Skip to navigation Skip to main content

United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service

Topics
Data Products
Publications
Newsroom
Calendar
Amber Waves Magazine
ERS Info
- ERS Info
- About ERS
- A-Z Index
- Careers at ERS
- Contact Us
- FAQs
- Sitemap

U.S. Cropland Is Consolidating Into Larger Farms

Topics
- Animal Products
  
  Animal Policy & Regulatory Issues
  
  Aquaculture
  
  Cattle & Beef
  
  Dairy
  
  Hogs & Pork
  
  Poultry & Eggs
  
  Sheep, Lamb & Mutton
  
  Crops
  
  Corn and Other Feedgrains
  
  Cotton & Wool
  
  Fruit & Tree Nuts
  
  Rice
  
  Soybeans & Oil Crops
  
  Sugar & Sweeteners
  
  Vegetables & Pulses
  
  Wheat
  
  Farm Economy
  
  Agricultural Baseline
  
  Agricultural Research and Productivity
  
  Beginning, Limited Resource, Socially Disadvantaged, and Female Farmers
  
  Bioenergy
  
  Commodity Outlook
  
  Farm & Commodity Policy
  
  Farm Household Well-being
  
  Farm Labor
  
  Farm Sector Income & Finances
  
  Farm Structure and Organization
  
  Federal Tax Issues
  
  Land Use, Land Value & Tenure
  
  Farm Practices & Management
  
  Biotechnology
  
  Fertilizers & Pesticides
  
  Crop & Livestock Practices
  
  Irrigation & Water Use
  
  Risk Management
  
  Food & Nutrition Assistance
  
  Child Nutrition Programs
  
  Food Assistance Data & Collaborative Research Programs
  
  Food Security in the U.S.
  
  Poverty & Income Volatility
  
  Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  
  WIC Program
  
  Food Choices & Health
  
  Diet Quality & Nutrition
  
  Consumer Information and Labeling
  
  Food Access
  
  Food Consumption & Demand
  
  Obesity
  
  Food Markets & Prices
  
  Consumer and Producer Price Indexes
  
  Food Prices, Expenditures & Costs
  
  Food Service Industry
  
  Local Foods
  
  Processing & Marketing
  
  Retailing & Wholesaling
  
  Food Safety
  
  Consumers
  
  Markets, Regulation, and Policy
  
  International Markets & U.S. Trade
  
  U.S. Agricultural Trade
  
  Countries & Regions
  
  International Consumer and Food Industry Trends
  
  Global Food Security
  
  Macroeconomics & Agriculture
  
  Trade Policy & World Trade Organization (WTO)
  
  Natural Resources & Environment
  
  Climate Change
  
  Conservation Programs
  
  Environmental Quality
  
  Organic Agriculture
  
  Rural Economy & Population
  
  Business & Industry
  
  Employment & Education
  
  Natural Amenities
  
  Population & Migration
  
  Rural Classifications
  
  Rural Poverty & Well-Being
  Featuring...
  
  Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade
  
  Summary of USDA December 2018 forecasts for U.S. agricultural trade in FY 2019.
  
  Rural Poverty & Well-Being
  
  ERS research in this topic area focuses on the economic, social, spatial, temporal, and demographic factors that affect the poverty status of rural residents.
  
  Child Nutrition Programs
  
  ERS conducts research on USDA's child nutrition programs and their role in children's food security, diets, and well-being. ERS studies programs such as the National School Lunch Program.
Data Products
- View by Topic:
  
  Animal Products
  
  Animal Policy & Regulatory Issues
  
  Aquaculture
  
  Cattle & Beef
  
  Dairy
  
  Hogs & Pork
  
  Poultry & Eggs
  
  Sheep, Lamb & Mutton
  
  Crops
  
  Corn and Other Feedgrains
  
  Cotton & Wool
  
  Fruit & Tree Nuts
  
  Rice
  
  Soybeans & Oil Crops
  
  Sugar & Sweeteners
  
  Vegetables & Pulses
  
  Wheat
  
  Farm Economy
  
  Agricultural Baseline
  
  Agricultural Research and Productivity
  
  Beginning, Limited Resource, Socially Disadvantaged, and Female Farmers
  
  Bioenergy
  
  Commodity Outlook
  
  Farm & Commodity Policy
  
  Farm Household Well-being
  
  Farm Labor
  
  Farm Sector Income & Finances
  
  Farm Structure and Organization
  
  Federal Tax Issues
  
  Land Use, Land Value & Tenure
  
  Farm Practices & Management
  
  Biotechnology
  
  Fertilizers & Pesticides
  
  Crop & Livestock Practices
  
  Irrigation & Water Use
  
  Risk Management
  
  Food & Nutrition Assistance
  
  Child Nutrition Programs
  
  Food Assistance Data & Collaborative Research Programs
  
  Food Security in the U.S.
  
