Family farms comprise 95% of all U.S. farms, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture Farm Typology report released Aug. 19 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. The report classifies all farms into unique categories based on two criteria: (1) who owns the operation and (2) gross cash farm income (GCFI). GCFI includes the producer’s sales of crops and livestock, fees for delivering commodities under production contracts, government payments and farm-related income.

The number of family farms has decreased by 8% (almost 159,000 farms) since 2017. The number of small family farms fell 10% (low sales) and 7% (moderate sales), respectively.

“Classifying America’s 1.9 million farms to better reflect their variety is critical to evaluating and reporting on U.S. agriculture,” says NASS Administrator Joseph Parsons. “Typology allows us to more meaningfully explore the demographics of who is farming and ranching today, as well as their impact on the economy and communities around the country.”

The data shows that small-scale family farms, those farms with a GCFI of less than $350,000 per year, account for 85% of all U.S. farms, 39% of total land in farms, and 14% of the value of all agricultural products sold. Large-scale family farms (GCFI of $1 million or more) make up less than 4% of all U.S. farms, but they produce 51% of the value of all agricultural products.

The data also shows that the number of family farms decreased by 8% (almost 159,000 farms) since 2017. Mid-size, large and very large farms experienced increases of 2%, 40% and 65%, respectively. The number of small family farms fell 10% (low sales) and 7% (moderate sales), respectively.

Other key findings from the 2022 Census of Agriculture Farm Typology  report include:

• Farm specialization varied between the farm size groups. The majority (56%) of small farms specialized in cattle (31%) or other crops such as hay and forage production (25%). More than 60,000 (55%) of mid-size farms specialized in grains and oilseeds, while large-scale farms were more varied in production specialization.
• Small-scake family farms account for 44% of all direct sales to consumers, compared to 18% for mid-size family farms and 19% for large-scale family farms.
• Compared to producers on mid-size and large-scale family farms, small-scale family farm producers are more likely to be women, age 65 or older, and report living on the farm operation. They were also more likely to report having served in the military, to work off the farm, and to be a new/beginning farmer (farmed 10 years or less).

Access the full report and additional information, such as maps and data highlights, at nass.usda.gov. Typology data is also available in the NASS website at quickstats.nass.usda.gov. 

Editor’s note: This article was provided by USDA-NASS. [Lead photo by Aleksandar Nakic from Getty Images.]

Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, Vol. 17, No. 8-B