"More than one-fifth of all farms in the U.S. report making $0 in annual sales. Because the USDA won’t release that data, the nation is missing critical information about the health of the food system."
"The latest Census of Agriculture, released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), shows a number of familiar trends: farm consolidation is continuing; the largest agribusinesses are increasing in number and acreage; the average age of American farmers is still climbing; and mid-sized farms are fading away.
And while just 5 percent of the farms are producing 75 percent of the nation’s food, the data also shows a more positive trend: The numbers of very small farms, women operators and young farmers all appear to be on the rise. And yet, when we drilled down, we found that picture is far more complicated.
The Census of Agriculture is conducted every five years, and is administered by the USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS). The agency collects data on demographics, economics, land, and farm activities directly from farmers and ranchers. That data is important because it tells the story about farming in the U.S.—and it gets used by media organizations, educators, the government, and private sector to shape decisions about agriculture."
Gosia Wozniacka reports for Civil Eats April 12, 2019.
SEE ALSO:
"2017 Census of Agriculture" (National Agricultural Statistics Service )
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