Top Rhode Island Agriculture Facts From the 2024 Census of Agriculture
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Agriculture is a top industry in Rhode Island, contributing millions to the state economy each year. According to the USDA’s most recent Census of Agriculture, there are 1,054 farms in Rhode Island with a market value of agricultural products sold totaling nearly $93 million. (The 2022 Census of Agriculture data was released in February 2024 and is the most recent census data available.)
The number of farms in Rhode Island has increased by 1% since 2017 and by 23% since 2002. There are 59,076 acres of farm land in Rhode Island, and the state’s average farm size is 56 acres.
The market value of crops grown in Rhode Island, including nursery and greenhouse crops, totaled more than $72 million in 2022. The market value of livestock, poultry and their products, including beef, pork, chicken, dairy and eggs, came to nearly $21 million.
What Are Rhode Island’s Top Agricultural Products?
According to the most recent available cash receipts (the total amount of crops or livestock sold in a calendar year), Rhode Island’s top agricultural products include chicken eggs, floriculture, turkeys, milk and other dairy products, and hay, to name a few.
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Who Owns Rhode Island Farms?
The Census of Agriculture calculates farm ownership by the farm’s legal status for tax purposes. Like many states, Rhode Island farms are primarily owned and operated by families or individuals, with 759 family farms as of 2022, or about 72% of all farms in the state. Corporations accounted for 178 farms, or 17%, while 71 farms, or 6.7%, are owned by partnerships. Other farms, such as estates or trusts, prison farms, grazing associations, American Indian Reservations, etc., make up about 4.4% of farms in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island farmers are relatively evenly split between men and women. According to the Census of Agriculture, there were 1,106 male farmers in Rhode Island in 2022, making up 57% of the state’s total producers. Rhode Island’s 832 women farmers accounted for 43% of the total.
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How Old Are Rhode Island Farmers?
Out of 1,938 farmers in Rhode Island, most are over the age of 55. In fact, the average age of a Rhode Island farmer is 56.6 years old, up from 56.9 years in 2017.
Just over a quarter of Rhode Island farmers (around 26.5%) fall into the age group of 55 to 64 years, and 22.9% of farmers are ages 65 to 74. Farmers ranging from 35 to 44 years old account for 15.2%, followed by farmers ages 45 to 54 (14.6%), then farmers aged 75 or older (11.1%). Only 8% of farmers are ages 25 to 34, and just 33 Rhode Island farmers are under 25, or about 1.7%.
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More Rhode Island Farm Facts
Though the state counts nearly 2,000 agricultural producers, 57% of Rhode Island farmers have a primary occupation other than farming. Only 841 respondents to the Census of Agriculture said their primary occupation was farming.
Active duty military members and veterans also account for some farmers, as Rhode Island has 135 farmers with current or past military service.
Rhode Island counted 802 new and beginning producers in 2022, up from 558 in 2017.
Rhode Island is home to 31 USDA-certified organic farms, up from 20 in 2017.
Rhode Island’s 1,446 colonies of honeybees produced 68,208 pounds of honey in 2022.
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