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Farm Structure: Questions and Answers

 

Table 1. Multiple-operator farms by sales class, 2002
Item
Family farms, by sales class
Nonfamily
farms1
(any size)
All
farms
Less than
$10,000
$10,000 to
$99,999
$100,000 to
$249,999
$250,000 to
$499,999
$500,000 or more
Number
Number of farms (and primary operators) 
1,188,121
592,310
183,764
86,300
64,328
37,588
2,152,412
Total operators (primary and secondary) 
1,559,511
801,382
270,579
135,785
117,278
63,565
2,948,100
Operators (primary and secondary)               
   per farm 
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.8
1.7
1.4
Multiple-operator farms2 
347,928
186,698
73,724
37,291
35,571
16,987
698,200
 
Percent
Multiple-operator farms' share of:               
   All farms 
29.3
31.5
40.1
43.2
55.3
45.2
32.4
   Total value of production 
31.0
32.1
43.4
42.2
61.0
51.3
50.0
  Number
Multiple-generation farms3 
24,552
28,808
13,875
9,566
8,551
1,368
86,720
  Percent
Multiple-generation farms' share of              
  Multiple-operator farms  7.1 15.4 18.8 25.7 24.0 8.1 12.4
               
1Farms organized as nonfamily corporations or cooperatives, as well as farms operated by hired managers.
2Farms reporting more than 1 operator.
3Farms reporting a difference of at least 25 years between the ages of the youngest and oldest operators.
Source:  USDA, 2002 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS)

 

For more information, contact: Robert Hoppe

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Updated date: January 18, 2005