The total number of farms in the United States declined again last year.
Whether that’s due to COVID-19 hasn’t been determined, but the Department of Agriculture has released figures showing 4,400 are no longer in operation. In fact, there are now about 45,000 fewer operations than was the case five years ago.
While this was happening, 24 states bucked the trend and maintained the number of farms – some even increased that figure. Alabama, Colorado, Florida and Montana added farms to start the decade. The states showing the greatest incidence of farm loss were in the Midwest.
Wisconsin farmstead numbers dropped by 500. And, the average size U.S. farm operation in 2020 held steady with the year before at 444 acres.
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