Agriculture Information and Programs

Small Farm: The Heart of Washington Agriculture

This article is the first of three in a series on small farms and the rural landscape. Small Farms comprise over 92% of all farms in America. The USDA National Commission on Small Farms defined a small farm as one with less than $250,000 gross receipts annually on which the day-to-day labor and management are provided by the farmer or farm family. According to this USDA yardstick, 89% of Washington's farms are classified as small farms. These are family owned and operated farms that constitute the foundation of agriculture in this state.

Local and Direct Marketing Becoming More Important
Many farms in Washington State and Stevens County are improving profits by selling crops directly to consumers. More than 62% of Washington producers indicated that direct marketing is an effective way to improve farm profitability in a Washington survey of all farms (2002). Farmers' markets have become a significant avenue for the direct marketing of products. The Washington State Farmers' Market Association currently lists 89 markets with combined sales for 2004 totaling $24 million. Direct sales of products for human consumption in 2002 for Stevens County was $577,000, up 50% from 1997. The direct sales of products for 2005 will likely be much higher than that for 2002.

A Valuable Insurance Policy
Washington small farms produce an array of goods from fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers to meats, dairy products, grains, and seed crops. Like other small businesses, these farms are valuable community assets, generating both income and employment opportunities. Above and beyond the dollars generated in the local economy, family owned and operated farms serve critical environmental, aesthetic, culture and social functions that benefit all members of our community.
Perhaps most important given today's energy and food safety concerns, a diverse array of small, independently-owned farms create a kind of community insurance policy providing a healthy, dependable, and accessible local food supply.

Stevens County Farms
There are 1,269 farms in Stevens County according to the 2002 Census of Agriculture. There are only 21 farms that have a gross income of more than $250,000. In other words, 98% of the farms in Stevens County are considered small farms according to the USDA definition. The average size of the Stevens County farm is 416 acres for a total of 528,402 acres. This number is somewhat inflated given a few very large farms of 1,000 acres or more. Most farms (75%) have less than 260 acres. The type of land in farms can be broken down into woodland (53%), cropland (22%), pasture (20%) and other (5%).

Fewer Acres in Cropland
The land in farms has dropped by 3% since 1997. However, there has been a sharper decrease in cropland. In 1997 there were 128,622 acres in cropland compared to 116,370 acres in 2002 or a 9.5% drop in five years. There has been a decrease of 2.4% of total woodland acres from 1997 to 2002.

Market Value of Production
The value of crops and livestock sold for Stevens County increased 19% from 1997 to 2002 for a total of over 28 million dollars. Crop sales accounted for over 11 million and livestock sales for almost 17 million dollars. The average value of production per farm in 2002 was $22,258.

Agriculture at Risk
Our farms are at great risk of being squeezed out by increasing energy, water and other input costs, declining soil fertility, shrinking markets, and foreign competition. With decreasing profits there is an increasing pressure on farmers to consider selling their land for development purposes. The sons and daughters during the past 50 years have for the most part chosen other occupations. The average age of farmers in Stevens County is 56. As these farmers retire it will be difficult to find others who have the interest and the knowledge to produce crops and livestock for human consumption.

Food Security at Risk
Food travels long distances on the average from field to table. USDA and other estimates put the number at around 1500 miles. At the moment this region is almost entirely dependent on food being transported long distances. As energy prices rise, storage, processing and transportation costs will rise as well. A disruption in this distribution system would create certain hardships for this region. One means of guarding against this possibility is having a vital small farm community.