Small Farms Drive Total Higher

February 21, 2000

The number of farms in the United States last year totaled an estimated 2.19 million, a fractional increase over 1998. USDA says the increase can be attributed to the continued rise in small farm numbers.

Farms in the $1,000-9,999 economic sales class increased 15,690 to 1,196,640 in 1999; farms with sales of $10,000-99,999 declined 3,760 to 648,550, and farms with sales greater than $100,000 declined 9,220 to 348,880 last year. The decline in this class is attributed to low commodity prices last year.

The South showed the largest increase, 2,300, or 0.2%; the North Central was the only region to show a decline in farm numbers during 1999, 500 fewer farms or less than 0.1% from 1998.

Farm numbers increased last year in 13 states, declined in 13 states and remained unchanged in 24 states. States that showed an increase of 1,000 farms were Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Virginia. States that showed a decline of 1,000 farms were Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa and Pennsylvania.

Land in farms and ranches declined in a total of 26 states; the remaining 24 were unchanged. Texas continues to lead the nation with 130.5 million acres of land in farms and ranches, a decline of 1 million acres from 1998. Other states with significant declines in acreage were California (700,000), Arizona and New Mexico (600,000 acres each) and Montana (500,000).