Top Indiana Agriculture Facts From the 2024 Census of Agriculture
In partnership with: Indiana State Department of Agriculture
Download Indiana Census of Ag Infographic PDF
Ranking among the top states in the nation for production of many commodities, Indiana is home to a diverse and thriving agriculture industry. Indiana agriculture contributes everything from corn and soybeans to cattle, dairy, eggs, watermelon, popcorn and so much more – and makes a big impact on the state economy each year. According to the USDA’s most recent Census of Agriculture, there are 53,599 farms in Indiana with a market value of agricultural products sold totaling more than $18 billion. (The 2022 Census of Agriculture data released in February 2024 and is the most recent census data available.)
The number of farms in Indiana has decreased by 5% since 2017 and by 11% since 2002. However, there are still more than 14.6 million acres of farm land in Indiana, and the state’s average farm size is 272 acres.
The market value of crops grown in Indiana, including nursery and greenhouse crops, totaled nearly $11.8 billion in 2022. The market value of livestock, poultry and their products, including beef, pork, chicken, dairy and eggs, came to more than $6.2 billion.
What Are Indiana’s Top Agricultural Products?
According to the most recent available cash receipts (the total amount of crops or livestock sold in a calendar year), Indiana’s top agricultural products include corn, soybeans, chicken eggs, hogs, and milk and other dairy products, just to name a few.
See More: Indiana Agriculture
Who Owns Indiana Farms?
The Census of Agriculture calculates farm ownership by the farm’s legal status for tax purposes. Like many states, Indiana farms are primarily owned and operated by families or individuals, with 45,401 family farms as of 2022, or about 84.7% of all farms in the state. Corporations accounted for 4,076 farms, or 7.6%, while 3,177 farms, or 5.9%, are owned by partnerships. Other farms, such as estates or trusts, prison farms, grazing associations, American Indian Reservations, etc., make up about 1.8% of farms in Indiana.
Indiana farmers are predominantly men. According to the Census of Agriculture, there were 63,321 male farmers in Indiana in 2022, making up 67% of the state’s total producers. Indiana’s 30,961 women farmers accounted for 33% of the total.
See More: Hydroponic Farming Takes Root in Indiana
How Old Are Indiana Farmers?
Out of 94,282 farmers in Indiana, most are over the age of 55. In fact, the average age of an Indiana farmer is 56 years old, up from 55.5 years in 2017.
Just under a quarter of Indiana farmers (around 22.4%) fall into the age group of 55 to 64 years, and 21.7% of farmers are ages 65 to 74. Farmers ranging from 45 to 54 years old account for 16.3%, followed by farmers ages 35 to 44 (15.5%), then farmers aged 75 or above (12.5%). Only 9.6% of farmers are ages 25 to 34, and just 1,962 Indiana farmers are under 25, or about 2.0%.
See More: Indiana’s Specialty Crops Diversify the State’s Agriculture Industry
More Indiana Farm Facts
Though the state counts more than 94,000 agricultural producers, 61% of Indiana farmers have a primary occupation other than farming. Only about 37,198 respondents to the Census of Agriculture said their primary occupation was farming.
Active duty military members and veterans also account for some farmers, as Indiana has 6,621 farmers with current or past military service.
According to the census, there are 99 Black farmers in Indiana who farm 11,960 acres of land on 80 farms.
4,402 Indiana farms used solar panels in 2022, up from 3,211 five years earlier.
Indiana has 764 USDA-certified organic farms, up from 602 in 2017.
Finally, here’s some holly jolly Indiana agriculture news: Indiana farmers harvested 60,841 Christmas trees in 2022.
See More: Row Crops Are Big Business in Indiana