Pennsylvania
Ohio and Pennsylvania continue to lose farms, farmland – Farm and Dairy
SALEM, Ohio — The U.S. has the smallest number of farms since 1850, losing 141,733 farms from 2017 to 2022, according to the 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture.
There are now only 1.9 million farms in the U.S., down 7% from 2017. This is the largest percent decrease that’s been seen in 20 years.
The latest Census of Agriculture, results of which were released last week, also showed that farm consolidation continues unabated, with the number of the largest farms increasing and fewer farms accounting for the majority of ag products sold.
“I’m concerned about the state of agriculture and food production in this country,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, during a data release event on Feb. 13. Vilsack called the results a wake-up call for the industry, policymakers and politicians.
The numbers
Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia each lost farms since the last census, Ohio with a 2.3% loss, Pennsylvania with a 7.7% loss and West Virginia at 3.5%.
Even given the loss of farms, Ohio still has the fourth most farms in the country with 76,009, ranking below Iowa, Missouri and Texas.
There was a 2% drop in farmland nationwide, down to 880.1 million acres in 2022, according to the census. That’s a loss of just over 20 million acres in five years.
“I want to give you a sense of how many acres that is. That’s every New England state with the exception of Connecticut, in five years,” Vilsack said.
The tri-state area also lost farmland, with Ohio losing about 313,000 acres, Pennsylvania losing 220,000 acres and West Virginia losing 113,000 acres since 2017.
A bright spot in the 2022 census results was an increase in the number of young and beginning producers. The number of producers under age 35 increased by nearly 4% in 2022 from five years ago, jumping from 285,434 in 2017 to 296,480 in 2022. Young producers made up about 9% of all producers in 2022.
There were just over 1 million beginning farmers with 10 or fewer years of experience in 2022 an increase of 11% from 2017.
Consolidation
U.S. farms and ranches produced $543 billion in agricultural products, up from $389 billion in 2017. Even with production expenses growing by 30%, U.S. farms overall had a net cash income of $152 billion in 2022.
However, less than half of farms, 43%, had positive net cash farm income in 2022.
The number of large-scale farms with more than $1 million in sales increased by 40% in 2022. These farms sold more than three-quarters of all agricultural products, made up 6% of all farms and operated 31% of the farmland in the country.
Farms with less than $100,000 in sales, which make up about 80% of American farms, dropped by 9%.
The Census of Agriculture, first held in 1840, is conducted every five years to gather thousands of data points about domestic agricultural operations.
A farm is defined, by the census, as any place from which $1,000 or more agricultural products were produced and sold. In 1850, when there were only 31 states and four territories, there were 1.4 million farms. The number of farms in the U.S. peaked in 1935, with 6.8 million farms.
The Ag Census results renewed calls from farm groups for Congress to pass a new farm bill. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said the latest census numbers “put in black and white the warning our members have been expressing for years.”
“Increased regulations, rising supply costs, lack of available labor and weather disasters have all squeezed farmers to the point that many of them find it impossible to remain economically sustainable,” he said, in a statement.
More numbers
The average size of a U.S. farm in 2022 was 463 acres, up from 441 acres in 2017.
The average age of American farmers crept up to 58.1 in 2022. The average age has been increasing over the years — 57.5 in 2017 and 56.3 in 2012 — but the USDA noted this was a smaller increase than between previous censuses.
The number of male and female producers is about the same, with about 2.1 million men and 1.2 million women, or 64% to 36%.
(Editor Rachel Wagoner can be reached at 724-201-1544 or rachel@farmanddairy.com.)
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Crews battle blaze on salvage barge in Delaware bay
Crews battled a blaze on a salvage barge in the Delaware Bay Tuesday morning. No injuries were reported. 3/10/26
Delaware, Pennsylvania, and federal agencies have been responding to a barge fire in the Delaware Bay.
The barge, which is carrying salvage metal, is being moved to shallow water so it can be secured, allowing on-scene responders to extinguish the fire and complete salvage operations, according to a March 10 statement from the Delaware Emergency Management Agency.
