The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service just released its annual Farms and Land in Farms 2016 Summary. Total land in farms remains unchanged in the Commonwealth, at 8.1 million acres.
According to Herman Ellison, Virginia state statistician with NASS, the average farm size increased one acre to 181 acres, and the number of farms experienced a slight drop of 200 farms in Virginia to 44,800 total farms. “We saw only minor changes between 2015 and 2016 in numbers of farms, land in farms and average sizes of farms across the economic spectrum,” Ellison said.
Economic Class $1,000-$9,999
- Down 300 farms to 25,500
- Land in farms in this class unchanged at 1.8 million acres
- Average farm size in this class up one acre to 71 acres
Economic Class $10,000-$99,999
- Number of farms unchanged at 14,200
- Land in farms in this class unchanged at 2.8 million acres
- Average farm size in this class unchanged at 197 acres
Economic Class $100,000-$249,999
- Number of farms up 100 to 2,050
- Land in farms in this class unchanged at 1 million acres
- Average farm size in this class dropped from 513 acres to 488 acres
Economic Class $250,000-$499,999
- Number of farms unchanged at 1,200
- Land in farms in this class unchanged at 700,000 acres
- Average farm size in this class unchanged at 583 acres
Economic class $500,000-$999,999
- Number of farms unchanged at 1,050
- Land in farms in this class unchanged at 830,000 acres
- Average farm size in this class unchanged at 790 acres
Economic class $1 million and more
- Number of farms unchanged at 800
- Land in farms in this class unchanged at 970,000 acres
- Average farm size in this class unchanged at 1,213 acres
The number of farms in the United States for 2016 is estimated at 2.06 million, down 8,000 farms from 2015. Total land in farms, at 911 million acres, decreased 1 million acres from 2015. The average farm size for 2016 is 442 acres, up one acre from 2015.
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