The 2022 US Census of Agriculture shows a more than 12 percent decline in the number of Marion County farms in the past five years. The new Census shows 881 farms in Marion County totaling 246,687 acres. That compares to 1,004 farms with 248,748 acres in 2017. The size of the average farm increased from 248 acres reported five years ago to 280 acres in 2022.
The average estimated market value of land and buildings was $ 1.7 million with the average price per acre of farmland at $6,108.
The market value of products sold was 233 million dollars, including $ 181 million from crops and $ 72 million from livestock and poultry. Total farm income was placed at $ 8.8 million.
There were 171 farms in Marion County with sales over $100,000 in the latest farm census, down from 212 farms with that income level in 2017.
The Census reports that 490 farms received government payments totaling $ 3.2 million dollars.
Statewide, the 2022 Census of Agriculture reported 71,123 farms and ranches in Illinois, down 2.1 percent from the 2017 Census of Agriculture. There were 26.3 million acres of farmland statewide, down 2.6 percent in the five-year period. The average farm size was 370 acres, down a half percent. Illinois farms and ranches produced $26.4 billion in agricultural products, up $ 17 billion from 2017. The average age of all Illinois producers was 58.6, up from 58 years of age in 2017.
