Top Colorado Agriculture Facts From the 2024 Census of Agriculture
In partnership with: Colorado Department of Agriculture
Download Colorado Census of Ag Infographic PDF
From the Rocky Mountains to the plains, Colorado agriculture is a diverse and thriving industry that contributes billions to the state economy each year. According to the USDA’s most recent Census of Agriculture, there are 36,056 farms in Colorado with a market value of agricultural products sold totaling more than $9 billion. (The 2022 Census of Agriculture data was released in February 2024 and is the most recent census data available.)
The number of farms in Colorado has decreased by 7% since 2017 but increased by 15% since 2002. There are more than 30.2 million acres of farm land in Colorado, and the state’s average farm size is 838 acres.
The market value of crops grown in Colorado, including nursery and greenhouse crops, totaled more than $2.8 billion in 2022. The market value of livestock, poultry and their products, including beef, pork, chicken, dairy and eggs, came to over $6.4 billion.
What Are Colorado’s Top Agricultural Products?
According to the most recent available cash receipts (the total amount of crops or livestock sold in a calendar year), Colorado’s top agricultural products include cattle and calves, milk and other dairy products, corn, hay and wheat, to name just a few.
See More: Colorado Agriculture
Who Owns Colorado Farms?
The Census of Agriculture calculates farm ownership by the farm’s legal status for tax purposes. Like many states, Colorado farms are primarily owned and operated by families or individuals, with 28,652 family farms as of 2022, or nearly 80% of all farms in the state. Partnerships account for 3,218 farms, or 9%, while corporations own 3,191 farms, or 9%. Other farms, such as estates or trusts, prison farms, grazing associations, American Indian Reservations, etc., make up about 2.8% of farms in Colorado.
Colorado farmers are predominantly men. According to the Census of Agriculture, there were 40,106 male farmers in Colorado in 2022, making up 59% of the state’s total producers. Colorado’s 27,746 women farmers accounted for 41% of the total.
See More: Colorado’s Top 10 Agricultural Commodities
How Old Are Colorado Farmers?
Out of 67,852 farmers in Colorado, most are over the age of 55. In fact, the average age of a Colorado farmer is 58.3 years old, up from 57.6 years in 2017.
Just over a quarter of Colorado farmers (around 25.7%) fall into the age group of 65 to 74 years, and 23.8% are ages 55 to 64. Farmers ranging from 45 to 54 years old account for 14.6%, followed by farmers ages 35 to 44 (14.1%), then farmers over 75 years old (13.9%). Only 6.7% of Colorado farmers are ages 25 to 34, and just 901 farmers are under 25, or about 1.3%.
See More: Colorado Farmers Explore High-Value Markets
More Colorado Agriculture Facts
Though the state counts more than 67,000 agricultural producers, 61% of Colorado farmers have a primary occupation other than farming. Only about 26,000 respondents to the Census of Agriculture said their primary occupation was farming.
Active duty military members and veterans also account for some farmers, as Colorado has 6,496 farmers with current or past military service.
According to the census, there are 82 Black farmers in Colorado who farm 10,221 acres of land across 72 farms.
Colorado is home to 24,166 new and beginning producers, up from 21,157 in 2017.
Orchards occupy 6,234 acres of land in Colorado.
Colorado had an inventory of 2,658,012 cattle and calves across 12,030 farms in 2022.
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