According to the newly released agricultural census data from The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Indiana remains a top agricultural state, with agricultural products valued at over $18 billion.
The Census of Agriculture is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Even small plots of land, whether rural or urban, growing fruit, vegetables, or some food animals count if $1,000 or more of such products were raised and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the Census year. The Census of Agriculture, taken only once every five years, looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income, and expenditures.
Data from the census shapes programs and initiatives that benefit Indiana farmers, expands access to resources that help farmers, and helps farmers diversify into new markets, including local and regional food systems, specialty crops, and organic production.
Listed below are some highlights from the 2022 Census of Agriculture for Indiana.
Indiana ranks as:
- Number one producer of popcorn, gourds, and duck
- Number two producer of pumpkins
- Number three producer of spearmint and turkeys
- Number four producer of peppermint and soybeans
- Number five producing state for corn and hogs
- Number six producer of eggs and watermelons
- Number ten producing state for maple syrup and hemp for floral (CBD and other cannabinoid usage)
- The Total Value of Agricultural Production is over $18 billion at 65% crops and 35% livestock, which is up from $11.1 million in 2017, a 64% increase.
Land data shows:
- The number of farms is 53,599
- Land in farms 14.6 million acres
- Average farm size 272 acres
- The top five Indiana counties with the largest number of farms are: LaGrange, Elkhart, Allen, Adams & Daviess
- Top five Indiana counties with the highest value of agriculture production are: Jay, Jasper, Elkhart, LaGrange, Dubois.
Demographics are showing:
- Indiana has 94,282 farmers, with 30,691 females and 63,321 males.
- The average age of the Hoosier Farmer is 56 years old
- Young Producers (those under 35 years old) total 11,058 with an average age of 28.7 years old
- New and Beginning farmers (those with less than 10 years of experience) total 26,428 with an average age of 43.2 years old
- Producers with military service total 6,621
Additional USDA Ag Census data will be coming out throughout the year, including the market value of ag products sold, state and county profiles, race, ethnicity and gender profiles, watershed information, specialty crops, aquaculture, and more. To see them all, visit nass.usda.gov.
