According to the US Census, in 2017 there were a little over 2 million farms in the United States. To me, 2,000,000 farms sounds like an already small number remaining.
I was reading an article in the Successful Farmer (May 2019) where Brett Sciotto of Aimport Research was quoted.
Here is the number that grated my soul:
By 2040, or in one generation, Sciotto forecasts production agriculture will be in the hands of 100,000 farmers.
100,000 farmers and ranchers for the entire United States.
One hundred thousand. That number shocked me. Two million will dwindle to 100,000.
In one generation, only “one out of every four or five commercial operators today” will be farming in the future. “They (mega-operators) (will be) CEO farmers,” states Sciotto, when unprecedented consolidation is expected take place.
Whew! Those figures made me whistle under my breath.
But this generation has the ability to change this forecast! Keep your farm or ranch viable, keep the ranch/farm going! How? Transition, transition, transition!
In 20 years from now, do you want your farm or ranch to be one of the 75% that is consumed by the big operations? What are the chances your farm or ranch will survive into 2040?
Is farm and ranch transition important? Do we sweep “transition” under the rug and assume “it all worked out for me, so it should work out for Junior who is on the place”? According to Sciotto’s numbers, the nation needs to light a fire under family farms and ranches to begin and finish transition to the next generation.
Could there be that many farms in one generation from now? 100,000. It’s a scary number. Reverse the trend and start your transition today.
Summary of article by Bethany Johnston, NGLC Ranch Transition Task Manager. Read the full article here: https://www.agriculture.com/news/crops/in-a-generation-mega-farms-will-dominate-production-ag-analyst-predicts