The USDA has just posted its enormous—more than 700 pages—2012 Census of Agriculture (Farm Typology) report.
Its definitions and results are impressive. Definitions are based on a metric called Gross Case Farm Income (GCFI):
- Small <$350,000
- Midsize >$350,000 but less than $1 million
- Large >$1 million but less than $5 million
- Very large >$5 million
Another metric: average number of acres per category (one square mile is 640 acres):
- Small: GCFI between $150,000 and $350,000: 961 acres
- Midsize: 1582 acres
- Large: 2926 acres
- Very large: 4673 acres
And some basic facts:
- 88% of farms are Small (GCFI <$350,000).
- 12% are Midsize and Large, but they account of 80% of agriculture sales.
That’s US agriculture in a snapshot.