Families Operating 96 Percent of All U.S. Farms

WASHINGTON, DC – Family farms represent 96 percent of all U.S. farms, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture Farm Typology report released last week by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The farm typology report primarily focuses on the “family farm,” defined as any farm where the majority of the business is owned by the producer and individuals related to the producer. Overall, these family farms account for 87 percent of land in farms and 82 percent of the value of ag products sold.

The data show that small family farms, those farms with a gross cash farm income (GCFI) of less than $350,000 per year, account for 88 percent of all U.S. farms, 46 percent of total land in farms, and 19 percent of the value of all agricultural products sold. Large-scale family farms (GCFI of $1 million or more) make up less than 3 percent of all operations but produce 43 percent of the value of all agricultural products. Mid-size farms (GCFI between $350,000 and $1 million) are 5 percent of farms and produce 20 percent of the value of all agricultural products.

The data also show that the number of family farms decreased by 4 percent (almost 80,000 farms) since 2012. Large and mid-size family farms experienced steeper declines, decreasing 13 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Small family farms experienced a smaller decline (3 percent).
(SOURCE: All Ag News)