Michigan Farm News (2024)

FAQs

Where is most of the farmland in Michigan? ›

The distribution of farms in Michigan shows about 80% of Michigan's farms are in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula where soil and climatic conditions favorable for agricultural production are found.

Michigan is the No. 1 producer in the U.S. of tart cherries (65% of the U.S. total production), cucumbers, dry beans (cranberry, small red, black), squash and asparagus and ranks in the top 10 for production of many other valuable agricultural commodities. There are 17,767 female-run farms in Michigan.

The average age of a farmer in Michigan is 56.5 years, with about 49% of all farmers working full time (200+ days) off the farm. The national census data shows an increase, from the 2017 census, of the numbers of young farmers (age 34 or less) and beginning farmers (those with 10 years or less of farming).

95 percent of Michigan farms are single-family operated and/or family partnerships. Of the few Michigan farms structured as corporations, 99 percent of those are family-owned and involve multiple generations and family members. The average age of a Michigan farmer is 56 years old.

The Netherlands is the largest owner in Michigan at 458,436 acres followed by Canada at 359,679 acres. These two countries account for 59.7 percent of all foreign ownership.

Michigan's cropland value increased 11.3 percent from the previous year to $5,900 per acre. The Lake States region experienced a 10.9 percent increase to $6,620 per acre. The average value of cropland in the United States increased 8.1 percent from 2022 to $5,460 per acre.

Beans. Michigan is 1st in the nation for production of dry black beans, cranberry beans, and small red beans, and 2nd for the production of all dry beans. Bush's Beans, based in Tennessee, buys beans from Michigan!

Cattle and beef production is the largest sector of the United States' agriculture industry. Michigan's cattle herd totals 1.14 million, of which 120,000 are beef cows and 425,000 are dairy cows.

In 2022, the median U.S. farm household had $1,376,404 in wealth. Households operating commercial farms had $3.5 million in total wealth at the median, substantially more than the households of residence or intermediate farms.

How much does a wealthy farmer make a year? ›

In 2022, the median income from farming was $178,692 for households operating commercial farms, and their median total household income was $252,728. Households associated with intermediate farms reported median farm income of -$125 and a median total household income of $73,304.

Furthermore, those farmers who predicted 1-5 years until retirement were, on average, already of retirement age (63.74 years). Famers must grapple with both mental and financial readiness to let go of the family farm to the next generation.

(h) "Farmland" means 1 or more of the following: (i) A farm of 40 or more acres in 1 ownership, with 51% or more of the land area devoted to an agricultural use.

The state leads the nation in the production of several crops, including asparagus, black and small red beans, marigolds, and squash. Michigan agriculture contributes more than $104.7 billion annually to our state's economy, making Michigan one of the most diverse states in the United States.

$24,400 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $53,600 is the 75th percentile.

More than 25 percent of the land in Michigan is farmland. Most of the land in Michigan is forestland.