1. Farm Land in the United States
November 17, 2005

3. Changes in agricultural uses of land, 1982 to 1997 1
Agricultural land use
1982
1997
Difference
1,000 acres
Percent 
Cropland used for crops 2
382,755
348,701
-34,054
-8.9
Idle cropland
21,498
6,046
-15,452
-71.9
Conservation Reserve 3
32,793
Cropland used only for pasture
65,033
67,512
2,479
3.8
Grassland pasture and range 4
596,664
580,165
-16,499
-2.8
Total
1,065,950
1,035,217
-30,733
-2.9
1 Includes Alaska.    
2 Cropland harvested, crop failure, and cultivated summer fallow.    
3  From Farm Service Agency, USDA.    
4 Includes Federal rangeland grazed.    
Source: ERS-USDA, Major Land Uses database .