Small Family Farms Produce Majority of Poultry, Eggs, Hay

According to ERS, most values of cotton, dairy and specialty crops produced in 2020 took place on large-scale family farms. USDA defines a family farm as one in which the principal operator and related family own the majority of the assets used in the operation. Large-scale family farms have an annual gross cash farm income of $1 million or more. However, small family farms produced the bulk of hay production, 59%, and poultry and egg output, 49%, in 2020.

Poultry operations are often classified as "small" because most output is under a production contract arrangement, with a contractor paying a fee to a farmer who raises poultry to maturity. Additionally, more than one-quarter of beef production occurred on small family farms that generally have cow/calf operations. Another 42% of beef production occurred on large-scale family farms, which are more likely to operate feedlots.

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