The number of farms in the U.S. has grown 4% and growers have diversified their production in the past five years, according to the results of the 2007 Census of Agriculture released Feb. 4 by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The 2007 Census counted 2,204,792 farms in the U.S., which is a net increase of 75,810 farms. Nearly 300,000 new farms have begun operation since the 2002 census. Compared to all farms nationwide, these new farms tend to have more diversified production, fewer acres, lower sales, and younger growers who also work off-farm.

The demographics of U.S. growers have increased in diversity as well over the past five years. There were 30% more women, 10% more Hispanic, and an increase in the number of American Indian, Asian, and African-American growers counted in the 2007 Census as compared to 2002.

The trend toward more small and very large farms, and fewer mid-sized operations, continued from 2002 to 2007. Over the five-year period, the number of farms with sales of less than $2,500 increased by 74,000. At the same time, the number of farms with sales of more than $500,000 grew by 46,000 during the same period.

Smaller farms dominated the U.S. in the 2007 Census. More than 36% of farms are classified as residential/lifestyle farms, with sales of less than $250,000 and growers who have a primary occupation other than farming. The number of retirement farms is also significant at 21%. They are in the same sales bracket as the residential/lifestyle farms, and are run by growers who reported they are retired.

The 2007 Census reports that additional statistics are on the rise for growers, including organic, value-added, and specialty production. The number of growers with Internet access increased over the past five years, with 57% of the growers surveyed reporting they have it. Of those growers who have the Internet, 58% reported having a high-speed connection.

The Census of Agriculture, conducted every five years, is a complete count of the nation’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them. It provides the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every county in the nation. Census results are available online at www.agcensus.usda.gov.