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Learn more about farming in the U.S.

There's a lot more to farming than tractors and pitchforks. In the U.S. today, the agriculture industry functions within a complex world of economics, trade, and technology. How much do you know about the way food reaches your table?

DID YOU KNOW...


Average Farm Size in Acres, 1999
Source: USDA/National Agricultural Statistics Service



Distribution of Farms and Land in Farming by Region, 1999
Source: USDA/National Agricultural Statistic Service



Hired farm workers, average U.S. wage rates 1990-2000, U.S.
Source: USDA/National Agricultural Statistics Service


FOR MORE INFORMATION...
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Services

TEST YOUR FARM KNOWLEDGE

  1. How many farms are there in the United States?
    793,000
    1.6 million
    2.2 million
    4 million

  2. What is the average size of a farm in the United States?
    487 acres
    835 acres
    2,737 acres
    4,570 acres

  3. Which U.S. state produces the most agricultural products?
    Mississippi
    Wisconsin
    Oklahoma
    California

  4. What is the largest crop—by value—grown in the United States?
    Wheat
    Soybeans
    Corn
    Cotton

  5. What percentage of the U.S. workforce is employed in agriculture?
    2%
    8%
    11%
    23%

  6. What is the biggest expense category for farmers in the United States?
    Machinery and vehicles
    Taxes and interest on loans
    Labor
    Chemicals, fertilizer, and seeds

  7. What percentage of total exports in the United States is agricultural?
    7%
    15%
    24%
    53%

  8. What percentage of the total land area in the U.S. is arable (fit or used for growing crops)?
    6%
    18%
    29%
    42%

  9. What percentage of the total land area in the world is arable (fit or used for growing crops)?
    10%
    21%
    34%
    58%