Top 5 farms with the largest acreage in the U.S. (2024)

FAQs

What are the biggest farms in the USA? ›

The Microsoft co-founder is considered the largest private owner of farmland in the country with some 269,000 acres across dozens of states, according to last year's edition of the Land Report 100, an annual survey of the nation's largest landowners.

The United States had 895.3 million acres of land in farms in 2021. Texas had the most land in farms in the United States in 2021 followed by Montana and Kansas.

Did you know the largest farm in the entire world is bigger than 11 U.S. states? This massive farm dairy farm is located in Heilongjiang, China. Mudanjiang City Mega Farm has over 100,000 dairy cows and covers an impressive 22.5 million acres.

Texas had the most farms in the United States in 2021 followed by Missouri and Iowa. Texas accounted for roughly 12% of the farms in the United States in 2021.

Bill Gates is currently the US's most significant private farmland owner, with 242,000 acres of farmland in 18 states. His foundation promotes advanced eco-friendly farming and the sustainability of farmland.

The nation's largest private landowners are the Emmerson family in California who own over 2.4 million acres. The bulk of that land is dedicated to timber in Northern California. But the most headline-worthy transaction of 2022 was the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas.

The richest farmer in the US is Stewart Resnick, with a net worth of $7.6 billion. He and his wife, Lynda Resnick, own The Wonderful Company, which produces a range of products, including POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, Wonderful Pistachios, and Halos mandarins.

The best states for farmland include Montana, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, North Dakota, Texas, Iowa, Kentucky, Wyoming, and California. Consider factors like profitability, cost of operation, infrastructure, and availability when selecting a location.

What state has the richest farmland? ›

1. California

It is recognized as the agricultural powerhouse of the United States. California's crops account for around 73% of the state's agricultural revenue, with livestock commodities accounting for the remaining 27%, allowing it to surpass all other states in terms of farm income.

What US states produce the most food? (Ranking 1-50)What US states produce the most food? (Ranking 1-50) California ranks first in the U.S. for agricultural cash receipts followed by Iowa, Texas, Nebraska and Illinois.

Gates owns close to 70,000 acres of farmland in the Pelican State. "It's always been a proven land. It's always grown good crops.

The largest ranch in the world is Anna Creek Station, a cattle ranch operating in Australia. This ranch measures 2,000,000 acres or 3,100 square miles, larger than Israel and the state of New Hampshire. The ranch is located in a very remote part of the country called South Australia.

King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States. At some 825,000 acres (3,340 km²; 1,289 sq mi) it is larger than the state of Rhode Island and country of Luxembourg. It is mainly a cattle ranch, but also produced the Triple Crown winning racehorse Assault.

King Ranch, largest ranch in the United States, composed of a group of four tracts of land in southeastern Texas, totaling approximately 825,000 acres (333,800 hectares).

Which are the top 10 agriculture-producing States? The top 10 agriculture-producing States in terms of cash receipts in calendar year 2021 were (in descending order): California, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, Indiana, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.

Corn, soybeans, barley and oats

The largest United States crop in terms of total production is corn, the majority of which is grown in a region known as the Corn Belt. The second largest crop grown in the United States is soybeans. As with corn, soybeans are primarily grown in the Midwestern states.

Mollisols found in the Midwestern U.S. are the best for agriculture due to the grasslands that were present thousands of years ago. These prairies produced strong and fertile soils because after each year, the grasses would breakdown and contribute nutrients to the ground.

The average farm size in the United States in 2021 was 445 acres, up 1 acre from the prior year. Wyoming had the largest average farm size in the United States in 2021 followed by Montana & Nevada. Wyoming and Montana are the only 2 states in the United States with average farm sizes over 2,000 acres.

Where are the largest farms? ›

By far, the biggest farm in the world (in terms of acreage) is the Mudanjiang City Mega Farm in Heilongjiang, China. This astounding farm manages 22,500,000 acres.

Qin is the richest farmer in the world and owns 883 million shares of Muyuan stock, 40.06% of the company.

Washington, D.C., August 17, 2022

China owns and controls almost 192,000 acres of farmland right here in the United States.

Dairy Farming: Dairy farming is one of the most profitable agricultural business ideas. Aside from milk, it also produces manure. There is a high demand for organic dairy products all year round such as milk, cheese, curd, cream and so much more.

1. Waggoner Ranch: The Waggoner Ranch is located in North Texas and is on 535,000 acres. It was built in 1849 and originally was owned by Dan Waggoner.

The Deep Hollow Ranch, established 1658, is the oldest working Cattle Ranch in the United States and is part of the Suffolk County Parks.

Stan Kroenke – 225,162 acres

According to the most current land report, Stan is the fifth-largest land owner in the United States as of 2021.

Farmer salaries typically range between $13,000 and $71,000 a year.

The Walton Family is the richest family in the world. It owes its wealth to the Walmart company started by brothers Sam & Bud Walton in Northwest Arkansas more than six decades ago.

