What’s the history behind USDA’s annual America’s Farms and Ranches At a Glance report?

USDA releases its America’s Farms and Ranches At a Glance report each year, giving us a closer look at the ag industry, and revealing trends and characteristics of family farms and ranches.

Contributors explain what kind of data it contains.

“America’s Farms and Ranches At a Glance is an annual report. The 2024 edition uses 2023 data, which is the most recent data USDA has from their ARMS survey. It comes out every year, and it looks at the characteristics of U.S. farms and ranches, generally looking at what farms produce, aspects of their financial situation, paticipation in federal agricultural programs. In other years, it was the Diverse Family Farms Report, but we’ve been putting out this report for a number of years,” said Katherine Lim.

Click below for the full report:

America’s Farms and Ranches At a Glance Report 2024
Related Stories
New SDRP funding and expanded loss programs give producers additional tools to rebuild cash flow and stabilize operations after two years of severe weather losses.
Strong U.S. yields and steady demand leave most major crops well supplied, keeping price pressure in place unless usage strengthens or weather shifts outlooks.
ARC-CO delivers the bulk of 2024 support, offering key margin relief as producers manage tight operating conditions.
USDA’s steady yields and heavy global stocks keep grains range-bound unless demand firms or South American weather becomes a real threat.
As economic pressures continue to squeeze agriculture, ag lenders are signaling a more cautious outlook for farm profitability heading into next year, particularly among grain producers facing lower commodity prices and higher operating costs.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

University of Nebraska President Dr. Jeffrey Gold joined us with important insights on drug safety and rural health during the winter months.
Quinn Rutt of Upstream Ranch previews the Nebraska cattle operation’s 49th Annual Production Sale where buyers can expect standout sire groups and a blend of long-standing ranch practices with modern genetic selection.
Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, provides new updates on winter storm impacts and the outlook for rural power reliability.
Jessi Grote from the AgriSafe Network provides winter safety guidance for rural communities still recovering from the recent winter storm.
CattleCon 2026 officially kicks off Tuesday and continues through Thursday, bringing producers together to shape the future of the U.S. cattle industry.
Traders say that shift could eventually prompt the USDA to scale back soybean export projections, noting the outlook differs greatly for other grain commodities.