[Market-farming] Interesting Numbesr from USDA Family Farm Report

Bill Shoemaker wshoemak at inil.com
Wed Sep 12 09:00:32 EDT 2007


Interesting data Brigette. Confirms my experience with Illinois farms, most 
"corporate farms" are actually family corporations. Their holdings (land, 
equipment, etc.) may have great value but when held against the net returns, 
debt they manage and the risk they face, they are no major economic force. 
Much of the politicking about corporate farms vs family farms is misplaced. 
They're talking about the same thing.



> Picked up this bit of information along the way...the words in
> parentheses are mine.
>
> "According to the 2007 edition of the USDA's Family Farm Report, America
> has a diverse farming community ranging from small family farms to large
> scale farming enterprises. The report is comprised of information
> gathered in 2004. (The most recent Census information.)
>
> The report showed that family farms account for 98 percent of farms in
> the U.S. Large-scale family farms account for 10 percent of farms and
> contribute 75 percent of production. In comparison, small family farms
> comprise 90 percent of farms and own 67 percent of farmland. Small
> family farms were also reported to produce a modest share of farm
> output, and receive substantial off-farm income. However, 61 percent of
> farms did not receive farm program payments. "(Program crops are: corn,
> soybeans, wheat, rice, cotton, grain sorghum, and barley.)
>
> Check these websites for more information:
>
> http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib13/
>
> http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/EIB12/
>
> Once you are there, check out the links to others reports. Very
> interesting.
>
> In Michigan,  90.2% of the farms are family owned (sole proprietors),
> 3.2% are family held corporations, 5.9% are partnerships, .3% are non
> family corporations, .5% are cooperatives, estate and trust, and
> institutional holdings. The average farm size remains at 190 acres. 91%
> are 499 acres or less. The vast majority of farms who use a "corporate"
> structure do so for tax and liability purposes.
>
> Top 5 commodities...Dairy products, greenhouse/nursery, corn,
> soybeans,cattle and calves
>
> Top 5 counties...Ottawa, Allegan, Huron, Kalamazoo(the county I live in,
> with huge greenhouse industry, every bit of it family owned), Kent
>
> Here's another source of information relating to the 2002 Farm Act.
> http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FarmPolicy/index.htm
>
> Just thought perhaps some of you would find this interesting, and want
> to check out your own state.
>
> Brigette Leach
> Avalon Farms Homegrown
> Share of the Farm
> www.avalonfarmshomegrown.com
>
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