The Facts about Large Farms in Ohio

Robert Moore

Opponents of large scale agriculture often use the term “Corporate Factory Farm” in an effort to imply that large farms are more industrial in nature than agricultural. However, the fact is that almost every farm in Ohio is owned and operated by a family.  The idea that the large farms in Ohio are owned and operated by sterile, malevolent, large corporations is simply a myth.

According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, Ohio has 75,861 farms.  A farm is defined as an agricultural operation having more than $1,000 annual revenue. Of these farms, 2,956 are organized as corporations and 2,749 are family held corporations.  Only the remaining 207 farm corporations are owned and operated by non-family corporations, about ¼ of 1% of all farms in Ohio.  As the facts clearly show, the vast majority of farms in Ohio are family owned and operated and the notion that non-family, corporate farms dominate Ohio agriculture is not true.

It should be noted that while almost all farms are family owned, some of these farms are quite large.  In 2007, 2,087 farms (2.7% of all Ohio farms) produced $500,000 or more of agricultural products.  These relatively few farms produced 20.7% of the total value of agricultural production in Ohio.  These statistics show the importance and value that large farms have within Ohio agriculture.  Perhaps more importantly is to acknowledge that at least 99% of these large farms are family owned and operated.  The point being that just because a farm is large does not mean it is owned by a non-family corporation.  Most likely, the large farm is owned by a family that has a long history in the community and/or contributes back to the community by providing jobs, tax revenue, and a foundation for civic service and pride.

The next time you hear someone refer to a corporate factory farm, remember that over 99% of the farms in Ohio are family owned and operated, including even the largest farms.  Large farms and the families that operate them are critical to the viability and future of Ohio agriculture.  These large family farms tend to be well-managed, innovative, and most importantly conscious of their impact on the environment and communities surrounding them.  Farms do not become large through poor management and disregard for those around them, instead, those farms tend to become included in another statistic – declining number of farms in Ohio.

Ohio will always need a balanced mix of small, medium, and large farms.  Each of these classes of farms serves an important role for Ohio.  Small and medium size farms tend to get a pass from critics of agriculture and the focus is placed on large farms.  We must remember that for the most part, large farms are operated by families just like the other farms in Ohio, it’s just that some families have decided to or had the opportunity to grow their farm into large operations.  The families operating these large farms still maintain and honor the core values of farming and rural life just like their smaller neighbors.

Other interesting facts from the 2007 Census of Agriculture:

47% of Ohio farmland is leased
12% of those identified as the principal farm operator were women
2,294 farms (3%) have a machinery inventory exceeding $500,000
4,058 (5%) farm operations rent all their ground
3,491 (4.6%) farm operators reported 100% of their income was from farming
458 (0.06%) farm operators are of a non-white race
55.7 is the average age of the principal operator of the farm
43,852 (58%) farms have internet access
23,785 (31%) have high-speed internet access

Click here for a complete summary of the 2007 Census of Agriculture.

Back to Publications