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

Guide updated November 2026

Pennsylvania farms numbered 49,053 in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, working 7,058,325 acres and selling $10.28 billion of products, about 20 percent of the national total by that profile. Livestock, poultry and their products brought in 66 percent of sales, led by poultry and eggs and by milk. This guide covers the state's history, income sources, farm and business strategy, and the standout operations profiled below.

Pennsylvania agriculture at a glance
Farms and land in farms49,053 farms on 7,058,325 acres; average 144 acres (2022 Census of Agriculture)
Top commoditiesPoultry and eggs; milk; grains and oilseeds; nursery and greenhouse; hogs; cattle; mushrooms
Market value of ag products sold$10.28 billion in 2022, up about 33 percent from 2017
State agriculture departmentPennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Land-grant extensionPenn State Extension
Farm BureauPennsylvania Farm Bureau

Agriculture in Pennsylvania: A Short History

Pennsylvania agriculture grew from small diversified farms in the southeast, where Lancaster County remains the leading county by land in farms, with 378,574 acres in the 2022 census profile. Mushroom growers have operated around Kennett Square since the 1880s, according to USDA Economic Research Service reporting. The state also has one of the oldest recognition programs for family farms: the Century Farm Program began in 1977 and requires 100 consecutive years of family ownership.

More than 2,300 farms have earned recognition across the Century and Bicentennial programs, a figure the state agriculture department repeated in August 2026. The state's own economic impact study put agriculture's contribution at $132.5 billion, produced with TeamPA and Econsult.

How Farms in Pennsylvania Make Money

Commodity sales

In the 2022 census, poultry and eggs sold $2.63 billion and milk from cows $2.48 billion, followed by hogs and pigs at $774 million and cattle and calves at $702 million. On the crop side, grains, oilseeds and dry beans sold $1.49 billion and nursery, greenhouse, floriculture and sod $1.08 billion.

Mushrooms and specialty crops

Pennsylvania accounted for 69 percent of US Agaricus mushroom sales volume in 2023-2024 and $534 million in value, per NASS. USDA ERS reports the state has 61 percent of US organic mushroom production area. Fruits, tree nuts and berries sold $267 million and vegetables $237 million.

Direct sales and diversification

Only 11 percent of farms sold directly to consumers and 2 percent farmed organically in the census profile, so direct markets, pick-your-own and farm markets remain a niche. Operations such as Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm combine grain, orchard and market sales, and Phillips Mushroom Farms is adding snacks such as mushroom jerky.

Agriculture Strategy for Pennsylvania Farms

Soils, water and climate

The southeast has deep, productive soils and the greatest development pressure, while central and north central ridges have thinner, shale-based ground like that at Slate Ridge Dairy Farm and slopes like those at Myers Family Farm. No-till, cover crops, riparian buffers and contour practices help on both. Much of the state drains to the Chesapeake Bay, so nutrient and sediment management shapes farm plans.

Production and risk

The census profile shows forage on 1.48 million acres, corn for grain on 998,267 acres and soybeans on 692,804 acres, so feed and cash grain are tightly linked to livestock. Crop insurance, USDA conservation programs such as EQIP and CSP, and manure storage are core risk tools.

Technology and inputs

Large dairies such as Brubaker Farms use digesters, solar and ear-tag monitoring. Smaller farms can use GPS-guided application and soil testing to cut input cost. Pennsylvania has 73 percent of farms with internet access, so rural connectivity affects precision agriculture adoption.

Farm Business Strategy in Pennsylvania

Margins and markets

Poultry, dairy and hogs dominate, so many farms sell through integrators or cooperatives. Farms with processing, such as bakeries, creameries or mushroom snacks, capture more margin. Net cash farm income averaged $66,626 per farm in the 2022 census profile.

Land, credit and succession

The census profile shows 29,508 producers aged 65 or older out of 90,032, so succession planning is urgent. Century Farm status, farmland easements, FSA loans and Farm Credit lending are tools; farms can also lease land to a conservation-minded operator, as Myers Family Farm plans.

Marketing and diversification

Awards such as the Leopold Conservation Award bring credibility with consumers, banks and agencies. Energy sales, nutrient credits and agritourism diversify income, and a story told online helps farms with limited acreage.

Farm Insight: Pennsylvania Trends to Watch

Trends to watch: farm numbers fell 7.7 percent between 2017 and 2022 while average sales per farm rose 43.6 percent, to $209,618, so the middle is shrinking and large farms grow. Mushroom production, organic mushrooms and digester energy are growth stories.

Another trend is the push toward conservation recognition: all five profiled Leopold winners use no-till, cover crops or grazing to protect soil and water, and the state's farmland and Century programs reward long-term stewardship.

Pennsylvania has more shapes of farm than most states have counties, from Lancaster dairies to Kennett Square mushroom houses. At farm.FM we are happy to keep the farm satire flowing about a state that holds a giant Farm Show with a butter sculpture. Our farm humor staff relies on ranch humor about hay bales and mushrooms, and the farm jokes we prepared were approved by a very patient cow.

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 Pennsylvania

These 6 operations are profiled in full, with history, how each makes money, lessons for other farms and published contact details.

Elite operations in Pennsylvania

Who to Contact in Pennsylvania: Agriculture Offices and Associations

Pennsylvania Farming FAQ

How many farms are in Pennsylvania?

The 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 49,053 farms on 7,058,325 acres.

What are the top Pennsylvania farm products?

Poultry and eggs, milk, grains and oilseeds, nursery and greenhouse crops, hogs, cattle and mushrooms.

What is a Century Farm?

A farm owned by the same family for at least 100 consecutive years, in a program that began in 1977.

Which Pennsylvania farms are profiled here?

Brubaker Farms, Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm, Myers Family Farm, Slate Ridge Dairy Farm, Harvest Home Farms and Phillips Mushroom Farms.

Pennsylvania farms range from digester dairies to mushroom houses and grazing beef. Read the profiled operations below to see how these strategies work on the ground.

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