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In 2012, the United States had 2,039,093 family farms (as defined by USDA), accounting for 97 percent of all farms and 89 percent of census farm area in the United States. [20] In 1988 Mark Friedberger warned, "The farm family is a unique institution, perhaps the last remnant, in an increasingly complex world, of a simpler social order in which ...
The history of agriculture in the United States covers the period from the first English settlers to the present day. In Colonial America, agriculture was the primary livelihood for 90% of the population, and most towns were shipping points for the export of agricultural products. Most farms were geared toward subsistence production for family use.
Although four million farms disappeared in the United States between 1948 and 2015, total output from the farms that remained more than doubled. The number of farms with more than 2,000 acres (810 ha) almost doubled between 1987 and 2012, while the number of farms with 200 acres (81 ha) to 999 acres (404 ha) fell over the same period by 44%.
While family farms still make up a vast majority of the state’s total operations, the average farm size has continued to grow, indicating consolidation in the industry, and farmland in fewer hands.
Today, the National Farmers Union represents more than 200,000 family farms and ranches across the United States. It is organized into chapters in 33 different states. Proposals are often started at the local level before moving up to the state and national levels. Twice a year, leaders of NFU convene in Washington, D.C., to meet with legislators.
Tuttle Farm, now known as Tender Crop, was referred to as the oldest family-owned farm in the United States; however, this claim was challenged until 2013. The Shirley Plantation in Charles City, Virginia, was founded in 1613 and has been in operation since 1638. It claimed to be (and is currently) America’s oldest family-owned farm. [2] [3]
The family and the farm are linked, co-evolve and combine economic, environmental, reproductive, social, and cultural functions”. [1] Family Farming is the predominant form of agriculture in both developing and developed countries. In fact: There are an estimated 500 million family farms, representing over 90% of all farms globally
Matejcak said her family farm decreased from about 900 acres to the 300 acres in the past 30 years as they sold land to make way for new housing. Homer Glen has shifted from being a rural ...