Farm Operating and Financial Characteristics, 1985

The average U.S. farm at the end of 1985 operated 709 acres for the year had total production expenses of about $74,000, assets of $325,000, capital investments of $10,000, gross cash farm income of $82,000, and debts equal to 22.5 percent of total assets. These data come from the 1985 Farm Costs and Returns Survey conducted in February and March 1986 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. This probability-based survey provides comprehensive farm operation information for analysis of farm operating and financial characteristics by size, type, location, occupational specialty, organization, and operator age. These disaggregated categories were used to cross tabulate information on farm production expenses, farm numbers and acreage, land use, farm labor, capital investments, and financial indicators.