The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — USDA's preliminary Census of Agriculture, taken every five years, shows there were a total of 2.1 million farms in the U.S. in 2012, down a little more than 4 percent from 2007. That follows a long-term trend of declining numbers of farms.
Also, farmers are getting older — the average age was 58.3 years. But Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack points to a bright spot: a small rise in the number of farmers between 25 and 34 years old.
Vilsack says the boost in the number of younger farmers is partly. . .