COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the first time since 2022, Ohio’s farm count fell sharply, underscoring renewed consolidation in the state’s agricultural landscape, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Ohio’s total farms dropped from 75,800 in 2023 to 74,000 in 2024, a decline of 1,800 operations (2.4%). Over the same period, total farmland contracted by 200,000 acres to 13.5 million acres, even as the average farm size grew by one acre to 182.

Nationally, the number of farms declined by 14,950 to 1.88 million in 2024, and total farmland fell by 2.1 million acres to 876.46 million. The average U.S. farm now spans 466 acres.

Shifts by Revenue Class
• Small farms (annual sales of $1,000–$9,999) lost 700 operations, dropping to 35,200.
• Part-time and hobby farms ($10,000–$99,999) fell by 600 to 23,800.
• Mid-sized operations ($250,000–$499,999) declined by 200 to 3,400.
• Even the largest farms (over $1 million in sales) decreased by 200 to 3,200.

On the acreage side, farms in the smallest and largest revenue classes shed land—50,000 acres and 200,000 acres respectively—while mid-range operations ($250,000–$499,999) absorbed an additional 50,000 acres.

Why Farms Disappear

A farm is defined as any establishment producing (or capable of producing) at least $1,000 in agricultural goods annually. Rising input costs, generational succession challenges and development pressures have eroded margins for small-scale operators, driving many out of business.
Economists point out that the loss of 1,800 farms in one year reduces the number of independent operators, narrows crop diversity and risks economic ripple effects in rural communities.

Looking Ahead

Ohio agricultural stakeholders are monitoring these trends closely. State farm organizations and extension services are examining support programs for beginning farmers, niche-market development and succession planning to stem further losses. County-level data, expected later this spring, will pinpoint regional hotspots of decline and inform targeted policy responses.