Agriculture Census shows Indiana retaining its role as a top producer in the U.S., and also reveals Hoosier farmers are growing a lot more than corn and soybeans.

The census from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, conducted once every five years, looks at a variety of topics such as land use and ownership, production practices and income.

Indiana’s agricultural products were valued at over $18 billion in 2022, with 65% coming from crops and 35% from livestock. That economic value from ag products is up more than 60% from the last census when it was just $11 billion.

IndyStar has written a lot about what agriculture looks like in the state in recent years. That includes delving into some of the more unusual types of farming across Indiana and the growth of women within farming. The new census provides even on those and other topics.

What are Indiana farmers growing?

Indiana ranks as the top state for three products: popcorn, gourds and ducks. More than 13 million ducks were sold in Indiana in 2022. The state also is the fourth-largest producer of soybeans and fifth-largest producer of corn.

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∎ Indiana ranks fifth for hogs, with more than 10 million hogs and pigs sold from nearly 2,300 farms across Indiana.

∎ Indiana also is Top 10 producer of watermelons (6,300 acres harvested), eggs (120 million dozen sold), maple syrup (107,000 taps producing roughly 23,000 gallons) and hemp (66 acres harvested producing 87,000 pounds) for CBD products such as supplements and skin creams.

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Who is raising all those crops and critters?

While the number of farms and farmers in Indiana has declined in recent years, ag remains an important part of the state’s identity. Over time, the image of the typical farmer in Indiana also has evolved. Here are some highlights:

∎ Indiana has 94,282 farmers, with males accounting for roughly two-thirds of them. Still, that means more than 30,000 women also are involved in day-to-day decisions or as the main producer.

∎ The average age is 56, which is two years younger than the U.S. average.

∎ While the average age is increasing, there are more than 11,000 young farmers with an average age of about 28.

∎ More people also are getting into farming. There are more than 26,500 new and beginning farmers — with less than 10 years of experience — and the average age is around 43.

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Where are we farming?

While many farms are still family-operated, many others are consolidating and growing in size.

∎ Indiana has 53,599 farms, roughly 3,000 fewer than in 2017.

∎ Farms in Indiana cover roughly 14.6 million acres, or nearly two-thirds of the state’s total acres. Land dedicated to farming amounts to the equivalent of nearly 72 Hoosier National Forests.

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∎ The average farm size is 272 acres, but there are 181 that span more than 5,000 acres.

sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStar’s environmental reporters: Join The Scrub on Facebook.

IndyStar’s environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

Source: indystar.com