Farms, By The Numbers

Today there are 2.1 million farms in the U.S., feeding a population of 319 million. That’s down from 6.5 million at the peak a century ago when the population barely topped 100 million.

What changed? The size of farms, which averaged less than 200 acres a century ago and now run close to 500 acres. “There’s no such thing as a typical farm,” said Patrick Westhoff, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy ResearchInstitute at the University of Missouri.

 

This program is funded by Monsanto, Organic Trade Association, AARP Foundation, American Farm Bureau Federation. NPF is solely responsible for the content.

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