USDA, Economic Research Services provides economic research and analysis of issues related to agriculture, food, the environment, and rural America. For information about how to access USDA programs and services please see USDA's Farmers.gov website. Beginning farmers, including women and veterans, can find additional information on USDA's Beginning Farmers and Ranchers website.
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
A beginning farmer is someone who has materially and substantially participated in the operation of any farm or ranch for 10 years or less. For statistical purposes, ERS defines a beginning farm as one on which all operators are beginning farmers. Some USDA programs—such as beginning farm operator education programs—are available to beginning farmers even if there are more experienced operators who also work on the farm. Other USDA programs only provide benefits or services to beginning farmers if all farm enterprise operators are beginning farmers.
According to the 2024 Agricultural Resource Management Survey, almost 14 percent of the approximately 1.8 million family farms were beginning farms. (See "Characteristics of principal farm operator households, by experience of operators, 2024" in the Farm Household Income and Characteristics data product). Beginning farms were smaller, on average, than more established farms; in 2024 beginning farms produced about 7 percent of the total value of farm output.
Beginning farm principal operators tend to be younger, with an average age of 51 compared to 64 for established farm principal operators. In 2024, more than a third of beginning farm principal operators (42 percent) had a 4-year college degree or higher, contrasted to 31 percent of established farm principal operators. While beginning farm households earned less income from the farm, they earned more from off-farm activities than established farm households . Specifically, in 2024, beginning farm households earned an average of $4,205 from the farm and $150,921 from off-farm sources. This number contrasts to established farm households that earned an average of $35,545 from the farm and $124,448 from off-farm sources.
Limited-Resource Farm Households
Limited-resource farm households are defined as having low farm sales and low household income for 2 years in a row. In fiscal year 2026, low farm sales means direct or indirect gross farms sales of not more than $246,000. Low household income means that current-year income falls below the national poverty level for a family of four with two children, or is less than half of the county median household income.
About 9 percent of principal operator farm households were classified as being in the limited-resource classification in 2024 (see the table "Characteristics of principal farm operator households, by limited-resource farm status, 2024" in the Farm Household Income and Characteristics data product). Limited resource farms on average are smaller than other farms (having an average of 170 acres versus 468 acres for non-limited resource farms). Principal operators of limited resource farms are also older (average principal operator age was 67 versus 61 for other farms) and more often indicated they are retired from farming but continuing to farm on a small scale. On average, limited resource farms lost money farming on a cash basis (losing $16,953), compared to positive farm income for non-limited resource farms ($36,059).
Female Farmers and Ranchers
Female principal operators accounted for 15 percent of total operators in 2024 (see the table "Characteristics of principal farm operator households, by sex of principal operator, 2024" in the Farm Household Income and Characteristics data product).
Females were principal (having primary responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the farm) operators of about 270,518 farms in 2024. An additional 173,164 female operators contributed to operating farms as second, third, or fourth operators. These additional operators provide added focus on farm business management relative to production management skills that the principal operator possesses. Female principal operators were more likely than their male counterparts to report having a 4-year college degree or more education (42 percent versus 31 percent). Additionally, 43 percent of female operators reported a primary occupation other than farming contrasted to 41 percent of male operators.
Female farm operators were over-represented as a share of principal operators on beginning farms. Among female principal operators, 19 percent were on beginning farms, versus 13 percent of male principal operators who were on beginning farms in 2024.
