Dr. Johnnie Westbrook, Associate Extension Professor, Agricultural Education
Agriculture is the pillar of Kentucky's rural economy. Kentucky's farmers produce diverse agricultural products ranging from broilers (chickens) and horses to corn and tobacco. Annually, agriculture contributes approximately $45 billion to Kentucky's economy. Kentucky is home to more than 75,000 farms (which ranks sixth in the United States) and approximately 90% of the farms are considered small. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines a small farm as having gross cash farm income (GFCI) between $1,000 and $350,000.
The commonwealth of Kentucky has approximately 124,000 producers, and 65% are men and 35% are women. Fifty-nine percent of the farmers are between 35-64 years of age. Approximately 98% percent of the producers are white; the table below represents the race of farmers in the commonwealth.
The Race of Kentucky's Producers
| Race | Number |
|---|---|
| African American/Black | 585 |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 227 |
| Asian | 140 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 41 |
| White | 122,505 |
| More than one race | 497 |
| Other characteristics | |
| Hispanic, Latino, Spanish origin | 789 |
In addition, Kentucky has 12,998 veteran farmers and 35,433 new and beginning farmers. The USDA defines new and beginning farmer or rancher as an individual or entity who has not operated a farm or ranch, or who has operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 consecutive years.
Approximately 13 million acres of land are used to produce agricultural commodities, and the average farm size is 171 acres. The following counties have the largest acreage of farmland: Christian, 345,581; Logan, 276,309; Breckinridge, 275,105; Warren, 262,198; and Barren, 253,834.