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Re: Census stats RE: Large Farms



> Just a thought  regarding the stats released by USDA below.  I calculate
that  a cash grain farm east of the Mississippi  would have to have only 200
to 250 acres to qualify as a "Large Farm" by the USDA definition. Most
people would consider this size to be small to medium sized.  What
conclusions about  family farms and the health of the mid-sized farm sector
can we draw from stats using this definition?  




>>
>>            NUMBER OF NATION'S LARGE FARMS INCREASES WHILE 
>>             OVERALL FARM TOTAL DECLINES IN LAST QUARTER       
>>                    CENTURY, CENSUS BUREAU REPORTS
>>
>>      The number of America's large farms--those with sales of
>>$100,000 or more--grew sixfold in the past 25 years, increasing
>>from 51,995 in 1969 to 333,865 in 1992, according to an
>>Agricultural Brief, Large Farms Are Thriving in the United
>>States, AB/96-1, released today by the Commerce Department's
>>Census Bureau.  During this same time span, the total number of 
>>farms declined from 2.7 million in 1969 to 1.9 million in 1992.
>>
>>      "Large farms are more likely than small farms to be
>>operated by full-time farmers, receive government payments, be
>>organized as corporations, and generate large returns," said
>>Jeff Kissel, a Census Bureau analyst.
>>
>>      In 1992, large farms comprised less than 20 percent of all
>>the nation's farms. However, they operated 54 percent of the
>>total land in farm use and produced approximately 83 percent of
>>all farm products sold.
>>
>>                              -X-
>>
>>
Ray R. Weil
Professor of Soil Science
1103 H.J. Patterson Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
USA

telephone: 301 405 1314
FAX:       301 314 9041
e-mail:	   rw17@umail.umd.edu