YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

Families bring values to the farm

By Gene Hall

I’m used to hearing broad and sometimes unflattering descriptions of U.S. farms.

Big. Small. Industrial. Sustainable. Truth is, those classifications don’t mean much.

There is one classification that tells the real story—97 percent of all U.S. farms are family farms.

That’s according to the USDA’s Economic Research.

Small farms—with cash farm income less than $350,000 a year—made up 90 percent of all farms. In contrast, small farms accounted for only 26 percent of the production.

Mid-sized and large-scale family farms make up only 8 percent of U.S. farms. But they account for 60 percent of the value of U.S. production.

Only 3 percent of farms were nonfamily farms and they accounted for only 15 percent of national production.

Family farmers face challenges we all share. They are real people, with real problems and challenges. They are busy every day growing the food and fiber that sustains us all. 

The preceding commentary is brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau, the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” Called “Your Texas Agriculture Minute,” TFB will issue thought-provoking editorials each week—via print and audio—to spark understanding of agriculture in the Lone Star State and its impact on each and every Texan.

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