Massachusetts Farm Operators

Between the years 1997 and 2002, there was a 16.9 percent decrease in the total number of principal farm operators, from 7,307 to 6,075. Of the 1,232 principal operators who left farming, 912, or 74 percent, considered their primary occupation to be something other than farming. The remaining 312 (26 percent) considered their primary occupation to be farming. Thus, most of those who left farming were part-time farmers.

Principal operators whose primary occupation was farming made up 54 percent of the total number of principal operators in 2002; forty-six percent of the principal operators considered their primary occupation to be something other than farming. Despite the recent decline in farm operators, the total number of principal operators whose primary occupation was farming was 28 percent greater in 2002 than in 1974, although the 2002 methods have made adjustments to ensure better coverage. (What is a coverage adjustment?) The number of principal operators whose primary occupation is something other than farming has increased 74 percent in that same time period.