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

Guide updated November 2026

Ohio farms are a big business: the 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 76,009 farms on 13,652,346 acres, with a market value of agricultural products sold of about $15.4 billion. Crops, including nursery and greenhouse, made up roughly 57 percent of that, and livestock, poultry and products the rest, so the state rewards both field and barn.

Ohio agriculture at a glance
Farms and land in farms76,009 farms on 13,652,346 acres; average 180 acres (2022 Census of Agriculture)
Top commoditiesSoybeans, corn, hay, wheat, milk, eggs, hogs, greenhouse and nursery crops
Market value of ag products soldAbout $15.41 billion; $8.76 billion crops, $6.65 billion livestock (2022 Census)
State agriculture departmentOhio Department of Agriculture
Land-grant extensionOhio State University Extension (College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences)
Farm BureauOhio Farm Bureau Federation

Agriculture in Ohio: A Short History

Ohio's agricultural story starts with its glacial soils. The flat, fertile till plains of the west and northwest, including the former Great Black Swamp, were drained over generations into some of the state's best corn, soybean and wheat ground, while the hillier east and southeast stayed in pasture, hay, beef and dairy. Family-scale farms spread across all of it, and that pattern still shows: the average farm is 180 acres, far smaller than in the Plains.

The 20th century added processing, poultry and greenhouse enterprises beside the field crops. The Hirzel family, for instance, began canning in northwest Ohio in 1923, and Green Circle Growers started as a vegetable farm in 1968 before growing into a national supplier of orchids and potted plants. Since 2017 the Census count of farms has slipped from 77,805 to 76,009, while average size edged up from 179 to 180 acres, a slow consolidation rather than a collapse.

How Farms in Ohio Make Money

Commodity sales

Field crops lead the state's output. USDA's Ag Across Ohio report put 2022 soybean production value at $4.06 billion and corn for grain at $3.84 billion, with hay near $361 million and wheat near $292 million. The 2022 Census counted 4.83 million acres of soybeans and 3.31 million acres of corn for grain. Darke County led corn production at 24.0 million bushels and Wood County led soybeans at 9.46 million bushels in 2022.

Livestock, dairy and eggs

Ohio is a major egg state, with 38.6 million layers on the 2022 Census and 36.9 million in January 2023. The state had 251,000 milk cows in January 2023 producing 473 million pounds of milk in that month. The Census also reported about 10 million hogs and pigs sold and 124 million broilers and other meat-type chickens sold from Ohio farms.

Value-added, greenhouse and diversification

Ohio farms add value through processing, organics and controlled-environment growing. Hirzel Farms combines organic grain, seed cleaning and compost, NatureFresh Farms runs a large greenhouse in Delta, and Green Circle Growers raises orchids and potted plants on about 100 acres of indoor space. Farm markets, agritourism and direct beef programs also supplement income for smaller operations.

Agriculture Strategy for Ohio Farms

Soils, water and climate

Ohio's biggest agronomic and public-policy issue is nutrient loss to Lake Erie. In 2019 Governor Mike DeWine announced H2Ohio, with $172 million set aside over two years to reduce phosphorus, create wetlands and help farmers adopt better practices. Farmers in the western Lake Erie basin should look at cover crops, filter strips, controlled drainage and nutrient management, and ask the local Soil and Water Conservation District about cost-share. Conservation Farm Family honorees such as the 2023 Rethmel family of Defiance County (1,335 acres) and Clark family of Miami County (1,376 acres) combine cover crops, crop rotation, waterways and filter strips.

Production and risk

Because the state mixes crops and livestock, many operations hedge with both. Contract growing is common in hogs and poultry: a 2023 Master Farmer in McComb, Duane Stateler, farms almost 1,100 acres of corn, wheat and soybeans and also contract-grows hogs with 7,200 spaces. Diversification inside the crop side helps too; 2021 Master Farmer Matt Aultman of Darke County added tomatoes, gourds and cut flowers in seasonal high tunnels to row crops. Crop insurance and USDA Farm Service Agency programs remain core risk tools.

Technology and inputs

No-till and cover crops are an Ohio tradition. 2019 Master Farmer Allen Dean of Williams County has no-tilled for about 40 years and used cover crops since 2005, farming about 1,900 acres. On the dairy side, robots are spreading: RMD Dairy in Rittman and the Daugherty Farm in Coshocton County both milk with robotic systems, trading labor for data.

Farm Business Strategy in Ohio

Margins and markets

Average farm size of 180 acres means many Ohio farms cannot win on volume alone. Operators should price their cost of production with OSU Extension farm management budgets and decide where to capture margin: organic premiums, contract production, seedstock sales, or retail and wholesale produce. Seedstock is a real niche; Cedar Lane Farm in Greene County was named 2023 Ohio Cattlemen's Association Seedstock Producer of the Year.

Land, credit and succession

The 2022 Census shows farmland holding near 13.7 million acres, but farm numbers keep slowly falling. Young farmers should talk to the state FSA office about farm ownership and operating loans and to Farm Credit lenders about financing, and families should write succession plans early. RMD Dairy offers a template: a father sold to his sons in 1990, and brothers bought out their uncle in 2014 with equal partnerships. Hirzel Farms and its canning company separated in 1963 and stayed in the family.

Marketing and diversification

Ohio sits within a day's drive of many large cities, which supports wholesale produce, greenhouse crops and farm-direct sales. Daugherty-style next-generation expansions and greenhouse builds show that capital-heavy projects work when tied to a clear customer. Smaller farms can add value through processing, compost, direct marketing and educational visits, which all Conservation Farm Family winners host.

Farm Insight: Ohio Trends to Watch

Watch water-quality rules and incentives: H2Ohio and related programs have turned conservation into a funded part of farm planning. Also watch the long consolidation: 1,800 fewer farms between 2017 and 2022 means larger neighbors and more rented land.

Greenhouse and controlled-environment production is a clear growth area, with NatureFresh Farms planning to double its Delta greenhouse to 90 acres for organic crops. Robotics and data-driven dairy management are the other big technology trend.

Between robot-milked cows who choose their own schedule and tomatoes that grow through an Ohio winter, the state hands farm.FM plenty of material for farm satire. A good dose of farm humor never hurt a family operation that argues over cover crop mixes at the Farm Bureau meeting, and the ranch humor and farm jokes about soybeans outnumbering the people in some counties are mostly told with great affection.

If the name is new to you, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site, with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers on the side. One of its regular writers keeps a whole archive of stories like that.

Elite Farms and Ranches in Ohio

These 12 operations are profiled in full, with history, how each makes money, lessons for other farms and published contact details.

Elite operations in Ohio

Notable working farms and ranches in Ohio

Established, successful commercial operations that are not national headline names but show how good farms in Ohio actually earn a living.

Who to Contact in Ohio: Agriculture Offices and Associations

Ohio Farming FAQ

How many farms are in Ohio?

The 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 76,009 farms on 13,652,346 acres, averaging 180 acres.

What are Ohio's top crops?

Soybeans and corn lead. The 2022 Census reported 4.83 million acres of soybeans and 3.31 million acres of corn for grain.

How big is Ohio agriculture?

The 2022 Census reported about $15.4 billion in agricultural products sold, roughly $8.76 billion from crops and $6.65 billion from livestock.

Where can Ohio farmers find financing help?

Start with the Ohio Farm Service Agency state office for farm loans and conservation programs, and use OSU Extension farm management resources for budgeting.

Ohio farms range from 1,800-acre organic grain operations to robotic dairies and acres of greenhouse glass. For concrete examples of how Ohio farms make money, see the profiled operations below this guide.

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