Number of Farms by Market Value of Agricultural Products

We saw that most Massachusetts farms operate a limited number of acres. It is also true that most Massachusetts farms are small when we consider the market value of products sold. The pie chart (Figure 1.5) shows the percentages of Massachusetts farms that fall into each of eight different sales categories. Forty-three percent of the state's farms sold $2,500 or less in agricultural products in 2002; about 18 percent sold $25,000 or more in agricultural products in 2002. 

The distribution of farms by values of product has not changed much in the last five years. However, there was very little change in the number of farms that sold less than $2,500, while the numbers of farms in the other seven classes decreased by 23 percent to 30 percent from 1997 to 2002. Thus, in terms of the market value of farm products, Massachusetts farms are getting smaller on average.