by Amanda Smith, Associate Editor
For eons, food has both brought a nation's people together and torn societies apart. As time has progressed, food production has become increasingly complex. Last week, Vox released a series of maps, charts and graphs that highlight how agriculture has evolved in America.
The authors touch upon a range of topics from production and policy to regional trends, but most compelling are the data related to the economics of farming. Based on the 2012 Census of Agriculture, the average value of agricultural products sold per farm totaled $187,097. Few areas where dairy prevails fell below the national per-farm average, as can be seen in the map. Many of these key regions in Wisconsin, New York and Pennsylvania fell into the $250,000 to $499,999 category. Meanwhile, the agricultural products sold in California and some of Idaho's dairy counties were valued between $500,000 and $750,000-plus per farm.
Among all farm households, the median income was $57,050 in 2011. This exceeded the median income for all U.S. households ($50,054) during the same time period. Furthermore, for operations earning less than $350,000 per year from agricultural sales, the majority of the median household income was derived off-farm. Farms with sales valued at less than $10,000 accounted for 55 percent of all operations but only 1 percent of overall production. According to the USDA's most recent survey, 4 percent of U.S. farms produce 66 percent of farm products, by value.
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For eons, food has both brought a nation's people together and torn societies apart. As time has progressed, food production has become increasingly complex. Last week, Vox released a series of maps, charts and graphs that highlight how agriculture has evolved in America.
The authors touch upon a range of topics from production and policy to regional trends, but most compelling are the data related to the economics of farming. Based on the 2012 Census of Agriculture, the average value of agricultural products sold per farm totaled $187,097. Few areas where dairy prevails fell below the national per-farm average, as can be seen in the map. Many of these key regions in Wisconsin, New York and Pennsylvania fell into the $250,000 to $499,999 category. Meanwhile, the agricultural products sold in California and some of Idaho's dairy counties were valued between $500,000 and $750,000-plus per farm.
Among all farm households, the median income was $57,050 in 2011. This exceeded the median income for all U.S. households ($50,054) during the same time period. Furthermore, for operations earning less than $350,000 per year from agricultural sales, the majority of the median household income was derived off-farm. Farms with sales valued at less than $10,000 accounted for 55 percent of all operations but only 1 percent of overall production. According to the USDA's most recent survey, 4 percent of U.S. farms produce 66 percent of farm products, by value.
