The average age of U.S. farmers is a frequent topic of concern because it is fairly high – 58 years in 2011, according to a new USDA report on the structure and finances of family farms. “The eventual exit of older farmers, however, is not as ominous as it may seem,” says the report. One-fifth of farms are run by farmers with less than 10 years of experience. Only 14 percent of these “beginning farmers” are under the age of 35; nearly half are in the 34-54 age group. The people listed as the secondary operator on multi-generation farms “are another potential source of replacement farmers,” said the report. “Finally, some older operators have already retired and left farming.” Twelve percent of farmers are retired and account for 3 percent of production.
Family-owned farms account for more than 97 percent of crop and livestock output. The vast majority of the 2.2 million U.S. farms are small operations – part-time, retirement and hobby farms – that do not generate enough money to support a family. The largest 2 percent of farms generate 35 percent of production. Six percent of farms are in the category of mid-size family farms and account for 25 percent of the value of production, so together 8 percent of farms provide 60 percent of the value of U.S. farm output.