Top Ohio Agriculture Facts From the 2024 Census of Agriculture
In partnership with: Ohio Department of Agriculture
Download Ohio Census of Ag Infographic PDF
Ohio agriculture is a massive and thriving industry. The state’s producers grow and raise more than 200 commodities, contributing billions of dollars to the Ohio economy each year. According to the USDA’s most recent Census of Agriculture, Ohio has 76,009 farms with a market value of agricultural products sold totaling more than $15.4 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 Ohio has decreased by 2% since 2017. However, there are still more than 13.6 million acres of farm land in Ohio, and the state’s average farm size is 180 acres.
The market value of crops grown in Ohio, including nursery and greenhouse crops, totaled nearly $8.8 billion in 2022. The market value of livestock, poultry and their products, including beef, pork, chicken, dairy and eggs, came to over $6.6 billion.
What Are Ohio’s Top Agricultural Products?
According to the most recent available cash receipts (the total amount of crops or livestock sold in a calendar year), Ohio’s top agricultural products include soybeans, corn, chicken eggs, milk and other dairy products, and hogs, to name just a few.
See More: Ohio Agriculture
Who Owns Ohio Farms?
The Census of Agriculture calculates farm ownership by the farm’s legal status for tax purposes. Like many states, Ohio farms are primarily owned and operated by families or individuals, with 66,217 family farms as of 2022, or about 87% of all farms in the state. Partnerships accounted for 4,968 farms, or 6.5%, while just over 3,400 farms, or 4.5%, are owned by corporations. Other farms, such as estates or trusts, prison farms, grazing associations, American Indian Reservations, etc., make up about 1.8% of farms in Ohio.
Ohio farmers are predominantly men. According to the Census of Agriculture, there were 88,979 male farmers in Ohio in 2022, making up 67% of the state’s total producers. Ohio’s 43,933 women farmers accounted for 33% of the total.
See More: Ohio Women Hold Leadership Roles in Agriculture
How Old Are Ohio Farmers?
Out of 132,912 farmers in Ohio, most are over the age of 55. In fact, the average age of an Ohio farmer is 56.3 years old, up from 55.8 years in 2017.
Just under a quarter of Ohio farmers (around 24.1%) fall into the age group of 55 to 64 years, and 22.4% 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 (14.4%), then farmers aged 75 or older (12%). Only 8.8% of farmers are ages 25 to 34, and just 3,074 Ohio farmers are under 25, or about 2.3%.
More Ohio Farm Facts
Though the state counts nearly 133,000 agricultural producers, 62% of Ohio farmers have a primary occupation other than farming. Only about 50,000 respondents to the Census of Agriculture said their primary occupation was farming.
Active duty military members and veterans also account for some farmers, as Ohio has 10,741 farmers with current or past military service.
According to the census, there are 184 Black farmers in Ohio who farm 14,611 acres of land across 159 farms.
The state counted 39,103 new and beginning farmers in 2022, up from 33,883 in 2017.
487 Ohio farms cultivated Christmas trees in 2022.
894 Ohio farms generated income from agritourism and recreational services in 2022, up from 703 in 2017.
See More: Ohio Agritourism Destinations Offer Unique Activities for Visitors