Top Maryland Agriculture Facts From the 2024 Census of Agriculture
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As the state’s leading commercial industry, Maryland agriculture is a significant contributor to the state economy. According to the USDA’s most recent Census of Agriculture, there are 12,550 farms in Maryland with a market value of agricultural products sold totaling nearly $3.4 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 Maryland has increased by 1% since 2017 and by 3% since 2002. There are more than 1.9 million acres of farm land in Maryland, and the state’s average farm size is 158 acres.
The market value of crops grown in Maryland, including nursery and greenhouse crops, totaled nearly $1.4 billion in 2022. The market value of livestock, poultry and their products, including beef, pork, chicken, dairy and eggs, came to more than $1.9 billion.
What Are Maryland’s Top Agricultural Products?
According to the most recent available cash receipts (the total amount of crops or livestock sold in a calendar year), Maryland’s top agricultural products include broilers (chickens raised for meat), corn, soybeans, milk and other dairy products, and floriculture, to name a few.
See More: Maryland Agriculture
Who Owns Maryland Farms?
The Census of Agriculture calculates farm ownership by the farm’s legal status for tax purposes. Like many states, Maryland farms are primarily owned and operated by families or individuals, with 10,155 family farms as of 2022, or nearly 81% of all farms in the state. Corporations account for 1,187 farms, or 9.5%, while 981 farms, or 7.8%, 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 Maryland.
Maryland farmers are predominantly men. According to the Census of Agriculture, there were 14,647 male farmers in Maryland in 2022, making up 62% of the state’s total producers. Maryland’s 8,860 women farmers accounted for 38% of the total.
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How Old Are Maryland Farmers?
Out of 23,507 farmers in Maryland, most are over the age of 55. In fact, the average age of a Maryland farmer is 57.8 years old, up from 57 years in 2017.
Just over a quarter of Maryland farmers (around 26.8%) fall into the age group of 55 to 64 years, and 23.1% of farmers are ages 65 to 74. Farmers ranging from 45 to 54 years old account for 15.1%, followed by farmers over 75 years old (13.7%), then farmers ages 35 to 44 (11.6%). Only 7.2% of farmers are ages 25 to 34, and just 600 Maryland farmers are under 25, or about 2.6%.
More Maryland Farm Facts
Though the state counts more than 23,000 agricultural producers, 59% of Maryland farmers have a primary occupation other than farming. Only about 9,721 respondents to the Census of Agriculture said their primary occupation was farming.
Active duty military members and veterans also account for some farmers, as Maryland has 2,106 farmers with current or past military service.
See More: What’s Growing? Maryland Produce Calendar
According to the census, there are 269 Black farmers in Maryland who farm 8,837 acres of land across 185 farms.
Maryland counts 2,301 young producers (34 years old or younger).
Maryland is home to 7,319 new and beginning producers, including 3,136 women.
There are 106 USDA-certified organic farms.