Top Michigan Agriculture Facts From the 2024 Census of Agriculture
In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
Download Michigan Census of Ag Infographic PDF
Producing more than 300 commodities commercially, Michigan is one of the most agriculturally diverse states in the nation. Michigan agriculture is a huge boon to the state economy, too. According to the USDA’s most recent Census of Agriculture, there are 45,581 farms in Michigan with a market value of agricultural products sold totaling more than $12.2 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 Michigan has decreased by 4% since 2017 and by 15% since 2002. However, there are still more than 9.4 million acres of farm land in Michigan, and the state’s average farm size is 208 acres.
The market value of crops grown in Michigan, including nursery and greenhouse crops, totaled more than $7 billion in 2022. The market value of livestock, poultry and their products, including beef, pork, chicken, dairy and eggs, came to over $5.1 billion.
What Are Michigan’s Top Agricultural Products?
According to the most recent available cash receipts (the total amount of crops or livestock sold in a calendar year), Michigan’s top agricultural products include milk and other dairy products, corn, soybeans, chicken eggs, and floriculture, to name just a few.
See More: Michigan Agriculture
Who Owns Michigan Farms?
The Census of Agriculture calculates farm ownership by the farm’s legal status for tax purposes. Like many states, Michigan farms are primarily owned and operated by families or individuals, with 38,568 family farms as of 2022, or about 84.6% of all farms in the state. Partnerships accounted for 3,084 farms, or 6.8%, while 3,071 farms, or 6.7%, are owned by corporations. Other farms, such as estates or trusts, prison farms, grazing associations, American Indian Reservations, etc., make up about 2% of farms in Michigan.
Michigan farmers are predominantly men. According to the Census of Agriculture, there were 52,272 male farmers in Michigan in 2022, making up 65% of the state’s total producers. Michigan’s 28,201 women farmers accounted for 35% of the total.
See More: Michigan Farmers Incorporate Climate-Smart and Regenerative Practices
How Old Are Michigan Farmers?
Out of 80,473 farmers in Michigan, most are over the age of 55. In fact, the average age of a Michigan farmer is 56.5 years old, down slightly from 56.6 years in 2017.
Just under a quarter of Michigan farmers (around 24.6%) fall into the age group of 55 to 64 years, and 22.2% of farmers are ages 65 to 74. Farmers ranging from 45 to 54 years old account for 16.1%, followed by farmers ages 35 to 44 (14.8%), then farmers aged 75 years or older (11.9%). Only 8.3% of Michigan farmers are ages 25 to 34, and just 1,670 are under 25, or about 2.1%.
See More: Michigan Groups Work to Expand Access to Nutritious, Local Food
More Michigan Farm Facts
Though the state counts more than 80,000 agricultural producers, 57% of Michigan farmers have a primary occupation other than farming. Only about 35,000 respondents to the Census of Agriculture said their primary occupation was farming.
Active duty military members and veterans also account for some farmers, as Michigan has 6,314 farmers with current or past military service.
According to the census, there are 354 Black farmers in Michigan who farm 19,279 acres of land across 248 farms.
Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin producers farmed 147,951 acres in 2022, up from 102,710 five years earlier.
The Census of Agriculture counted 605 USDA-certified organic farms in Michigan in 2022.
Michigan is home to 26,398 new and beginning producers, up from 20,248 in 2017.
Michigan inventoried 436,254 dairy cows spread across 1,481 farms in 2022.
See More: Michigan’s Artisan Cheesemakers Craft Delicious Products