acres) | 1,637,292 | 1,525,939 | 1,264,053 |
| Total Land Area (acres) | 53,968,002 | 53,968,002 | 53,968,002 |
| All operators/All producers | 119,650 | 111,311 | 113,415 |
| All operators/All producers 34 and younger | 10,135 | 9,491 | 10,207 |
| All operators/All producers 65 and older | 25,116 | 26,463 | 33,146 |
| All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 72,473 |
| Principal producers | — | — | 89,383 |
| Principal producers 34 and younger | — | — | 7,751 |
| Principal producers 65 and older | — | — | 28,213 |
| Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 16,910 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers | 80,992 | 74,542 | 68,822 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger | 5,117 | 4,904 | 5,570 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older | 20,253 | 20,255 | 22,764 |
| Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 12,204 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold | $13,180,466,000 | $21,280,184,000 | $18,395,390,000 |
| Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation | $162,738 | $285,479 | $267,289 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers | $34,667,000 | $33,573,000 | $39,117,000 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products | — | — | $68,637,000 |
Notes on Changes to the 2017 Census of Agriculture
- Producer characteristic data were collected for a maximum of four producers on each farm, up from a maximum of three producers in prior years.
- Principal producer is a new term that identifies up to two main decision-makers on each farm, up from one principal operator in prior years.
- Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers expanded to include value-added products.
- Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products is a new data item.
- FIC 2017 Census of Agriculture Fact Sheet
- Download: Table of Land in Farms by State
- Census of Agriculture Website