Land and Farm Resources: AREI, 2006 Edition

Chapter 1: Land and Farm Resources • 1.1 Land Use • 1.2 Farm Real Estate Values • 1.3 Land Ownership and Farm Structure Chapter 2: Water and Wetland Resources Chapter 3: Knowledge Resources and Productivity Chapter 4: Agricultural Production Management Chapter 5: Conservation and Environmental Polices Appendix: Data Sources

Charles Barnard, Shawn Bucholtz, Robert Hoppe, Ruben Lubowski, and Marlow Vesterby

Land is among the most important resources used by U.S. agriculture—and its chief finite resource.  Decisions on land use are made daily by operators of the Nation's 2.1 million farms, contingent on market conditions, public policies, and farm/ranch characteristics.  This section examines land use, farm real estate values, and the relationship between land ownership, farm size, and other characteristics.  Among the findings:

• Land continues to shift between agriculture and other uses. Cropland has declined over recent decades, but losses do not threaten the Nation's capacity to produce food and fiber.
• Real estate is a major asset for farm households. Values have been rising steadily since 1987, but the inflation-adjusted (real) value of U.S. farm real estate is still below its 1982 peak.
• Small family farms account for most land owned by farms.

Contents
Land and Farm Resources

• Land Use — html, pdf
• Farm Real Estate Values — html, pdf
• Land Ownership and Farm Structure — html, pdf