Age-Specific Patterns of Exit and Entry in U.S. Farming, 1978-1997

Gross entry-exit rates by operator age group suggest there is still an underlying trend toward declining numbers of commercial farms, aging of the farm operator population, and an increasing share of farms operated part-time. The number of entries by young farmers declined steadily from 1978 to 1997, as did the exit rate for older operators. Between 1992 and 1997, the entry rate rebounded for farmers over age 35 and those principally employed off-farm. A sharp decline in the exit rate for midcareer farmers also helped stabilize the decline in farm numbers.