Farms Sizes Continues Growth
- ZISK
- Apr 13
- 1 min read
Producers in the dairy Industry continue to increase efficiency and lower costs with larger farms. The Census of Agricultural does a survey every five years that includes the size of diary farms. The charts below show the trends over 35 years. The time span is lengthy to provide data that show trends that can predict the future accurately. The most recent census is 2022. The trends are very steady so the charts show how these trends (the dotted lines) will likely look like in the next census in 2027.
Over the course of these charts there are very significant changes. Dairy farms are no longer small family operations. The major reason is that small dairy farms cannot survive in today’s economy. Larger farms can be operated more efficiently.
There are many ways to improve economics that have been covered in prior posts. That includes the steady increases in butterfat and protein percentages and milk per cow. There are also major changes in breeding, feeding, etc.
John Geuss
April 10, 2026
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