The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made public the results of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, a comprehensive resource for agricultural data across the United States, influencing federal farm programs, policy, and funding decisions.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has recognized the release as a critical juncture for federal agriculture policy. Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, emphasized the census's findings that farms are becoming fewer and larger, with a significant 36 percent increase in farms reporting over $1 million in sales since 2017, while the number of smaller farms has declined by nearly 9 percent. Notably, Black-owned farms have diminished at almost double the rate of other farms, though there was an 11 percent increase in beginning farmers.
Conducted every five years, the Census of Agriculture gathers data on the agricultural landscape, covering farm sizes, organic agriculture prevalence, conservation efforts, and demographics among farmers. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack highlighted the survey as a critical indicator of the country's stance on the loss of farms and farmland, urging for a strong farm bill to make federal programs more accessible to all. Lavender further stated NSAC's intention to delve into the census data on their blog, emphasizing the importance of equitable support for all farming types, especially small and mid-sized operations.
“This survey is a wake-up call. It’s essentially asking the critical question of whether, as a country, we are okay with losing that many farms, okay with losing that much farmland? Or is there a better way?” Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack commented while releasing the new Census data at a USDA livestream event earlier today.
For more information, visit nass.usda.gov/AgCensus or watch the USDA livestream data release event at USDA.gov/Live.
For more information:
Laura Zaks
press@sustainableagriculture.net
Tel. 347-563-6408