Minnesota was well-represented in the USDA’s newly-released top agriculture-producing congressional districts, with two ag-heavy regions in the state making the overall top 10. Minnesota was the only state to place two congressional districts in the top 10. Both districts also finished in the top 10 list of total livestock and poultry producers.

The statistics were culled from the 2017 Census of Agriculture.

Minnesota’s Seventh Congressional District runs from southwest Minnesota all the way up to the Canadian border, and is represented by Congressman Collin Peterson. The district ranked sixth in total agriculture production, fifth in total crops and fifth in producing grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas. The Seventh District accounts for nearly half of the state’s agriculture sales, supports more than 30,000 farms and nearly 49,000 producers. Its total market value of products sold is $9 billion.

The First Congressional District, located in the southern swath of Minnesota and represented by Congressman Jim Hagedorn, placed 10th in total agriculture, 11th in total crops and eighth in grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas. The First District has 18,000 farms supporting nearly 30,000 growers. The district’s total market value of products sold is $6.5 billion.

The United States’ total agriculture sales in 2017 was valued at $389 billion. According to findings from the 2017 census, Minnesota currently has 68,822 farms, an eight percent drop from the 2012 census and more than 10,000 farms fewer compared to the 1997 census. The average Minnesota farm is 371 acres, a six percent jump from 2012. Per-farm cash income ($65,753) is down 30 percent from 2012; however, the average per-farm related income ($20,403) is up 14 percent. The state’s total market value of products sold is nearly $18.4 billion, a 14 percent decrease from 2012.

In 2018, Minnesota’s nearly 28,000 soybean farmers produced 389.4 million bushels of soybeans, valued at $3.329 billion.