USDA releases latest Ag Census

Posted on February 16, 2024
Illinois has just over 71,000 farms and ranches, down two percent from 2017. The average size in Illinois was 370 acres, down two acres. (Facebook/Illinois Farm Bureau)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The USDA is out with its Ag Census, which is produced every five years.

As of 2022, “there were slightly more than 71,000 farms and ranches in Illinois,” said Mark Schleusener, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service state statistician. “That is down two per cenct from the previous census in 2017. The average farm size was 370 acres, down two acres from the previous census of ag.

“Illinois remained the Number One state for soybeans, horseradish, and pumpkin acres.”

And there’s a lot of money in play.

“Illinois farmers produced $26.4 billion in agriculutral products,” Schleusener continued. “That is up 55 percent from the $17 billion that was produced in 2017.

“Now, expenses went up, also: $17.8 billion, up one-third from the previous census.”

The average age of the Illinois farmers is 58.6, up from 58 in 2017. And 28 percent of Illinois farmers are women. That’s almost 34,000/

nass.usda.gov/agcensus

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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