USDA Economic Research Service Briefing Room
" "  
Link: Bypass USDA Left navigation.
Search ERS

Browse by Subject
Diet, Health & Safety
Farm Economy
Farm Practices & Management
Food & Nutrition Assistance
Food Sector
Natural Resources & Environment
Policy Topics
Research & Productivity
Rural Economy
Trade and International Markets
Also Browse By


or

""

 


 
Briefing Rooms

Farm Structure: Questions and Answers



Farms and farm product sales by farm organization, 1978-97*
 
Farms
Farm sales
 
1978
1987
1997
1978
1987
1997
 
Thousands
Billion dollars
U.S. total
2,258
2,088
1,912
107
136
197
 
share of farms (%)
share of sales (%)
Sole proprietorship
87.1
86.7
86.0
61.6
56.3
52.2
Partnership
10.3
9.6
8.9
16.1
17.1
18.1
Corporation
2.2
3.2
4.4
21.6
25.6
28.9
   Family-held
2.0
2.9
4.0
15.1
19.5
23.3
      10 or less stockholders
1.9
2.9
3.9
13.9
18.0
20.7
      More than 10 stockholders
0.1
0.1
0.1
1.2
1.5
2.6
   Other than family
0.3
0.3
0.4
6.5
6.1
5.6
      10 or less stockholders
0.2
0.3
0.4
3.6
4.3
3.7
      More than 10 stockholders
0.1
0.1
0.1
3.0
1.8
1.9
Other
0.4
0.6
0.8
0.6
0.9
0.9
*Percentages may not add due to rounding.
Notes: Family-held corporations have more than 50 percent of their stock owned by people related by blood or marriage.
Other organizations include coooperatives, estates or trusts, and institution such as museums, schools, or prisons.
Source: Census of Agriculture, 1978, 1987, and 1997.



For more information, contact: Robert Hoppe or Jim Macdonald

Web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov

Updated date: November 10, 2003