USDA study: Ag debt, assets rise at similar rate

The United States Department of Agriculture recently updated its state outlook figures and the numbers continue to show how Colorado has been impacted by national agriculture trends.

Continued consolidation of farm operations into larger, more cost-efficient behemoths, the rising age of the average farmer as younger generations decide not to farm, and the continued costs of farming are profiled in the latest figures.

The number of farms in Colorado has risen steadily since 1990, while the amount of farmland in the state has declined. There is no question the number of small or hobby farms has exploded recently – accounting…