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  • From: Brigette Leach <avalonfarmshomegrown AT earthlink.net>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Interesting Numbesr from USDA Family Farm Report
  • Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:59:21 -0400

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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