US Loses Staggering 141,000 Farms In 5 Years, Equivalent To The Size Of Maine

Tens of thousands of farms have been forced to close just within the last five years, according to a recent analysis by Farm Bureau.

Citing the recently published United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Census of Agriculture for 2022, Farm Bureau reports the number of farms in the U.S. declined by 141,733 (7%); and acres operated by farm operations during this same five years decreased by 20.1 million (2.2%), which is roughly the size of the state of Maine.

The group said in summary:

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The 2022 Census of Agriculture provides an in-depth look at the U.S. farm landscape over the past five years. With a loss of 141,733 farm operations, representing a 7% decline, and reduction of 20.1 million acres under cultivation, equivalent to the size of Maine, the agriculture sector has faced significant shifts.

Though the data shows an ongoing consolidation of farms into fewer, larger operations, it also highlights the adaptability of farmers and ranchers. Despite fewer farms and reduced acreage, the value of agricultural production has increased by 40% (17% in inflation-adjusted dollars), reaching $543 billion in 2022.

This increase in productivity underscores the impact of technological advancements and efficiency gains, allowing farmers to produce more with fewer resources. The magnitude of changes is not uniform across states, with the Southwest experiencing a much higher percentage loss in farms than states east of the Mississippi.

The challenges faced by farms of all sizes has raised calls for a robust and comprehensive farm bill that could provide support to the operations most at risk and to those providing the lion’s share of the American food supply, helping both to navigate economic uncertainties and regulatory complexities, to undertake innovative and sustainable practices, and to promote the long-term viability of a diverse agricultural landscape across the nation.

The Census of Agriculture paints the picture of what we have lost, and of what more could be lost without firm support.

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Farm Bureau also provided a number of charts and graphs that highlight where these changes are occurring the most. The firm also highlights that this massive decline in farms follows are a steady decline of farms year-over-year since the 1950’s.

As noted by Farm Bureau, smaller operations are being replaced and eaten up by much larger ones.

Between 2017 and 2022 the number of farms in the $0 – $4,999 economic class dropped the most, by 120,970 (13%), followed by the $5,000 – $49,000 category, which lost 32,215 operations (5%). The category of farms in an economic class over a million grew by 28,566 operations (36%). The number of farms in lower economic classes shrunk at a faster rate than those in higher economic classes.

That said, most ag production is generated by farms in higher economic classes. In 2017, 69% of the value of agricultural products sold was products by farms in the million-dollar-plus economic class. In 2022 this increased to 79% (Figure 8).

The group highlighted

On top of this, the group that the general costs of farm operations are only continuing to increase, straining operations and productivity and profit for these smaller farms, but can be much more easily absorbed by larger corporate groups. ‘Farmers and ranchers currently face the highest production expenses on record, in addition to increasingly complex local, state and federal regulations and growing competition from lower-cost foreign markets,’ Farm Bureau noted.

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

Meanwhile this news comes at a time when American farmland is being continually being bought-up for relatively low rates by large hedge funds and corporate investors, while smaller operations are effectively being forced out of the industry, as I have noted in a number of reports for the last several years:

• Private Equity Firms And Rich Hedge Funds Continue To Buy Up Vast Swaths Of Farmland
• Small American Farmers Are Being Put Out Of Business And Replaced With Radical Climate Overlords
• Warning: Entire Swaths Of American Farmland Is Being Confiscated To Install New “Carbon Pipelines”
• 50 International Farms Pen Open-Letter To Bill Gates, Condemning His Meddling In The Agricultural Industry
• Bill Gates Becomes Largest Farmland Owner In America

Meanwhile, you got the media and idiot “scientists” telling us that homegrown gardens emit 6 times more carbon than the big, conventional practices by these corporations.

The Divided Slaves of America is all we are anymore. Freedom in the land is gone and it is all being consolidated by the bigs, and the politicians we of course know could care less and are routinely lobbied by these guys. And it’s not hard to see how all these manufactured food shortages and crises are being allowed to come in, because these farms are owned by such a small few, and therefore gives them leverage to manipulate the food supply very easily. SEE: Hunger Games: World Bank And Cargill Simulated Food Crisis That Starts In 2020 During Pandemic, Predicts Carbon And Meat Taxes In 2024

Americans “are impudent and hardhearted,” and are “a rebellious house” (Ezekiel 3:7, 9). None of this seems to bother them. They don’t know and don’t care: just as long as they are fed then they could care less. But once the food runs dry then they will. This is one of the biggest reasons why the people refuse to rebel, is because the perception of the abundance of food, and the convenience of filling their stomachs at an instant and not having to sweat for it (Ezekiel 16:49; Proverbs 23:19-23). Until this changes the people will not demand change and fight to take it back. But by the time the system totally breaks apart it will be far too late.

Just take a look at what’s been happening in Europe and the land grabs there. It’s been happening here in the states for a VERY long time but Americans are deaf, dumb, and blind to this. SEE: EU Passes Flagship Nature Restoration Law Amidst Protests, Allows For Massive Land Grabs And Heavy Restrictions On Farmers

And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

Job 2:4

While you cannot change what is happening, what you can do is stop relying so heavily on these major corporations and chains, and support the farmers who are doing it right, and network with them and help to strengthen them.

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[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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