Census: Indiana’s ag production totals $18B
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Indiana remains a top agricultural state, according to newly released agricultural census data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The census data, which is collected every five years, shows Indiana’s agricultural products are valued at more than $18 billion.
The Census of Agriculture covers U.S. farms and ranches, as well as the people who operate them, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture said in a news release this week. It looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures.
“This data shows that agriculture remains a pillar of the Indiana economy with the total value of agriculture production growing 62% over the five year period,” Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch said in the release. “The Census of Agriculture is all encompassing, and it allows us to compare ourselves to fellow states, whether that is in ranking of commodities, prices, demographics and more.”
The 2022 Census of Agriculture for Indiana included several rankings for Indiana, including:
- Number one producer of popcorn, gourds and duck
- Number two producer of pumpkins
- Number three producer of spearmint and turkeys
- Number four producer of peppermint and soybeans
- Number five producing state for corn and hogs
- Number six producer of eggs and watermelons
- Number ten producing state for maple syrup and hemp for floral (CBD and other cannabinoid usage)
Additionally, the data shows Indiana has more than 53,000 farms, totaling 14.6 million acres, with an average farm size of 272 acres.
The top five Indiana counties with the largest number of farms are LaGrange, Elkhart, Allen, Adams & Daviess. The top five counties with the highest value of agriculture production are Jay, Jasper, Elkhart, LaGrange, Dubois.
The census also notes that Indiana has 94,272 farmers, with the average age of the Hoosier farmer being 56 years old.