In February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the 2022 Census of Agriculture, first conducted in 1840 and updated every five years. Last updated in 2017, the Census of Agriculture is the most comprehensive source of agricultural data for states and counties. The report provides significant insights into America’s farm industry, including data by state and county on acres and farms by commodity, such as grapes. Despite its importance, the report got minimal press in the wine industry.
The lack of interest began in 2011 when the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) streamlined its surveys, which accompanied the Census. It discontinued the detailed grape acreage surveys for all states except California and Washington. As these two states represent 90% of the national grape acreage, the NASS regional offices continue to conduct annual surveys for them. In California, the survey is known as the Grape Acreage Report, which includes data on grape varieties, tonnage, and pricing.
This left all other grape-growing states with only the Census of Agriculture report. What information or insights does the Census of Agriculture provide that’s of interest to the wine industry?
Grape Acreage by County and State
Many states are experiencing growth in their wine industry but find it challenging to assess the number of vineyard acres within their boundaries. The Census was completed in 2022, and although it includes table, raisin, and juice grapes, it provides essential information for the wine industry. The Census of Agriculture is every state and county’s uniform, comprehensive, and impartial grape-growing data source. Since it does not capture varieties or tonnage, the total acreage reported to grapevine cultivation can start, supplement, or validate other data sources.
Acres Bearing and Non-Bearing in 2022 (Ag Census, 2022)
Number of Grape Farmers
The 700-page Census of Agriculture report provides a wealth of information on the state of America’s farms and farmers, and many of the tables include a category for grapes. For example, the number of grape farmers with a particular number of acres in a specific county. A much easier and quicker way to access the data is using the searchable database Quick Stats. It allows you to query the 2022 Census data at the national, state, and county levels for download and provides the 2017 data for comparison. The instructional videos can significantly streamline the process for users.
Other Data on Grape Farmers
Besides grape acreage and number of farmers, the Census also offers insights into grape farms themselves. It defines a farm as any place where $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold during the census year. The report categorizes the number of farmers whose primary commodity is grapes by land size and makes this information available at county, state, and national levels. At the national level, it also provides information on grape production, utilization, and grower prices since 1980.
Standard for Data Collection
Asking every farmer in the United States about their business is no small feat. The dataset included more than 6 million data points. The methodology underscores the project’s scale and the research design’s rigor and transparency with documentation. Despite this immense task, the 61% response rate is considered acceptable. While the methodology is extensive and detailed, it offers valuable survey research practices for wine industry researchers and administrators interested in accurately capturing vineyard acreage in their respective regions or states.
Conclusion
The agricultural industry relies on this type of data to understand trends, and individual growers use it to make informed planting decisions. Administrators and researchers rely on it for grant applications, while industry groups use the statistics for promotions and the media. The 2022 US Census of Agriculture offers valuable insights, especially for states and counties witnessing growth in their wine sectors but struggling to gauge vineyard acreage accurately. Information in the report on grape acres and farms only provides part of the picture, states and counties still need to supplement this with survey to capture types, varieties, tonnage and pricing.
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture, www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus
