{"id":13859,"date":"2024-03-22T10:16:58","date_gmt":"2024-03-22T14:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/washington\/?p=13859"},"modified":"2024-03-22T10:16:58","modified_gmt":"2024-03-22T14:16:58","slug":"u-s-census-of-agriculture-reveals-increase-in-value-of-maine-farms-and-agricultural-products","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/washington\/2024\/03\/22\/u-s-census-of-agriculture-reveals-increase-in-value-of-maine-farms-and-agricultural-products\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Census of Agriculture reveals increase in value of Maine farms and agricultural products"},"content":{"rendered":"

The United States Department of Agriculture recently released results of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, including state- and county-level statistics. The most recent data for Maine show that farms continue to be a driver of economic activity, especially in rural communities. Agricultural land and buildings are worth more than ever before. The estimated market value of land and buildings for the average Maine farm rose to $649,229, the highest number since 1997 even when accounting for inflation. The average Maine farm also had its largest grossing year in 2022 compared to other census years, with $123,582 market value of agricultural products sold.<\/p>\n

The Census also revealed that Maine has the lowest number of farms and farmland acreage since 1997. In 2022, there were an estimated 7,036 farms with 1.23 million acres of farmland, down from a peak of 8,173 operations and 1.45 million acres in 2012. Maine lost 564 farms and 82,567 acres of farmland since the last census in 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Maine agriculture changes and grows, Cooperative Extension and the University of Maine will continue to be a vital source of evidence-based knowledge to support healthy and sustainable food, fiber and natural resource industries in our state,\u201d said Hannah Carter, Associate Provost for Online and Continuing Education and Dean of UMaine Extension.<\/p>\n

Specialty crops, including maple syrup, Christmas trees, hay and nursery and greenhouse sectors, account for the bulk of agricultural activity in the state. A full 63.1% of the value from agricultural products sales is attributed to specialty crops, totaling $548.5 million. Livestock, poultry and their products comprise the second largest single USDA commodity group, accounting for 34.3% of sales value in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cFaculty and staff within Extension are offering new programs every day that support these key sectors including our vegetable and fruit growers<\/a>, Christmas tree farmers, maple sugaring<\/a>, livestock and forage producers<\/a>, and the nursery industry,\u201d said Tori Jackson, Extension Program Leader for Agriculture and Natural Resources. \u201cThrough the Maine Farmer Resource Network and other group, we also coordinate with partners to build across communities and industries.\u201d   <\/p>\n

Agritourism, direct sales and on-farm value addition remain critical components of Maine\u2019s agricultural economy. Between 2017 and 2022, the income gained by farms from agritourism and on-farm recreational activities doubled, accounting for $12.2 million despite the number of farms engaged in these activities remaining nearly the same at 241. Nearly 20% of the total value of Maine agricultural products sold in 2022, or $172.6 million, was sold directly by Maine farms to consumers, institutions, local and regional retailers, restaurants and food hubs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe business landscape for Maine agriculture is changing rapidly,\u201d said Jason Entsminger, State Extension Specialist for Small Business and Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. \u201cThe way farms create and capture value through new market channels, how they staff their operations, and how they make strategic decisions about supply chains, risk management and financing are some of the major challenges we\u2019re working to help operators address every day.\u201d    <\/p>\n

Labor continues to be the largest expenditure category for Maine farms, with a total expense of $150.6 million in 2022. Expenditures on farm labor began to replace purchased feed for livestock as the greatest expense for Maine farms around the 2012 census. The gap between the two categories continues to widen, with the ratio of labor expenditures to feed expenditures on Maine farms more than doubling since 2007.<\/p>\n

Conducted every five years, the Census of Agriculture helps tell the story of American producers and the role of U.S. agriculture. The data is the most comprehensive and unbiased across the industry and helps to inform decisions that shape the future of American agriculture for the next five years. The data provides a deeper understanding of producer demographics, farm operations and economics, commodities and decision-making.  <\/p>\n

For more detailed information about Maine\u2019s statistics, visit the state page<\/a> on the USDA website. To receive regular updates on programming that supports Maine agricultural producers, visit the website to subscribe to the Maine Farm News<\/a>.  <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The United States Department of Agriculture recently released results of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, including state- and county-level statistics. The most recent data for Maine show that farms continue to be a driver of economic activity, especially in rural communities. Agricultural land and buildings are worth more than ever before. The estimated market value […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nU.S. Census of Agriculture reveals increase in value of Maine farms and agricultural products - Cooperative Extension in Washington County - University of Maine Cooperative Extension<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/washington\/2024\/03\/22\/u-s-census-of-agriculture-reveals-increase-in-value-of-maine-farms-and-agricultural-products\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"U.S. Census of Agriculture reveals increase in value of Maine farms and agricultural products - Cooperative Extension in Washington County - University of Maine Cooperative Extension\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The United States Department of Agriculture recently released results of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, including state- and county-level statistics. 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