The For Farmers Movement replaces myths with facts.
By working to convert myths to facts, we can gain a better understanding of the challenges that farmers face and how we can best support them. A good source of facts, like this one, can help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat and the products they buy.
The 2%
Farmers make up only 2% of our nation's population.
Women
36% of American farmers are women.
White
95% of American farmers are white. Less than 2% are Black.
Land access
Cited as the #1 barrier to farming for new and Black farmers.
Aging
The average age of the American farmer is 57.
Veterans
11% of our farmers are veterans or in active military service.
Family farms
98% of American farms are family-owned and operated.
Food production
Family farms account for 88% of food production in the US.
40% by non-farmers
40% of American farmland is owned by investors not farmers.
90% are small farms
Operate nearly 50% of US farmland & generate 21% of production.
70.6% decline
Since 1935, the number of farmers has declined by 4.8 million.
Average acres
The average American farm is 435 acres.
Suicide
Farmers are 3x more likely to end their own lives.
Millennial farmers
250,000 in the US
8 cents
A farmer sees only 8 cents for every dollar spent on food.
GDP
About 1% of US gross domestic products come from farming.
Farmland
914 million acres in the US
85% of grassfed beef
Over 85% of grassfed beef sold in the US is imported.
Employment
Agriculture employs over 24 million Americans.
Food waste
30 to 40% of food produced in the US goes uneaten.
Feeding livestock
67% of crops grown in the US go to feeding livestock.
GMO
Only 11 crops are GMO including most of all corn and soybeans.
Organic
Less than 1% of US farmland is certified organic (5 million acres).
Midsize to Large
These family farms account for about 66% of production.