Top Vermont Agriculture Facts From the 2024 Census of Agriculture
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From milk to maple syrup, the Green Mountain State produces a long list of important commodities, and Vermont agriculture is a significant contributor to the state economy. According to the USDA’s most recent Census of Agriculture, there are 6,537 farms in Vermont with a market value of agricultural products sold totaling more than $1 billion. (The 2022 Census of Agriculture data came out in February 2024 and is the most recent census data available.)
The number of farms in Vermont has decreased by 4% since 2017 and by 1% since 2002. However, there are still more than 1 million acres of farm land in Vermont, and the state’s average farm size is 180 acres.
The market value of crops grown in Vermont, including nursery and greenhouse crops, totaled more than $326 million in 2022. The market value of livestock, poultry and their products, including beef, pork, chicken, dairy and eggs, came to nearly $707 million.
What Are Vermont’s Top Agricultural Products?
According to the most recent available cash receipts (the total amount of crops or livestock sold in a calendar year), Vermont’s top agricultural products include milk and other dairy products, maple products, cattle and calves, floriculture, and hay, to name a few.
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Who Owns Vermont Farms?
The Census of Agriculture calculates farm ownership by the farm’s legal status for tax purposes. Like many states, Vermont farms are primarily owned and operated by families or individuals, with 5,077 family farms as of 2022, or about 77.7% of all farms in the state. Partnerships account for 696 farms, or 10.7%, while corporations own just 588 farms, or 9%. Other farms, such as estates or trusts, prison farms, grazing associations, American Indian Reservations, etc., make up about 2.6% of farms in Vermont.
Vermont farmers are relatively evenly split between men and women, although there are more male farmers than female farmers in the state. According to the Census of Agriculture, there were 7,393 male farmers in Vermont in 2022, making up 59% of the state’s total producers. Vermont’s 5,077 women farmers accounted for 41% of the total.
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How Old Are Vermont Farmers?
Out of 12,470 farmers in Vermont, most are over the age of 55. In fact, the average age of a Vermont farmer is 57.7 years old, up from 55.9 years in 2017.
More than a quarter of Vermont farmers (around 27.2%) fall into the age group of 65 to 74 years, and 22.3% of farmers are ages 55 to 64. Farmers ranging from 45 to 54 years old account for 15.7%, followed by farmers ages 35 to 44 (13%), then farmers aged 75 or older (12.1%). Only 7.8% of farmers are ages 25 to 34, and just 236 Vermont farmers are under 25, or about 1.9%.
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More Vermont Farm Facts
Though the state counts more than 12,000 agricultural producers, 57% of Vermont farmers have a primary occupation other than farming. Only about 5,400 respondents to the Census of Agriculture said their primary occupation was farming.
Active duty military members and veterans also account for some farmers, as Vermont has 943 farmers with current or past military service.
Vermont is home to 690 USDA-certified organic farms, up from 615 in 2017.
The state counted 4,032 new and beginning producers in 2022, up from 3,754 in 2017.
Vermont farms produced 3.15 million gallons of maple syrup from nearly 8.5 million taps in 2022, up from 2 million gallons in 2017.
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