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is not only one of the richest men in the world, with a net worth of $190 billion at the time of this writing, but also he is one of the biggest private landowners in the United States. Bezos owns 420,000 acres. Much of his land is in West Texas.

Where is the cheapest farm land in the USA? ›

Texas. Texas tops the list of states offering cheap farmland. With its lengthy hot seasons and mild winters, the Lone Star State is especially ideal for growing cotton. The state is also a big beef cattle producer, so the price per acre may be lower due to the high demand for grazing land.

InMyArea.com performed a study that took a look at the median prices per acre in 2021 and found that Arizona had the cheapest median cost per acre, at $4,164. The data includes the price of land with existing homes and the cost of land designated as a homesite was also included so that you can have some comparison.

China owns roughly 384,000 acres of U.S. agricultural land, according to a 2021 report from the Department of Agriculture.

Chinese entities owned 42,596 acres of Missouri agricultural land as of 2021 — just a little under half of the roughly 100,000 agricultural acres owned by all foreign entities, according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

The leader among these states is California, which is responsible for nearly 70% of U.S. fruit and vegetable production by itself. California is joined by other Western states like Washington, Oregon, and Arizona among the leaders, along with highly agriculture-dependent states in the South and Midwest.

Surprisingly, the largest state (Alaska) has even fewer farms than the smallest state (Rhode Island): 1,050 versus 1,100.

In fact, in 2016, close to 90% of the food and beverage products consumed in America were produced in the U.S. According to the USDA, in 2021 the top five producing states were California, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas and Minnesota and the leading farm products in the U.S. were cattle, corn, soybeans, milk and other dairy ...

One of the largest landowners in the US is real estate tycoon Stan Kroenke, who owns nearly 1.7 million acres of land scattered over seven states. Ranches, forestry, hunting preserves, and several significant developments are among Kroenke's holdings.

Who owns the most land out west? ›

1. EMMERSON FAMILY. The nation's largest private landowners, California's Emmerson family, are a prime example of this trend. Through their Sierra Pacific Industries, the Emmersons increased their landholdings by more than 100 square miles to over 2.4 million acres.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USA), India is the country with the largest number of cows worldwide. This country precisely protects cattle for being "sacred".

Anna Creek Station is the world's largest working cattle station.

India had the largest cattle inventory in the world in 2023 followed by Brazil and China. India had the largest cattle inventory in the world in 2023 followed by Brazil and China. India's cattle's inventory was reported at 307.5 million head in 2023, accounting for roughly 33% of the world's inventory.

The Microsoft co-founder is considered the largest private owner of farmland in the country with some 269,000 acres across dozens of states, according to last year's edition of the Land Report 100, an annual survey of the nation's largest landowners.

Texas has the most cattle in the United States followed by Nebraska & Kansas. Texas accounts for roughly 13% of the cattle inventory in the United States.

Corn, soybeans, barley and oats

The largest United States crop in terms of total production is corn, the majority of which is grown in a region known as the Corn Belt. The second largest crop grown in the United States is soybeans. As with corn, soybeans are primarily grown in the Midwestern states.

The wealthiest farmer in the United States lives and farms in California. Stewart Resnick, 81, owner of The Wonderful Company and 65 percent of the nation's pistachios, has had a distinct and sweeping effect on agriculture in the Golden State.

What is the #1 agriculture state in the US? ›

What US states produce the most food? (Ranking 1-50)What US states produce the most food? (Ranking 1-50) California ranks first in the U.S. for agricultural cash receipts followed by Iowa, Texas, Nebraska and Illinois.

Cassava, maize, plantains, potatoes, rice, sorghum, soybeans, sweet potatoes, wheat, and yams are some of the leading food crops around the world.

The best states for farmland in the US include Montana, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, North Dakota, Texas, Iowa, Kentucky, Wyoming, and California. Consider factors like profitability, cost of operation, infrastructure, and availability when selecting a location.

Overall U.S. crop production is concentrated in California and the Midwest. The five states with the highest value of crop sales are California, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska.

Today, King Ranch sprawls across 825,000 acres of South Texas land, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. As the home of 35,000 cattle and over 200 Quarter Horses, King Ranch is one of the largest ranches in the world today.

Mollisols found in the Midwestern U.S. are the best for agriculture due to the grasslands that were present thousands of years ago. These prairies produced strong and fertile soils because after each year, the grasses would breakdown and contribute nutrients to the ground.

Potatoes are the most produced vegetable in the United States followed by tomatoes, onions, sweet corn and lettuce.

Rice, maize/corn, wheat, and soybeans: On a global scale, rice, maize, and wheat are the most valuable earners. In America, soybeans and corn are at the top of the pack, bringing in nearly $120 billion in 2021. Sugarcane: In Florida, sugarcane is so profitable they call the soil it grows in black gold.