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Selected Charts From

Structural and Financial Characteristics of U.S. Farms: 
2001 Family Farm Report.

Robert A. Hoppe, editor
Resource Economics Division
Economic Research Service, USDA
Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 768 May01

List of charts

  1. Distribution of Farms and Farm Product Sales, by business organization, 1978-97

  2. Off-Farm Work of Operator and Spouse, 1996

  3. Number of Family Farms by Tenure, 1910-1997

  4. Number of Farms and Acres per Farm 1850-1997

  5. Net Farm Income, 1990-98

  6. Share of Farms and Value of Production by Farm Typology Group, 1998

  7. Farm Typology Group Definitions


1. Distribution of Farms and Farm Product Sales, by business organization, 1978-97
Most farms are sole proprietorships

1/ includes non-family corporations, cooperatives, estates, and institutional farms.
Source: Census of Agriculture, various years


2.  Off-Farm Work of Operator and Spouse, 1996
In over half of farm households, either the operator or the spouse (or both) work off-farm

Note: Classification is based on off-farm work by operator and spouse only. Work by other household members is not considered.
Source: USDA, ERS, 1996 Agriculture Resource Management Study, version 1


3.  Number of Family Farms by Tenure, 1910-1997
Full owners and tenants account for most of the decline in farms.

Source: Census of Agriculture, various years.


4.  Number of Farms and Acres per Farm 1850-1997
The number of farms has decreased since 1935, while the size of farms has increased

Source: Census of Agriculture, various years.


5.  Net Farm Income, 1990-98
Net cash income was about average in 1998

Source: USDA, ERS, Economic indicators of the Farm Sector


6.  Share of Farms and Value of Production by Farm Typology Group, 1998
Large and very large family farms account for 52% of the value of production

USDA, ERS, 1998 Agriculture Resource Management Study, version 1


Farm Typology Group Definitions

Small Family Farms
(sales less than $250,000)

Other Farms

Limited-resource farms. Small farms with sales less than $100,000, farm assets less than $150,000, and total operator household income less than $20,000. Operators may report any major occupation, except hired manager.
Retirement farms. Small farms whose operators report they are retired.* 
Residential/lifestyle farms. Small farms whose operators report a major occupation other than farming.*
Farming-occupation farms. Small farms whose operators report farming as their major occupation.*
       •
Low-sales farms. Sales less than $100,000.
       •
High-sales farms. Sales between $100,000 and $249,999.
Large family farms. Sales between $250,000 and $499,999.
Very large family farms. Sales of $500,000 or more.
Nonfamily farms. Farms organized as nonfamily corporations or cooperatives, as well as farms operated by hired managers.

*Excludes limited-resource farms whose operators report this occupation.

source: http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/so/view.asp?f=livestock/ldp-mbb/ 4jun01

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