Family Farms Continue to Power U.S. Agriculture

"What do you think of when you hear the phrase family-owned business? You may not immediately think of the family farm, but they are just as important to our economy and communities. In fact, family farms account for 96% of all U.S. farms, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture Farm Typology report released last week by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). These farms – 1,789,439 small family farms, 108,304 mid-size family farms, and 52,592 large-scale family farms – collectively produced $318 billion worth of agricultural products in 2017.

Typology classifies all farms into categories based on two criteria – who owns the operation and gross cash farm income (GCFI). GCFI includes the farm producer’s sales of crops and livestock, fees for delivering commodities under production contracts, government payments, and farm-related income. USDA defines small family farms as those with a GCFI of less than $350,000; mid-size farms have a GCFI of $350,000 to $999,999; and large-scale farms are those with a GCFI of $1 million or more.."

Family farms 

Farms, tables and revealing the vast impacts between and beyond

"Bountiful harvests in one location can mean empty water reservoirs and environmental woes far from farmlands. A study published in Nature Communications examines how food, energy, water and greenhouse gases create a vast front in the battle to feed the planet.

Scientists at Michigan State University and their colleagues used new sustainability science tools to understand how irrigating farm fields to grow food reverberates through the biggest drivers of sustainability.

It's not just the farmlands that shoulder environmental impacts. Sometimes, it's places that have no major stake in the plant-water-food game that end up paying an environmental price.

"Ensuring food security, while safeguarding the environment, is one of the greatest challenges for the world today, yet as the world has become globalized, it is an incredibly complicated process, and misunderstanding it or missing impacts can allow major setbacks in achieving sustainability," said Jianguo "Jack" Liu, an ecologist at MSU. "We need to find new ways of looking at the world in a way that embraces its complexity."

The U.S. National Science Foundation-funded scientists used the framework of metacoupling, which helps look not only at irrigated farmlands, but also at massive projects to move water from one region to another. The framework allows scientists from different disciplines to look at the interactions between socioeconomics and environmental forces -- such as climate change, diet change, irrigation technologies, crop planting strategies and water diversion -- within and across borders.

"This study demonstrates the importance of understanding our increasingly connected world in a way that quantifies the often-missed and unrecognized connections involved in feeding the world," said Elizabeth Blood, a program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology..."
Farms and tables 

Farm Safety and Health

"America’s hardworking farmers provide food security for our citizens. Many of our meals, clothes and medicines are made with homegrown products. Agriculture employs millions of Americans, and that work involves some unique challenges. The storage silos, heavy equipment and chemicals that are necessary for agricultural work can be dangerous, which is why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) encourages all agricultural workers to be aware of potential hazards and how to avoid them.

Farm Safety and Health Week, observed every year during the third week of September, provides an opportunity to reflect on practices to keep agricultural workers safe and healthy all year round.

OSHA has guidance on avoiding hazards related to agricultural operations, including grain bins and silos, hazardous equipment, extreme heat, and pesticides. This year the agency also released tips on reducing the risk of contracting COVID-19, including:

• Staying 6 feet or more away from other people, if possible.
• Wearing a cloth face covering and gloves.
• Washing your hands often with soap and water, or using hand sanitizer.
• Avoiding sharing tools, if possible.
• Disinfecting tools before and after using them.

Public service announcements are available in English and Spanish to raise awareness about farmworker safety..."
Farm safety and health 

Keeping Farmers Safe

"Agriculture ranks among the most dangerous industries, with farmers being at very high risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries. Their work is physical and requires the use of equipment, heavy machinery, and chemicals, among exposure to other risky conditions like rural traffic and tractor interactions, hearing loss, heat, and stress.

By bringing awareness to the safety and health issues facing the agriculture industry, we can help save lives and resources through the prevention of injuries and lost time on the job.

FACTS ABOUT FARMER SAFETY

• Farm life can be demanding and stressful. Action steps to help someone in emotional distress include: (1) Ask; (2) Keep them safe; (3) Be there; (4) Help them connect; and (5) Stay connected.
• Tractors are an important tool on the farm, but they are also the number one cause of death. It’s important to make sure tractors are equipped with seat belts and roll over protection.
• Being prepared for an emergency can be the difference between life and death. Work with family, employer and employees to create an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for orderly evacuation and quick response.
• Confined spaces can stir up dust and dangerous fumes. Ensure proper ventilation and use the correct mask to keep safe.
• Your skin is the largest organ on your body. Make it one of your top priorities by wearing sunglasses, a long sleeve shirt and pants and using sunscreen while in the sun..."
  Farmers

A Look at America’s Family Farms

"The more than 2 million farms in the U.S. vary greatly in size and characteristics. For example, annual gross revenue can range from as little as $1,000 to more than $5 million.

USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) recently released its widely used annual report that describes characteristics of different types of U.S. farms, titled America’s Diverse Family Farms: 2019 Edition. Farms are classified based on ownership of the farm, annual gross revenue, and the primary occupation of the principal operator..."
Family farms

U.S. Farm Income

" According to USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), national net farm income—a key indicator of U.S. farm well-being—is forecast at a record $131 billion in 2013, up 15% from last year, and about $13 billion above 2011’s previous record.

In addition to record net farm income, farm wealth is also at record levels. Farm asset values— which reflect farm investors’ and lenders’ expectations about long-term profitability of farm sector investments—are expected to rise nearly 7% in 2013 to a record $3,008 billion for a fifth consecutive year of gains..."

Farm Income

Farm to School Census

"To determine the prevalence of farm to school programs in the United States, USDA surveyed an estimated 13,000 public school districts..."
Farm to school

Budget Issues Shaping a Farm Bill in 2013

"The desire by many to redesign farm policy and reallocate the remaining farm bill baseline—in a sequestration and deficit reduction environment—is driving much of the farm bill debate this year..."
Budget Issues Facing the Farm Bill in 2013

Characteristics of Women Farm Operators and Their Farms

"The share of U.S. farms operated by women nearly tripled over the past three decades. Using Census of Agriculture data from 1978 through 2007, this report provides detailed information about women farmers and the types of farms they operate."
Characteristics of Women Farm Operators and Their Farms

U.S. Farm Income

"According to USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), national net farm income—a key
indicator of U.S. farm well-being—is forecast at a record $122.2 billion in 2012, up 3.7% from
last year’s record. Record gross revenues from crop sales (forecast at $222.1 billion), coupled
with record revenues (forecast at $34.1 billion) from farm-related income—a category that
includes crop insurance indemnity payments as well as income from custom work, machine hire,
etc.—pushed total gross cash income to a record $433.6 billion (up 5.5%). This more than offset
flat revenues from livestock markets ($165.8 billion), and a 6.6% increase in input costs (forecast
at $294.2 billion) to account for the record forecast for overall net returns..."

U.S. Farm Income

"According to USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), national net farm income—a key
indicator of U.S. farm well-being—is forecast at $91.7 billion in 2012, down $6.5 billion (6.5%) from the record total of $98.1 billion achieved in 2011. Record revenues from crop markets (forecast up 0.7%, from 2011’s record level), coupled with continued strength in livestock markets (down 0.1% from 2011’s record), are expected to be offset a 4% ($12.5 billion) increase in input costs to account for the lower forecast for overall net returns.

The major drivers behind a second year of strong farm income projections are the outlook for near-record U.S. agricultural exports of $132 billion in 2012, following record exports in 2011 (projected at a record $136.3 billion), and continued strong crop prices driven in part by sustained demand from the U.S. corn ethanol industry..."

Investing in Rural America
From USGA blog:
"Earlier this week, President Obama along with Secretary Vilsack and members of the White House Rural Council hosted the White House Rural Economic Forum in Peosta, Iowa where the President announced new jobs initiatives focused on increasing access to capital, job training and health care services. The forum, part of President Obama’s three-day economic bus tour, brought together farmers, small business owners, private sector leaders, rural stakeholders and government officials to discuss ways to improve economic growth and create jobs in rural communities nationwide. The White House Rural Council, of which Secretary Vilsack is the chair, was created on June 9, 2011 by an executive order and is focused on finding ways to increase economic growth and infrastructure in rural communities..."

State Fact Sheets
"State fact sheets provide information on population, employment, income, farm characteristics, farm financial indicators, and top commodities, exports, and counties for each state in the United States."

Million-Dollar Farms in the New Century
"Million-dollar farms—those with annual sales of at least $1 million—accounted for about half of U.S. farm sales in 2002, up from a fourth in 1982 (with sales measured in constant 2002 dollars). By 2006, million-dollar farms, accounting for 2 percent of all U.S. farms, dominated U.S. production of high-value crops, milk, hogs, poultry, and beef. The shift to million-dollar farms is likely to continue because they tend to be more profitable than smaller farms, giving them a competitive advantage. Most million-dollar farms (84 percent) are family farms, that is, the farm operator and relatives of the operator own the business. The million-dollar farms organized as nonfamily corporations tend to have no more than 10 stockholders."