to the USDA Economic Research Service there were two million farms in the U.S. in 2022.  This was 200,000 less than in 2007 and should be compared to close to seven million farms in 1935 during the Great Depression.  In 2022, the average farm size was 446 acres, six acres more than the average during the early 1970's.

The downward shift in the number of farms is possible to enhanced productivity through mechanization and GM cultivars.  Educational opportunities in rural areas and land-grant colleges have provided potential farmers with low-risk job opportunities outside farming.

In 2022, the USDA ERS calculated that 893 million acres were under cultivation, a decline of 22 million acres since 2012.