Farm Census

Washington County, Minnesota

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

525 farms50,806 acres in farms$60.7 million in farm sales

Washington County's largest product group with a published figure, grains and oilseeds, makes up 34.3% of farm sales, against 53.6% across Minnesota.

Its farms account for 0.2% of all farm sales in Minnesota, the 69th-largest share among the state's 87 counties.

Grains and oilseeds: 34.3%Grains and oilseeds34.3%Nursery and greenhouse: 28.1%Nursery and greenhouse28.1%Vegetables and melons: 14.1%Vegetables and melons14.1%Fruit and nuts: 11.1%Fruit and nuts11.1%Milk: 2.8%Milk2.8%Horses and mules: 2.6%2.6%Cattle and calves: 2.2%2.2%Hay and other crops: 1.4%1.4%Christmas trees: 1.1%1.1%Sheep and goats: 1.0%1.0%Poultry and eggs: 0.6%0.6%Other animals: 0.6%0.6%Grains and oilseeds: 34.3%Grains and oilseeds34.3%Nursery and greenhouse: 28.1%28.1%Vegetables and melons: 14.1%14.1%Fruit and nuts: 11.1%11.1%Milk: 2.8%2.8%Horses and mules: 2.6%2.6%Cattle and calves: 2.2%2.2%Hay and other crops: 1.4%1.4%Christmas trees: 1.1%1.1%Sheep and goats: 1.0%1.0%Poultry and eggs: 0.6%Other animals: 0.6%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: hogs and pigs and aquaculture products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$20.8 million72nd of 83
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$17.1 million6th of 51
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$8.5 million17th of 62
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$6.7 million1st of 44
Milk from cows$1.7 million51st of 56
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$1.6 million1st of 54
Cattle and calves$1.3 million76th of 79
Hay and other crops$852,00069th of 78
Christmas trees and short-rotation woody crops$665,0004th of 24
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$624,00016th of 63
Poultry and eggs$367,00031st of 49
Other animals and animal products$366,00024th of 58

What the fields held

Washington County harvested 33,731 acres of cropland in 2022, 80th of 87 counties in Minnesota. Corn for grain covered acreage equal to 38% of that, soybeans 33%.

CropAcresShare of US
Corn for grain12,821under 0.1%
Soybeans11,080under 0.1%
Hay and haylage5,600under 0.1%
Oats9970.11%
Vegetables926under 0.1%
of which potatoes12under 0.1%
Orchard land394under 0.1%
of which grapes120under 0.1%
of which apples2420.06%
Corn for silage362under 0.1%
Wheat237under 0.1%
Berries99under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: dry edible beans.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms20.7%

Washington County ranks 72nd of 87 counties in Minnesota on this measure.

  • 36,745 acres of cropland, 72% of farmland
  • 6,208 acres of pastureland, 12% of farmland
  • 4,280 acres of woodland, 8% of farmland
  • 2,840 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Washington County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 23 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 97 acres, 82nd-largest of 84 in Minnesota. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 48.8% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 1.5% of the total.

1–919%10–4949%50–17919%180–49910%500–9992%1,000–1,9991%2,000+0%
Washington County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Horses and ponies1,5550.06%
Goats438under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs361under 0.1%
Milk cows361under 0.1%
Cattle and calves2,133under 0.1%
Beef cows655under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs338under 0.1%
Laying hens1,544under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 2022125under 0.1%

Withheld: turkeys.

Who farms here

Decisions on Washington County's 525 farms are made by 953 producers. Their average age is 58.5, 1.4 years above the Minnesota average. Women are 39.8% of them.

Under 358%35–4413%45–5412%55–6427%65–7427%75+12%
Washington County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms612−14.2%
Land in farms, acres76,148−33.3%
Average farm size, acres124−21.8%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$59.8 million+1.6%
Oats, acres1,023−2.5%
Horses and ponies, head2,466−36.9%
Apples, acres364−33.5%
Berries, acres100−1.0%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Washington County accounts for 0.8% of the farms in Minnesota. Rank Minnesota counties for oats.

Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture. How to read these pages.