Geography of Farms in the USA

What is the USDA’s working definition of a farm?

A place from which greater than or equal to a $1000 of agricultural products are

sold annually.

What are three criteria inferred in the USDA definition of a farm?

(1) The definition is based on economics

(2) the production on the farm is more than just subsistence

(3) the farm must provide the owners some or all of their livelihood.

What is the average farm size (acres) in the United States?

434 acres (176 ha)

As discussed in lecture, name at least three of the many factors which affect farm size? Explain the logic by which these factors affect farm size.

(1) amount of rainfall

(2) whether it is hilly or prairies or plains

(3) whether land is low rainfall and hilly/stony rangeland with cattle ranching, or is suitable for annual crop production

(4) whether high value fruit and vegetable crops are grown, or extensively grown grains and forages

(in each case one can explain how these factors lead to larger or smaller farm size)

Name at least two factors that are the bases for the regional specialization of agriculture production in crop and livestock products?

(1) Proximity to markets

(2) land suitability for row-crops versus perennial forages and pasture

What region of the U.S. has the greatest percentage of milk and other dairy products in relation to total agriculture market value?

The North East and North Central states

What region of the U.S. has the greatest percentage of grain and oilseeds crops as a contributor to total market value? What are possible reasons for this trend?

The Midwestern corn belt and Great Plains. These crops can be grown over large acreages with high yield due to formerly prairie lands with fertile, high-organic-matter soils, and flat land.

What region of the U.S. has the greatest percentage of cattle and calves as the main contributor to total market value?

The western great plains and mountain states.

What region(s) of the U.S. has the greatest percentage of fruits, tree nuts, and berries as a contributor to total market value? (Supplemental information)

California and the Pacific Northwest, other areas including Florida, Maine, and

parts of Michigan.

What region(s) of the U.S. has the greatest percentage of vegetables, melons, potatoes, and sweet potatoes as a contributor to total market value? (Supplemental information)

West coast, Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Great Lakes region, the East coast, and

Florida. Fairly broad distribution compared to fruit.

How much of the U.S. population is directly involved in farming according to the USDA?

Less than 2 percent.

What percent of farms are family-run?

98 percent of farms are family-run, where this is defined as a farms owned by

one or several blood relatives. The percentage is high because a large percentage of

farms are very small and the preponderance of these are family run.

The largest numbers of farms have annual agricultural sales between what values?

$1000 to $10,000

The largest share of total production of agricultural sales are from farms that have how much annual sales value?

$250,000 or more.

On average, the net cash income for a farm is what percentage of the gross income?

Approximately 25 percent.

Since the early 1900s, what has been the general trend in terms of farm number and farm size?

The number of farms has decreased, whereas the size of farms has increased

As compared to one hundred years ago, the proportion of what crop has increased the most?

Soybeans

What has been the trend over the last 100 years in the range of crops and livestock grown on each farm?

Less diversity of crops and types of livestock – more specialization in just a few at each farm.