According to the Ag Census the number of Female Ag Producers increased 27% from 2012 to 2017

In 2017, the United States had 1.2 million female producers, accounting for 36 percent of the country’s 3.4 million producers. Female producers are slightly younger, more likely to be a beginning farmer, and more likely to live on the farm they operate than male producers. More than half of all farms (56 percent) had a female producer. These female-operated farms accounted for 38 percent of U.S. agriculture sales and 43 percent of U.S. farmland.



Number and Location



The 2017 Census of Agriculture revised the demographic data collected to better capture the contributions of all persons involved in agricultural production. In response to detailed questions about farm decision making, more farms reported multiple individuals involved in farm operations. As a result of the new approach to counting producers, the total number of U.S. producers increased 7 percent between 2012 and 2017. The number of female producers increased 27 percent. The number of farms with female producers increased 23 percent. In 2017, female-operated farms – the 1.1 million farms with one or more female producers responsible for making decisions about the farm’s operation – were 56 percent of total farms. In comparison, 91 percent of farms had one or more male producers.



Producer Characteristics



Female producers are slightly younger on average than male producers (57.1 years versus 57.7 in 2017) and more likely to be a beginning farmer (30 percent of female and 25 percent of male producers had farmed 10 years or fewer). They were more likely to live on the farm they operated and less likely to report farming as their primary occupation. 36% of all US Producers are female.



Farm Characteristics



Female-operated farms sold $148 billion in agricultural products in 2017, with 49 percent ($73 billion) in crop sales and 51 percent ($75 billion) in sales of livestock and livestock products. These farms accounted for 38 percent of total U.S. agriculture sales. They received $4 billion in government payments.



Farm Decision Making



The 2017 Census collected first-ever data on the decisions producers make. The graph shows for each type of decision, the percent of female producers and percent of male producers who make those decisions.



To see the full census, click here: