Report details family farms
Ninety-nine percent of U.S. farms are family farms, and they accounted for 90 percent of farm production in 2016, according to America’s Diverse Family Farms: 2017 Edition.
Farming still is overwhelmingly comprised of family businesses, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More than a third of farms have multiple operators, and larger farms are more likely to have multiple generations of farm operators. Farm households in general are not low income when compared with all U.S. households.
This report provides an overview of U.S. farms, including the latest statistics on production, financial performance and farm household characteristics by farm size categories.
For information or a free copy of the report, visit ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=86197.
Jennings County project honored
Jennings County’s Farm Bureau office was honored at the organization’s recent state convention for a project that had significant impact in its community.
The office received an Impact Award in the Membership Experience category for its effort to rebuild the shelter house at the North Vernon City Park, home of the Jennings County Farmer’s Market.
The previous shelter was condemned for structural reasons. The county Farm Bureau office was instrumental in starting the farmer’s market in 1998, which fueled their determination to rebuild the structure, according to a Farm Bureau news release.
Agriculture export forecast positive
U.S. agricultural exports are expected to be robust in the 2018 fiscal year following last year’s strong showing.
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said fiscal year 2017 was the third-highest export total on record, and the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture export forecast projects $140 billion in sales in fiscal year 2018, which would be the fourth-best year in history.
Exports generate 20 percent of U.S. farm income and support more than 1 million U.S. jobs, Perdue added.
