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HARTINGTON — Nebraska farmers remain younger than their counterparts across the country, but the latest federal agriculture census shows the state's farm population continues to age.
According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, the average age of a Nebraska farm producer was 56.9 years, compared with 58.1 years nationally. Nebraska producers were about 1.2 years younger than the U.S. average, continuing a trend that places the state among the nation's younger agricultural populations.
Even so, the average age of Nebraska producers increased from 56.4 years in 2017 to 56.9 years in 2022, reflecting the same long-term demographic shift occurring across American agriculture.
The census identified 80,283 farm producers in Nebraska. Of those, 48,307 — or 60.2 percent — were age 55 or older. Meanwhile, just 9,031 producers, or 11.3 percent, were younger than 35.
National figures paint a similar picture. Across the United States, nearly four out of every 10 producers are age 65 or older, while only about 9 percent are under age 35.
The largest age group among Nebraska producers was the 65-74 age bracket, which accounted for 24.9 percent of all producers. Another 23.3 percent were between ages 55 and 64. Producers age 75 and older represented 12 percent of Nebraska's farm population.
The numbers suggest Nebraska ag is facing many of the same succession challenges seen nationwide, although the state has maintained a somewhat younger producer base than the country as a whole.
One encouraging statistic is the continued presence of younger and beginning producers. Nebraska's share of producers under age 35 exceeds the national average, and the USDA reported that beginning farmers nationwide have an average age of 47.1 years, indicating many new entrants are joining agriculture later in life after careers in other fields.
The census also found Nebraska remains a major agricultural state despite a decline in farm numbers. The state reported 44,479 farms and ranches in 2022, down about 4 percent from 2017.
Agricultural economists say the aging farm population is influenced by several factors, including rising land values, expensive machinery costs and the tendency for farmers and ranchers to remain active well beyond traditional retirement age.
