The Tri-State Development Regional Report
news & updates
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Harvesting Insights
A Look at the 2022 USDA Agricultural Statistics
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The Census of Agriculture remains the most comprehensive agricultural data for every state and county in the nation as well as the nation as a whole. Stakeholders in, and related to, the agriculture sector rely on USDA Ag Stats, spanning 6 million data points, to make informed decisions.
The 36 counties that make up the Tri-State Development region consist of many agricultural-heavy communities. As part of America’s Heartland, the region of the nation credited with producing much of the food that America eats, the Census of Agriculture is a valuable tool for many communities in the Tri-State Development region. Let’s take a look into some of the newly revealed stats for the Tri-State Development region and see how they compare to the previous census and the nation.
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NATIONAL INSIGHTS
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The 2022 census reflects historic, record-high agricultural income and land values. Farms gained more than 10 percent in equity in 2022. From 2009 to 2023, cropland value increased by 107 percent, and pastureland increased by 66 percent. In 2024, economists expect land value appreciation to slow but do not predict significant decreases. Farmers who own their land have access to valuable equity they can use to invest in their operations.
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- Despite farm income hitting an all-time high, less than half of farms (43%) saw positive net cash farm income, thanks to the high cost of farm production expenses.
- The census revealed that land used for agricultural production (crops and livestock) declined by almost 20 million acres.
- The average age of farmers has steadily risen since 2002 and is now around 58. The data also shows a rise in national producers of 11% from 2017, with just over 1 million of the 3.4 million producers having 10 or fewer years of experience.
- The number of producers under the age of 35 increased by just under 4%, producers between the ages of 35 and 64 declined 9%, and the number of producers aged 65 and over increased by 12%. If this trend continues, we could see the average age of farmers decrease for the first time in more than twenty years in the next ag census.
- Even during this time of consolidation, family-owned and operated farms accounted for 95% of all U.S. farms and operated 84% of land in farms.
- In 2022, 1.2 million female producers accounted for 36% of all producers. Fifty-eight percent of all farms had at least one female decision-maker.
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- While national data, along with State-level data for each of our 3 states shows an overall decline in the number of farms, our Tri-State Development counties in Illinois and Iowa experienced an increase in the number of farms operating by almost 7%. Tri-state Missouri counties show a decline in the number of farms overall. According to data, our region had only 12 fewer farms in 2022 than in 2017.
- The number of acres used for agriculture production within our region declined by nearly 539,000 acres, a reduction of over 5%. Missouri led the trend by reducing ag acreage by over 8%, or 307,594 acres.
- Still, our regional market value of products produced increased by over $2 billion, pointing to increased productivity and value. The Illinois Tri-State region counties saw significant changes, with an increase in market value of nearly $1.09 billion, or 40% over 2017. Our Iowa counties increased market value by over $416 million, which is 42% higher than in 2017, and Missouri counties saw a $556 million increase.
- Fulton County, Illinois, led Tri-State Counties in the number of farms added between 2017 and 2022, with an increase of 554 farms. They also added over 34,000 in ag-producing acreage.
- Adams County and Warren County in Illinois experienced the most notable reduction in agricultural productive land within the Illinois counties. Audrain County in Missouri and Henry County in Iowa also saw significant reductions. These reductions suggest a potential shift towards industrial and energy-related land use.
- Knox County, Illinois leads the Tri-State region in the increase to market value of products produced with a gain of over $175 million.
Additional ag census data will be available in the county profiles, which are due to be released at the end of March.
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You can learn more about the 2022 Ag Census, trends, changes, and predictions by clicking on the link below.
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ATTEND THE
NATIONAL AG DAY 2024 VIRTUAL EVENT
March 19th, 9:00 a.m. EST/8:00 a.m. CST
- Remarks from Ag Day Chair Jenni Badding, John Deere
- Updates from commodity groups
- Outstanding Farmer America
- Winning Essay Contest Videos
- Ag on the Mall Update
- Tributes from Ag Day Partners
The event is free of charge, but you must register to participate.
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BROADBAND EQUITY ACCESS AND DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM (BEAD) Challenge Process is active! |
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The Challenge process provides an opportunity to ensure that the state’s broadband map reflects the most up-to-date broadband availability across the state. Your participation is essential, as the updated map will determine which locations are eligible for funding through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. |
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ILLINOIS
On February 27th, 2024, the Challenge portal was activated in Illinois.
Before participating, challengers should review the User Guide and watch the training on how to create a challenge (Slides | Recording).
How to Participate:
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View the BEAD Challenge Map to review the eligibility status of your home, business, or other locations of interest.
- Is your location showing served when you know it isn't? Click on the Challenges tab at the top to prepare and submit challenges.
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Encourage members of your community to complete three speed tests over three days at BEADchallenge.org before March 18, 2024
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MISSOURI
The challenge process will open in Missouri on March 25, 2024 and close on April 23, 2024.
Instructions on submitting challenges will be posted soon on the Missouri Department of Economic Development website, which can be accessed by clicking here.
IOWA
As required by the BEAD program, the State of Iowa Five-Year Action Plan has been submitted to NTIA for review. Once the review is completed, the Five-Year Action Plan will be posted here, along with a timeline for the challenge phase.
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Brain Gain in Rural America and Who Is Behind it?
March 13, 2024
Ilana Newman
The Daily Yonder
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Three Takeaways from the USDA Census of Agriculture
Feb. 14, 2024
Modern Farmer
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Do you do business or support economic development within one of the regional Cornbelt Ports? If the answer is YES, please consider taking this important anonymous survey, which takes only 10-15 minutes to complete. (If you do not currently conduct business or support economic development efforts within one of the Corn Belt ports, please kindly disregard this request.)
Western Illinois University researchers, in partnership with The Corn Belt Ports, are seeking input regarding if and how stakeholders along the regional port cooperate to improve coordination along the regional supply chain to increase investment and economic development.
This project is about understanding the competitiveness of rural, regional, and inland ports as "business clusters" and perceptions of the importance of advanced technology for operational efficiency and competitiveness. The results of this study will inform a $160 million federal grant proposal.
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You may also access the survey by clicking on the button below. |
The Corn Belt Ports and research team at WIU appreciate your participation and support. |
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WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THE 2024 SUMMIT!
OCTOBER 2-3, 2024
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PLAN TO ATTEND THE
2024 TRI-STATE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT
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Plans are already underway for the 2024 Tri-State Development Summit that will be held in one of our region's most dynamic communities, Burlington, Iowa!
This two-day conference will provide all regional stakeholders with engaging break-out sessions, networking events, and insights into the economic development priorities being addressed by our task forces and community members.
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MORE DETAILS COMING SOON! |
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Please join us in thanking our community partners who support
Tri-State Development and the economic prosperity of our region.
Presenting sponsor:
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Catch up on the Tri-State Development Newsletters that you missed!
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Tri-State Development at Culver-Stockton College supports the region by cultivating collaborative relationships, promoting interdisciplinary problem-solving, fostering the expansion of academic-organization-industry initiatives, and developing an environment for collective impact to address the current and emerging economic, and social challenges in the region.
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Tri-State Development Summit at Culver-Stockton College | [culver.edu/tsd]
Leslie Sieck, Executive Director [lsieck@culver.edu]
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