March 2024 

Author: Simona Balazs, Blueprint Kentucky Research Director

Questions this County Data Profile can help you answer:

• What is the status of the agricultural sector in your county? 
• How have things changed since the previous Census of Agriculture? 
• What is the value of sales for selected commodities? 
• Is the county more reliant on crop sales or animal sales? 
• Is the county more reliant on small producers or large producers?

Data that this County Profile provides:

Farm Economics:

Total Value of Farm Land and Buildings: Total asset value of ag land, including buildings.

Net Cash Farm Income: Total revenue, including government payments and farm related income, MINUS total expenses paid by the producers. Some county values will be negative. Net cash farm income includes the payments received for producing under a production contract, except for the value of commodities produced under production contract by the contract growers and it does not account for depreciation.

Total Value of Crop Sales: Total market value of crop products sold.

Total Value of Animal Sales: Total market value of animal products sold.

Value of Products Sold Directly to Consumers: Total value of food sold directly to consumers at farmers markets, on-farm stands or stores, roadside avenues, CSA programs, etc.

Income from Agri-tourism & Recreational Services: Total income from recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, hayrides, farm tours, etc.

Sales by Selected Commodity:

Total market value of products sold for the selected animal and crop commodities, for the year 2022. The selected commodities are Corn, Soybeans, Poultry, Cattle and Equine. 

The market value of products sold represents the gross market value before taxes and production expenses of the agricultural products sold or removed from the farm, regardless of who received the payment. 

The Equine value includes two categories: Equine, Horses & Ponies and Equine Products. Equine Products are horse breeding fees, stud fees, semen, and other equine products and exclude boarding, training, and riding facilities income.

The difference between the selected commodities and the Total Value of Crop Sales or Total Value of Animal Sales is represented by other crops, livestock and products not included here.

Total Land in Farms (%): 

Percent of land in farms out of total land for the selected county, Kentucky, and U.S. Both 2017 and 2022 data are provided to allow for comparison and estimation of changes. 

Distribution of Farms by: 

The distribution of total farms by size (acreage), volume of sales and number of producers. Both 2017 and 2022 data are provided to allow for comparison and estimation of changes.

Farm Operations & Workforce:

Total Farm Operations: Total number of farm operations for the selected county.

Farms Fully Owned: Number of farms where owners operated only land they owned. This includes corporations that own all the land operated by a hired manager. The remainder is partly owned (owners operated land owned and also land rented) or rented (tenants operated land rented).

Farms with Internet Access: Number of farms that reported using personal computers, laptops, or mobile devices (e.g., cell phones or tablets) to access the internet. This can be done using services such as broadband, dialup, cellular, satellite, or other methods.

Total Number of Producers: Total number of people involved in the decision-making process for the farm operation. This includes the owner of the farm, a member of the household, a manager, a renter, or a tenant.

Female Producers: Number of producers that are female. 

Veterans or Active-Duty Producers: Number of producers that are veterans or active-duty military. 

Black/African American Producers: Number of producers that are Black/African American. 

Total Number of Hired Workers: Total number of farm workers that were paid salary or wages. It includes paid family members and office workers and excludes contract labor. 

Total Number of Unpaid Workers: Total number of unpaid farm workers, including family members and office workers.

County Data on the Map:

Number of Farm Operations: Total number of farm operations. 

Percent of Total Sales from Crops: Percent market value of crop products sold out of total market value. 

Percent of Total Sales from Animals: Percent market value of animal products sold out of total market value. 

Percent Change in Number of Farms: Percent change in farm operations between 2017 to 2022. 

Percent of Farms that are Small Farms: Percent of farm operations with less than 50 acres of land.

Why is the Agricultural Sector important?

 The Agricultural Sector is an important component of a county’s economic landscape. National trends illustrate that, with every passing decade, fewer people are working on farms. This does not necessarily mean a decrease in crop and animal production, but it could rather indicate an increase in productivity due to technological advancements. 

The growth or decline in the number of farm operations or producers can indicate a consolidation of agricultural enterprises, an increase in new agricultural entrepreneurs, etc. Understanding the distribution of farms, the balance of small - to medium - to large sized agricultural enterprises, and how things have changed, may be helpful in identifying local trends. 

Changes in livestock and crop production are closely linked to commodity prices and markets, which are highly volatile. This can have a significant impact on the value of market products sold, on the income from farm sources, and on the type of commodities produced. 

Data Source: 

USDA/NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture, https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus