Structural and Financial Characteristics of U.S. Farms, 1993: 18th Annual Family Farm Report to Congress

by Robert A. Hoppe, Robert Green, David Banker, Judith Kalbacher, and Susan E. Bentley

In 1993, the 2.1 million farms in the contiguous United States operated an average of 436 acres and produced an average of $73,700 in agricultural products, as measured by gross sales. Characteristics of individual farms--including their level of production--varied widely, however. Most production occurred on relatively few commercial farms. Commercial farms (sales of $50,000 or more) were only 27 percent of U.S. farms, but accounted for about 90 percent of sales. Households with noncommercial farms (sales less than $50,000) relied on off-farm sources for virtually all of their income. U.S. farms are diverse, and variation within the industry is hidden by U.S. averages.

Keywords: farm finances, farm structure, commercial farms, family farms

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Introduction
• Structural Characteristics of Farm Operations
• Farmland Ownership and Use
• Land Removed from Production
• Farm Finances
• Characteristics of Farm Operators
• Farm Operator Household Dependence on Farming
• Farm Operators and Their Communities
• Discussions and Implications
• References
• Appendix A: Definitions of Terms
• Appendix B: The Farm Costs and Returns Survey