Most U.S. Farms are Family-Owned

According to ERS’s most recent America’s Farms and Ranches at a Glance report, most American farms, 86% are small family operations.  These farms operate on 41% of U.S. agricultural land and account for 17% of the total value of American production.  Large-scale family farms accounted for 48% of the total value of production and 31% of agricultural land in 2023. In total, family farms accounted for about 96% of total farms and 83% of the total production in 2023.

Meanwhile, large-scale farms accounted for the majority of the value of cash grains and soybeans (52%), cotton (71%), and dairy (77%).  Small family farms produced 45% of the value of hay and 46% of the total value of U.S. poultry and egg output in 2023. In addition, small farms produced 22% of the overall U.S. beef production.

Learn more by reading the entire ERS report Here.

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