Distilled data

What does highly technical data distilled into consumable content look like? Fair question.

Every five years the U.S. Department of Agriculture collects operating information from every farm in the United States as part of the U.S. Agricultural Census. Much like the regular U.S. Census conducted every 10 years, the agricultural census is conducted to capture the essence of farming in America.

The data reported in the U.S. Agricultural Census is highly technical and looks like a set of numbers and little else. It is not compelling reading. The most recent U.S. Agricultural Census data available is from 2017 and it noted the average age of farmers in America was 57, a year older than was reported in the 2012 census. The 2017 census also reported the average size of farms in the U.S. was 441 acres.

These data are not compelling without additional information and context, they are just numbers.

Instead, when they are put into context, they become illustrative of the pressures occurring in the agricultural community nationwide.

The average farm size in America, according to the 2012 U.S. Agricultural Census was 434 acres while in 2017 it was 441, an increase in size of 1.5 percent over five years. The increase in farm size suggests both a decrease in number of farms nationwide and potentially points to a trend toward consolidation in farming.

Now, instead of just data, the data is supporting a story about what is happening to farms in the United States for the public to read and understand. By giving context to data, there is an opportunity to begin bridging the communications gap between agriculture and consumers in a meaningful way.