  Poverty & Income Volatility
  
  WIC Program
  
  Food Choices & Health
  
  Diet Quality & Nutrition
  
  Consumer Information and Labeling
  
  Food Access
  
  Food Consumption & Demand
  
  Obesity
  
  Food Markets & Prices
  
  Consumer and Producer Price Indexes
  
  Food Prices, Expenditures & Costs
  
  Food Service Industry
  
  Local Foods
  
  Processing & Marketing
  
  Retailing & Wholesaling
  
  Food Safety
  
  Consumers
  
  Markets, Regulation, and Policy
  
  International Markets & U.S. Trade
  
  U.S. Agricultural Trade
  
  Countries & Regions
  
  International Consumer and Food Industry Trends
  
  Macroeconomics & Agriculture
  
  Trade Policy & World Trade Organization (WTO)
  
  Natural Resources & Environment
  
  Climate Change
  
  Conservation Programs
  
  Environmental Quality
  
  Organic Agriculture
  
  Rural Economy & Population
  
  Business & Industry
  
  Employment & Education
  
  Natural Amenities
  
  Population & Migration
  
  Rural Classifications
  
  Rural Poverty & Well-Being
  Featuring...
  
  Interactive Visualization: U.S. Commodity Costs and Returns by Region and by Commodity
  
  Interactive Visualization: Costs and Returns by Region and by Commodity
  
  Farm Income and Wealth Statistics
  
  The data include historical U.S. and State-level farm income and wealth estimates as well as U.S.-level forecasts for the current calendar year.
  
  Price Spreads from Farm to Consumer
  
  ERS compares the prices paid by consumers for food with the prices received by farmers for their corresponding commodities. These comparisons are reported for a variety of foods sold in retail food stores.
Publications
- View by Topic:
  
  Animal Products
  
  Animal Policy & Regulatory Issues
  
  Aquaculture
  
  Cattle & Beef
  
  Dairy
  
  Hogs & Pork
  
  Poultry & Eggs
  
  Sheep, Lamb & Mutton
  
  Crops
  
  Corn and Other Feedgrains
  
  Cotton & Wool
  
  Fruit & Tree Nuts
  
  Rice
  
  Soybeans & Oil Crops
  
  Sugar & Sweeteners
  
  Vegetables & Pulses
  
  Wheat
  
  Farm Economy
  
  Agricultural Baseline
  
  Agricultural Research and Productivity
  
  Beginning, Limited Resource, Socially Disadvantaged, and Female Farmers
  
  Bioenergy
  
  Commodity Outlook
  
  Farm & Commodity Policy
  
  Farm Household Well-being
  
  Farm Labor
  
  Farm Sector Income & Finances
  
  Farm Structure and Organization
  
  Federal Tax Issues
  
  Land Use, Land Value & Tenure
  
  Farm Practices & Management
  
  Biotechnology
  
  Fertilizers & Pesticides
  
  Crop & Livestock Practices
  
  Irrigation & Water Use
  
  Risk Management
  
  Food & Nutrition Assistance
  
  Child Nutrition Programs
  
  Food Assistance Data & Collaborative Research Programs
  
  Food Security in the U.S.
  
  Poverty & Income Volatility
  
  Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  
  WIC Program
  
  Food Choices & Health
  
  Diet Quality & Nutrition
  
  Consumer Information and Labeling
  
  Food Access
  
  Food Consumption & Demand
  
  Obesity
  
  Food Markets & Prices
  
  Consumer and Producer Price Indexes
  
  Food Prices, Expenditures & Costs
  
  Food Service Industry
  
  Local Foods
  
  Processing & Marketing
  
  Retailing & Wholesaling
  
  Food Safety
  
  Consumers
  
  Markets, Regulation, and Policy
  
  International Markets & U.S. Trade
  
  U.S. Agricultural Trade
  
  Countries & Regions
  
  International Consumer and Food Industry Trends
  
  Global Food Security
  
  Macroeconomics & Agriculture
  
  Trade Policy & World Trade Organization (WTO)
  
  Natural Resources & Environment
  
  Climate Change
  
  Conservation Programs
  
  Environmental Quality
  
  Organic Agriculture
  
  Rural Economy & Population
  
  Business & Industry
  
  Employment & Education
  
  Natural Amenities
  
  Population & Migration
  
  Rural Classifications
  
  Rural Poverty & Well-Being
  Featuring...
  
