Family Farms Still Power Most of State and U.S. Agriculture

Friday, December 5th, 2025 -- 8:00 AM

(Farm Flavor) New USDA data reveals a timely story: family farms still power most of U.S. agriculture.

A new analysis from Farm Flavor maps out the state of family-owned farms across the country using the latest USDA data. Researchers calculated the share of farms in each state that meet the USDA’s definition of a family farm, where the majority of the business is owned by the principal operator and their relatives, and examined the market value of agricultural products sold.

Key Takeaways, With Data for Wisconsin:

• Family farms in Wisconsin: Wisconsin is home to 55,765 family-owned farms, which collectively generate $15,625,266,647 of the nation’s nearly $600B in total agricultural output each year.
• Family ownership dominates: 95.3% of all Wisconsin farms are family-owned—ranking Wisconsin 16th in the U.S. in family-owned farm share. These operations are responsible for 84.7% of total farm sales in Wisconsin.
• Small but numerous: Of the 1.8 million family farms in the U.S., about 1.6 million are small family operations earning less than $350,000 annually. The average family-owned farm generates about $269,000 in agricultural sales each year. In Wisconsin, the average family-owned farm generates $280,198 in agricultural sales each year.

Follow this link to see the full report: https://farmflavor.com/farm/states-with-most-family-owned-farms/

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