America Lost Over 140,000 Farms Between 2017-2022
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) — The US Department of Agriculture published its 2022 Census of Agriculture on Feb. 13, showing that the number of farms in America decreased by 7%, or 141,733, between 2017 and 2022, Farm Bureau reports.
Published every five years, the Census of Agriculture comprises a complete count of every US farm and ranch, including small ones if $1,000 or more of their products were raised and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year. The Census also includes farm operators.
According to the latest Census, between 2017 and 2022, 20.1 million (2.2%) fewer acres of land were used for farming—the equivalent of an area about the size of Maine, Farm Bureau said.
Nevertheless, the Farm Bureau reports that the value of agricultural production increased even while the number of farms and acres operated decreased during the period under review. Agricultural production was valued at $389 billion in 2017 and at $533 billion in 2022. “These updated numbers highlight the continuing trend of fewer operations farming fewer acres of land but producing more each year,” the Farm Bureau noted.
The 2022 Census showed that Alaska, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, and Rhode Island were the only US states not to lose farms. Texas lost the highest number at nearly 18,000, Farm Bureau reports. Oklahoma came second, losing 8,153 farms; Missouri came third, losing 7,433 operations.
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