Report ranks California in the middle for farm startups
California ranked at the top in a report in terms of number of new farms in the past year despite finishing near the bottom (49th) of U.S. states in terms of land pricing.
LawnStarter.com compared the 50 states across 44 key metrics to rank the best states to start a farm or ranch. The study looked at the infrastructure, prevalence, environmental factors, cost, and potential returns of farming and ranching in each state.
The website ranked California 25th overall in the study, despite ranking first in terms of on-farm income and return on investment. The report said the Golden State also ranks as the worst state for cost metrics, having the highest average per-farm production expenses of any state.
“It may also prove more difficult to establish a new small ranch or farm in an already crowded corporate field: California ties with a few other states for the lowest share of family-owned farms,” it added.
No. 1 overall was Kentucky, and number 50 was Alaska.
“The Bluegrass State, while ranking high in categories such as farms per state area and the share of family-owned farms, wins with a more well-rounded approach, ranking in at least the top 20 in every metric category,” the report said. “For this reason, Kentucky — much like its bourbon — sits right in that middle sweet spot as the best state for new farmers and ranchers.”
Nine of the top 10 states are fully or partially within the central Great Plains. “States such as Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas boast cheap land, an excellent growing climate, and a highly developed infrastructure for farmers and rural residents,” the report said.
Lawn starter derived its rankings from a range of data culled from AcreTrader, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Transportation Research Nonprofit (TRIP), Nebraska Department of Environment & Energy, Rural Health Information Hub, Tax Foundation, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Whistle Out and World Population Review It ranked the 50 U.S. states in descending order based on their individual score totals. The state that scored the highest ranked No. 1, or “best.”
Admittedly, there is a certain “gee whiz” element to the report. Lawnstarter.com is a national lawncare company and not an agricultural or economic research organization.