No injuries have been reported as of 1:15 p.m.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is on scene to perform air monitoring, the statement said.
Responding agencies include the Wilmington Fire Department, Good Will, Leipsic Volunteer, Bowers and South Bowers fire companies. Also there are Delaware State Police, DNREC, New Castle County Office of Emergency Management, Kent County Department of Public Safety, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay.
The Philadelphia Fire Department was enroute.
This is a developing story. Check back with delawareonline.com for more information.
Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania High School Girls Basketball 2026 Playoff Brackets, Schedule (PIAA) – March 10, 2026
The 2026 Pennsylvania high school girls basketball state playoffs begin on Tuesday, March 10, with second-round games for all divisions.
High School On SI has brackets for every division in the PIAA high school girls basketball playoffs. The state championships begin on March 19th.
Pennsylvania High School Girls Basketball 2026 Playoff Brackets, Schedule (PIAA) – March 10-11, 2026
CLASS 1A BRACKET (select to view bracket)
Second Round
New Covenant Christian vs. Delaware County Christian – 03/11
Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy vs. Benton – 03/11
Our Lady of Lourdes Regional vs. Motivation – 03/11
Linville Hill vs. Southern Fulton – 03/11
Williamsburg vs. Elk County Catholic – 03/11
Farrell vs. Bishop Carroll – 03/11
Clarion-Limestone vs. Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy – 03/11
Bishop Guilfoyle vs. Aquinas Academy – 03/11
CLASS 2A BRACKET (select to view bracket)
Second Round
Shalom Christian Academy vs. Southern Columbia Area – 03/10
Faith Christian vs. Mountain View – 03/10
Wyoming Seminary College Prep vs. Marian Catholic – 03/10
York Catholic vs. Berlin Brothersvalley – 03/10
Neshannock vs. Penns Manor – 03/10
Kennedy Catholic vs. Keystone – 03/10
Bishop McCort vs. Chartiers-Houston – 03/10
Winchester Thurston vs. Wilmington Area – 03/10
CLASS 3A BRACKET (select to view bracket)
Second Round
Imhotep Charter vs. Holy Redeemer – 03/10
Pequea Valley vs. Schuylkill Haven – 03/10
Hughesville vs. Notre Dame-Green Pond – 03/10
Dunmore vs. Executive Education Academy – 03/10
Trinity vs. Troy – 03/10
Northwestern vs. Greensburg Central Catholic – 03/10
Shady Side Academy vs. Beaver Falls – 03/10
Central Cambria vs. Karns City – 03/10
CLASS 4A BRACKET (select to view bracket)
Second Round
Susquehanna Township vs. Universal Audenried Charter School – 03/11
Scranton Prep vs. Allentown Central Catholic – 03/11
Central Columbia vs. Villa Joseph Marie – 03/11
Valley View vs. Neumann-Goretti – 03/11
Delone Catholic vs. Penn Cambria – 03/11
Slippery Rock vs. Oakland Catholic – 03/11
Belle Vernon vs. Blackhawk – 03/11
North Catholic vs. Harbor Creek – 03/11
CLASS 5A BRACKET (select to view bracket)
Second Round
Lampeter-Strasburg vs. Mt. St. Joseph Academy – 03/11
Marple Newtown vs. Crestwood – 03/11
Bethlehem Catholic vs. Villa Maria Academy – 03/11
North Pocono vs. Archbishop Wood – 03/11
York Suburban vs. TBD – 03/11
Peters Township vs. Manheim Central – 03/11
South Fayette vs. Penn-Trafford – 03/11
Baldwin vs. Indiana – 03/11
CLASS 6A BRACKET (select to view bracket)
Second Round
Upper Dublin vs. Perkiomen Valley – 03/10
Hazleton vs. Parkland – 03/10
Easton vs. Red Lion – 03/10
Downingtown West vs. Archbishop Carroll – 03/10
Wilson vs. Cardinal O’Hara – 03/10
Pennsbury vs. Altoona – 03/10
Dallastown vs. Emmaus – 03/10
Canon-McMillan vs. Taylor Allderdice – 03/10
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