The state of African American farms continues to be a vital component to the African American economy, this despite investment and participation in it on a downward trend. We are highlighting key findings from the 2017 USDA Agriculture Census with 2012 comparison in parentheses where available.
Number of Farms: 35,470 (36,382)
Land in farms (acres): 4,673,140 (4,563,805)
Average size of farm (acres): 132 (125)
Market Value of products sold: $1,416,256,000 ($1,311,6332,000)
Market Value of crops sold: $857,698,000
Market value of livestock, poultry, & products: $558,558,000
Government payments: $58,807,000 (60,731,000)
Average Per Farm Receiving Payments: $7,108 ($5,509)
69 Percent of African American Farms are between 10-180 acres
4 Percent of African American Farms are over 500 acres
43 percent of African American farmers are over the age of 65
5 percent of African American farmers are under the age of 35
HBCU Money 