Why U.S. Agriculture and Rural Areas Have a Stake in Small Farms

Despite a two-thirds decline in the number of farms since 1945, small farms remain important contributors to rural communities and U.S. agriculture. They constitute 60 percent of all farms, own 29 percent of farmland held by farmers, and hold 39 percent of the farm sector’s net worth. Small farmers often concentrate on alternative crops and niche markets, pioneering new areas for U.S. agriculture. They also contribute significantly to the rural economy as purchasers of inputs and supplies, preservers of the rural landscape, and sources of off-farm workers in local economies