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The Economic Well-Being of Farm Operator Households, 1988-90

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  • Ahearn, Mary C.
  • Perry, Janet E.
  • El-Osta, Hisham S.

Abstract

This report, based on household data from the Farm Costs and Returns Survey, describes the characteristics of farm operator households and their farm businesses. It also examines the sources of off-farm income received by farm operator households. This report finds that the average farm household now has an income comparable to that for all U.S. households, although wellbeing varies significantly across households. About 90 percent of farm operator households received income from off-farm sources. Although more than half of farm operators claim farming as their major occupation, a much smaller share has farm income as the household's principal source of income. This report inaugurates a new U.S. Department of Agriculture farm household income series.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahearn, Mary C. & Perry, Janet E. & El-Osta, Hisham S., 1993. "The Economic Well-Being of Farm Operator Households, 1988-90," Agricultural Economic Reports 308266, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uerser:308266
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.308266
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Donald W. Larson & Hung Yu Hu, 1977. "Factors Affecting the Supply of Off-Farm Labor Among Small Farmers in Taiwan," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 59(3), pages 549-553.
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    3. Ahearn, Mary & Johnson, Jim & Strickland, Roger, 1985. "The Distribution Of Income And Wealth Of Farm Operator Households," 1985 Annual Meeting, August 4-7, Ames, Iowa 278657, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    4. Chen, Chau-Nan & Tsaur, Tien-Wang & Rhai, Tong-Shieng, 1982. "The Gini Coefficient and Negative Income," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 34(3), pages 473-478, November.
    5. Huffman, Wallace E, 1980. "Farm and Off-Farm Work Decisions: The Role of Human Capital," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 62(1), pages 14-23, February.
    6. Mary Ahearn & Jim Johnson & Roger Strickland, 1985. "The Distribution of Income and Wealth of Farm Operator Households," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 67(5), pages 1087-1094.
    7. Hady, Thomas F. & Ross, Peggy J., 1990. "An Update: The Diverse Social and Economic Structure of Nonmetropolitan America," Staff Reports 278329, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    8. Berrebi, Z M & Silber, Jacques, 1985. "The Gini Coefficient and Negative Income: A Comment," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 37(3), pages 525-526, September.
    9. John E. Lee, 1965. "Allocating Farm Resources between Farm and Nonfarm Uses," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 47(1), pages 83-92.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Gale, Fred, 1994. "The New Generation of American Farmers: Farm Entry and Exit Prospects for the 1990's," Agricultural Economic Reports 308417, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    2. Heimlich, Ralph E. & Barnard, Charles H., 1995. "Economics of Agricultural Management Measures in the Coastal Zone," Agricultural Economic Reports 308419, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    3. Leistritz, F. Larry, 1995. "Linkages of rural community resources: implications for the farmer's livehood," Agricultural Outlook Forum Archive 1923 - 1997 327046, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Outlook Forum.
    4. McDonald, Tia M. & Durst, Ron & Whitt, Christine, 2021. "The Effect on Family Farms of Changing Capital Gains Taxation at Death," Economic Brief 320794, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    5. Hisham S. El-Osta, 2023. "The Distribution of Income among U.S. Self-Employed Farm Households: A Close Look Before and During COVID-19’s Recession," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 10(1), pages 85104-85104, February.
    6. Perry, Gregory M. & Nixon, Clair J., 2002. "How Much Do Farmers Pay In Taxes?," Journal of Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics Association of Georgia, vol. 20(1), pages 1-10.
    7. Hisham S. El‐Osta & Ashok K. Mishra & Mitchell J. Morehart, 2007. "Determinants of economic well‐being among U.S. farm operator households," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 36(3), pages 291-304, May.
    8. Hisham S. El-Osta, 2016. "Farmland Ownership and Its Impact on the Debt Servicing Capacity Among U.S. Married-Couple Farm Households," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 3(4), pages 190-206, November.

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