Sharp decline in US family farms - new data reveals

Feb 14, 2024

By farms.com

The 2022 Census of Agriculture, released by the USDA, has raised alarms across the United States with its revelation of a substantial decrease in both the number of family farms and the total farm acreage. Compared to the 2017 census, there are 141,733 fewer farms, and the agricultural land has shrunk by over 20 million acres.

AFBF President Zippy Duvall expressed that the census figures confirm the longstanding concerns of the farming community. Factors such as increased regulations, rising supply costs, labor shortages, and weather-related disasters have created severe economic pressures on farmers, making it difficult for many to sustain their operations.

Duvall stressed the importance of family farms to the national economy and food security, urging Congress to pass a new farm bill that tackles these issues head-on. This legislation should aim to foster a welcoming environment for new entrants and support the transition of farms across generations.

Despite the dark overall picture, there is a silver lining with the increase in beginning farmers. The aging farmer population remains a concern, with nearly 1.3 million farmers at or beyond retirement age compared to just 300,000 under the age of 35.

The AFBF advocates for policy support to encourage and sustain new and young farmers, emphasizing farm bill programs designed for their success.

This downturn in the farming sector calls for immediate action to secure the future of agriculture in the United States, ensuring food security and economic stability for generations to come.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.