  USDA Agricultural Projections to 2029
  OCE-2020-1, February 14, 2020
  USDA's 10-year projections for the food and agriculture sector cover major agricultural commodities, agricultural trade, and aggregate indicators of the U.S. farm sector, such as farm income.
  
  Understanding Low-Income and Low-Access Census Tracts Across the Nation: Subnational and Subpopulation Estimates of Access to Healthy Food
  EIB-209, May 23, 2019
  State, metropolitan area, and micropolitan area estimates of access to healthy food, along with estimates of access for subpopulations.
  
  Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators, 2019
  EIB-208, May 08, 2019
  Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators, 2019, describes trends in economic, structural, resource, and environmental indicators in the agriculture sector. The indicators covered in this report provide assessments of important ch...
Newsroom
- Contact ERS Press Office
  
  Trending Topics
  
  Multimedia
  Featuring...
  
  ERS Annual Report, FY 2018
  
  Selected ERS research accomplishments are highlighted in its FY 2018 Annual Report.
  
  Webinars
  
  This section houses ERS' multimedia offerings, including webinars.
  
  Subscribe to ERS E-Newsletters
  
  Stay informed by subscribing to our e-mail notification service! You will receive announcements of our latest reports and other news as shown on the ERS calendar.
Calendar
- Today's Releases
  
  This Month's Releases
  
  Next Month's Releases
  Featuring...
  
  May 07, 2020 3:00 PM
  Resource Requirements of Food Demand in the United States
  
  This study looks at empirical evidence of resource use in American eating patterns and develops a research framework for finding sustainable pathways to a healthy and adequate future food supply.
  
  May 07, 2020 3:00 PM
  A Shift to Healthier Diets Likely To Affect Use of Natural Resources
  
  An ERS study found mixed impacts on five natural resources if, in 2007, all Americans had adopted a diet in keeping with Federal recommendations.
  
  May 06, 2020 3:00 PM
  U.S. Agricultural Trade Data Update
  
  This page contains data on U.S. agricultural exports and imports
Amber Waves Magazine
- Amber Waves home
  
  All Articles
  Featuring...
  
  Who Are the World’s Food Insecure? Identifying the Risk Factors of Food Insecurity Around the World
  
  Analyzing the U.N. Food Insecurity Experience Scale, ERS researchers found that low levels of education, weak social networks, and the inability of a person to count on family and friends in times of need were common risk factors.
  
  Developing Alternatives to Antibiotics Used in Food Animal Production
  
  The animal pharmaceutical industry continues to develop new drugs, but a growing share are generic versions of existing animal drugs or are designed for companion animals (instead of food animals).
  
  SNAP Redemptions Contributed to Employment During the Great Recession
  
  ERS research found that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) redemptions were associated with increased local employment—with $10,000 of redemptions contributing to 0.4 additional urban jobs and 1.0 additional rural jobs.
ERS Info
- About ERS
  
  Agency Structure
  
  Careers at ERS
  
  ERS History
  
  Grant Funding Opportunities
  
  Partnerships
  
  Plans and Accomplishments
  
  Policies and Standards
  
  A-Z Index
  
  Careers at ERS
  
  Employment Opportunities
  
  ERS Work Environment
  
  Top 10 Reasons To Work at ERS
  
  Salary and Benefits
  
  Contact Us
  
  FAQs
  
  Sitemap
  Featuring...
  
  ERS Annual Report, FY 2018
  
  Customer-Focused Research: How ERS Information Delivers for the American People
  
  Subscribe to ERS E-Newsletters
  
  Receive announcements of our latest reports and other news as shown on the ERS calendar.
  
  Charts of Note
  
  Highlights from our current and past research, Monday through Friday.

Home
Amber Waves
U.S. Cropland Is Consolidating Into Larger Farms

Browse All Articles | About| Subscribe

U.S. Cropland Is Consolidating Into Larger Farms

December 19, 2017 | by James M. MacDonald and Robert A. Hoppe

An infographic highlighting data on cropland in the United States.

Download infographic (2550 pixels by 7007)

This article is drawn from...

Farm Size and the Organization of U.S. Crop Farming , by James M. MacDonald, Penni Korb, and Robert A. Hoppe, USDA, Economic Research Service, August 2013

Top

ERS

ERS Home
Accessibility
Careers
Contact Us
E-Mail Updates
Help
Information Quality
Site Map
Privacy Policy & Nondiscrimination Statement

External

FOIA
Report Fraud
USDA.gov
USA.gov
White House

E-Newsletter

Subscribe