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Missouri Farms and Ranches: Agriculture History, How Farms Make Money and Strategy

Guide updated November 2026

Missouri farms are numerous and diverse: the 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 87,887 farms on 27,026,243 acres, with $14.7 billion in products sold, about 12 percent of the U.S. total. Crops brought in 53 percent of sales and livestock, poultry and products 47 percent, so a Missouri operator can build on soybeans, corn, cattle, hogs or poultry. This guide covers the state's history, how farms earn money, practical strategy and where to get help.

Missouri agriculture at a glance
Farms and land in farms87,887 farms on 27,026,243 acres; average 308 acres (2022 Census of Agriculture)
Top commoditiesSoybeans, corn, poultry and eggs, cattle and calves, hogs and pigs (2022 receipts)
Market value of ag products sold$14,697,022,000 in 2022; 53% crops, 47% livestock
State agriculture departmentMissouri Department of Agriculture
Land-grant extensionUniversity of Missouri Extension
Farm BureauMissouri Farm Bureau

Agriculture in Missouri: A Short History

Missouri's farming tradition is long and family based. The state's Century Farms program grew out of the 1976 American Revolution Bicentennial, when Governor Christopher Bond wanted agriculture to play a prominent role. County committees were formed in 1975, and 2,850 farms in 105 of the state's 114 counties were recognized in 1976. The University of Missouri and MU Extension ran a 10-year update in 1986, with about 200 farms recognized in annual updates since. To qualify, a farm must have been owned by the same family for 100 years or more.

That family structure persists. The 2022 Census reports that 96 percent of Missouri farms are family farms, and the state counted 156,652 producers, including 46,312 new and beginning farmers. Land use remains varied: 14.76 million acres of cropland, 6.61 million acres of pasture and 4.19 million acres of woodland. The Missouri Department of Agriculture reports that agriculture employs nearly 460,000 people and, with forestry, was a $93.7 billion industry in a 2021 study.

How Farms in Missouri Make Money

Row crops lead sales

The Missouri Department of Agriculture ranks soybeans first among 2022 commodities at $3.45 billion in farm receipts (23.4 percent of the state's total), followed by corn at $3.07 billion. The Census reports soybeans on 5.74 million acres and corn for grain on 3.02 million acres, with cotton on 356 thousand acres and about $355 million in sales.

Poultry, cattle and hogs

Poultry and eggs brought in $2.75 billion, cattle and calves $2.21 billion and hogs and pigs $1.57 billion. At the end of 2022 the state held 56.6 million broilers, 4.0 million cattle and calves and 3.3 million hogs and pigs. Missouri is a top-five state for beef cows and hay.

Direct sales and diversification

Only 4 percent of Missouri farms sell directly to consumers and fewer than half of 1 percent are organic, so those channels are real but small. Farm-related income, such as agritourism and custom work, totaled $573 million in 2022, and government payments totaled $362 million. A processor-with-farm like Shatto Milk Company, profiled below, shows how one herd can support bottling, cheese, retail and tours.

Agriculture Strategy for Missouri Farms

Soils, water and climate

Missouri spans the productive northern and Bootheel crop country and the pasture-heavy Ozarks, so strategy starts with soil and drainage. Recent Leopold Conservation Award winners show what works in the north: Britt Farms of Randolph County runs about 5,000 acres fully no-till with cover crops, rotational grazing, terraces and grassed waterways. Oetting Homestead Farms in Lafayette County combined no-till, terraces and a lagoon-and-lake system that recycles water and nutrients. Both used soil testing and variable-rate fertilizer, a practical template for erosion control and input savings.

Production and risk

Because crops and livestock each make up roughly half of sales, many operations balance the two. The Yoder family near Leonard farms about 1,100 acres of corn, soybeans and hay with beef cattle, using cereal rye cover crops and a 4R nutrient plan. Pairing cattle with cropland spreads income across markets. Review crop insurance and USDA conservation programs with your FSA and NRCS offices each year, since coverage and cost-share rules change.

Technology and inputs

Precision tools are common on award-winning Missouri operations: grid soil sampling, variable-rate seeding and fertilizer, and data programs such as Edge-of-Field and the Soil Health Partnership. The Census found 76 percent of farms have internet access, which matters for precision agriculture and online sales. With production expenses at $10.66 billion in 2022, input efficiency is a core margin strategy.

Farm Business Strategy in Missouri

Margins and markets

Production expenses rose 25 percent between 2017 and 2022 while sales rose 40 percent, and net cash farm income reached about $4.97 billion. Margins can narrow quickly if expenses keep climbing, so compare enterprise budgets and contract options before adding acres or livestock. Missouri's Department of Agriculture publishes crop and cattle snapshots for buyers that help with marketing.

Land, credit and succession

Average farm size is 308 acres, and 59,130 producers are 65 or older. That makes succession planning urgent: put leases, ownership structure and estate plans in writing early. FSA offers beginning-farmer loans and other credit, and the state office can explain eligibility. Missouri's Century Farm recognition rewards families that carry a farm through generations, but the next generation needs a plan, not just a legacy.

Marketing and diversification

Direct and value-added sales are small today, which leaves room for operators willing to invest in branding and processing. Test one channel at a time, such as farm stores, tours, farmstead cheese or seedstock sales, and track costs. Award recognition from groups such as the Leopold Conservation Award program can also build credibility with buyers and lenders.

Farm Insight: Missouri Trends to Watch

Watch consolidation and age. Farm numbers fell 8 percent from 2017 to 2022 while average size rose 6 percent, and the share of producers aged 65 and older is large. Operators who plan transitions and share labor or equipment, as the Yoder families do, will be better placed as land changes hands.

Watch sales mix and costs. Census sales rose 40 percent over five years, but expenses rose 25 percent, so discipline on inputs matters. Poultry, cattle and hogs add about $6.5 billion in sales alongside row crops, so diversified operations have options when one market weakens.

Missouri is the Show-Me State, which is why a visit to a farm here comes with a dairy that makes cotton candy milk and a family that grows soybeans on thousands of acres. For readers who enjoy farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, farm.FM is the place to go, and the state with the second-most farms in the nation has more than enough material. Fescue pastures, cover crops and Chiefs-themed milk all deserve a good-natured laugh.

Readers who want the full experience can pair the jokes with Tractor Tunes, the country music for farmers that farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, plays between stories. This author page is a fine starting point.

Elite Farms and Ranches in Missouri

These 9 operations are profiled in full, with history, how each makes money, lessons for other farms and published contact details.

Elite operations in Missouri

Who to Contact in Missouri: Agriculture Offices and Associations

Missouri Farming FAQ

How many farms are in Missouri?

The 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 87,887 farms on 27,026,243 acres, with an average size of 308 acres.

What are Missouri's top agricultural commodities?

Soybeans, corn, poultry and eggs, cattle and calves, and hogs and pigs, according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture's 2022 ranking.

What is a Missouri Century Farm?

A farm owned by the same family for 100 years or more, recognized through the MU Extension Century Farms program.

Where can Missouri farmers get help with loans and conservation?

Start with the USDA FSA Missouri State Office and your local FSA, NRCS and MU Extension offices.

Missouri farms combine scale, family ownership and variety, from row crops to poultry, cattle and farmstead dairy. Read the profiled operations below, starting with Shatto Milk Company, then use the links above to take the next step on your own farm.

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