Most farms in the United States—98 percent in 2003—are family farms. They are organized as proprietorships, partnerships, or family corporations. Even the largest farms tend to be family farms. Very large family farms account for a small share of farms but a large—and growing—share of farm sales. Small family farms account for most farms but produce a modest share of farm output. Median income for farm households is 10 percent greater than the median for all U.S. households. Small-farm households also receive substantial off-farm income.
Chapters are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.
- Report summary, 110 kb
- Abstract, Acknowledgements, Contents, and Summary, 85 kb
- Introduction, 54 kb
- Special Feature: Multiple-Operator Farms, 88 kb
- U.S. Farms: Numbers, Size, and Ownership, 202 kb
- Farm Income and Financial Performance, 124 kb
- Sources and Levels of Operator Household Income, 97 kb
- Government Payments, 147 kb
- Farm Business Arrangements, 163 kb
- Conclusions, 96 kb
- References, 47 kb
- Appendix 1: Comparing ARMS and Census Estimates of Multiple-Operator Farms, 53 kb
- Appendix 2: Measuring Operator Household Income and Net Worth, 44 kb
Entire Document, 1,798 kb
(U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service)