Small Farms in the United States

ISBN: 9781617283017

Published: 2010

Small farms account for 91 percent of all farms and 23 percent of agricultural production. There are large differences among small farms, however, because USDA statistics are based on a very broad farm definition. Most small-farm production occurs on small commercial farms with a gross cash farm income (GCFI) of at least $10,000. Most places counted as small farms, however, are much smaller than that; 60% of small farms have GCFI of less than $10,000, and 22 percent have less than $1,000. This book examines the differences between small and large farms and distinguishes between non-commercial farms and small commercial farms and their viability for the future in the United States.