Tennessee’s agriculture industry sustains
the life of the state, providing food, fuel and fiber
for Tennesseans and the world.

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Tennessee Agriculture

In partnership with Tennessee Department of Agriculture

Tennessee’s agriculture industry sustains the life of the state, providing food, fuel and fiber for its citizens along with the rest of the world. The state is home to 63,100 farms that spread over 10.7 million acres. The average size of a Tennessee farm is about 170 acres.

In a typical year, Tennessee’s agriculture and forestry sectors contribute $81 billion to the economy and employ roughly 342,000 people. Tennessee consists of nearly 14 million acres of forested land, equivalent to more than 50% of the state’s total land area. The state’s forestry industry supports 85,000 jobs. In 2023, Tennessee generated more than $5.2 billion in agricultural cash receipts, including about $3.15 billion in crop cash receipts and $2.1 billion in livestock cash receipts.

Top commodities include soybeans and corn, cotton, hay, wheat, tobacco and cattle. Nationally, Tennessee ranks 4th for tobacco production and 2nd for the number of goats.