U.S. Farms Come in Many Shapes and Sizes

LAKELAND, FL – From a sunny citrus grove in Florida to a colorful Washington apple orchard, the U.S. is home to a wide variety of farm operations. That being said, every farm operates differently and faces unique challenges.

According to AgAmerica Lending, the more than two million farms in the continental U.S. come in all shapes and sizes, with some operating hundreds of acres and others managing just a few. One overarching theme is the year-over-year trend of farm consolidation. In fact, 5,800 farms disappeared between 2018 and 2019.

The total number of acres operated in the U.S. is not evenly distributed. For instance, the Midwest has the most acres operated, while the Northeast has the least amount. This same pattern holds true for gross agricultural output with the Midwest producing the highest and the Delta producing the lowest.

Even though the Southern Plains region has the lowest number of states, it has the third-highest amount of farmland acres in the nation and houses just over 18 percent of all land in production.
(SOURCE: All Ag News)

Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas.
Delta: Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Northeast: Maine, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.
Southeast: Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida.
Southern Plains: Texas and Oklahoma.
West: California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.