People involved in agriculture often disagree about what’s a “family farm” and what isn’t. But it’s clear that family farms come in many different shapes and sizes.
That’s the main conclusion of “America’s Diverse Family: 2016 Edition.” The annual report, prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service and released Dec. 6, takes a new look at ongoing trends involving family farms.
Most of the conclusions probably won’t surprise anyone familiar with U.S. agriculture: Here are some of the key findings:
Farming is still overwhelming comprised of family businesses.
Production continues to shift with gross cash farm income of more than $1 million.
Farm households in general are neither low-income nor low-wealth.
Most U.S. farms don’t receive federal government payments and aren’t directly affected by them.
Read the full report here .
