March 19 is National Agriculture Day

American farms remind us of the beauty and generosity of our Nation. They feed the country and the world, and with each new planting season, they embody that most American of things—possibilities.

March 19, 2024

Source: census.gov

The American Presidency Project, Proclamation 10532—National Agriculture Day, 2023:

“American farms remind us of the beauty and generosity of our Nation. They feed the country and the world, and with each new planting season, they embody that most American of things—possibilities. On National Agriculture Day, we celebrate all the farmers, farmworkers, ranchers, fishers, foresters, and other agricultural workers who do so much to make our Nation strong, fuel our economy, and steward our lands. America owes them.”

Key Stats

Source: 2022 American Community Survey (ACS), 1-year estimates  

Table B24020, Sex by Occupation for the Full-Time, Year-Round Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and Over — find Agricultural workers (male 376,366 and female 111,019) 

Table B24124, Detailed Occupation for the Full-Time, Year-Round Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and Over (image below) 

Note: The table above is cropped at the top and bottom to highlight farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers. Click on the image for the full table of more than 550 occupations.

More Stats

From Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders (M3) 1992-2024:  

Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing: U.S. Total — Value of Shipments

Food Products: U.S. Total — Value of Shipments 

Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing: U.S. Total — Value of Shipments

From Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services 1992-2024:  

445: Food and Beverage Stores: U.S. Total — Sales – Monthly

From Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey (MWTS) 1992-2024:  

4244: Grocery and Related Products: U.S. Total — Sales – Monthly

4245: Farm Product Raw Materials: U.S. Total — Sales – Monthly

From Quarterly Financial Report (QFR) 2000-2024:

Food: U.S. Total — Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes

Food and Beverage Stores: U.S. Total — Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes

From Business and Economy  /   International Trade Data:

USA Trade Online — The Official Source of Trade Statistics

Note: After you create an account, select options for Harmonized System (HS) or HS, select Exports or Imports, type in the agriculture topic of interest (such as commodity or agriculture-related equipment) in the Commodity search box, then select options for geography and time. Select Report for data. More information can be found in the Quick Start Guide.

Source: 2018 – 2021 Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM)

Table AM1831BASIC01, Annual Survey of Manufactures: Summary Statistics for Industry Groups and Industries in the U.S.: 2018-2021, showing these North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes

• NAICS 3253, Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing
• NAICS 33311, Agricultural Implement Manufacturing
• NAICS 333111, Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing

Source: 2021 Annual Business Survey (ABS) Program

Table AB2100CSA01, Annual Business Survey: Statistics for Employer Firms by Industry, Sex, Ethnicity, Race and Veteran Status for the U.S., States and Metro Areas: 2021, showing these codes: 

• NAICS 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
• NAICS 3253, Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing
• NAICS 3331, Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing

Source: 1978-2021 Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS)

Table BDSEAGE, Business Dynamics Statistics: Establishment Age: 1978-2021, showing the three NAICS codes above

Source: 2021 County Business Patterns (CBP)

Table CB2100CBP, All Sectors: County Business Patterns, including ZIP Code Business Patterns by Legal Form of Organization and Employment Size Class for U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2021, showing these codes: 

• NAICS 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (partial coverage)
• NAICS 11# (3-digit codes 113, 114 and 115 only)
• NAICS 11## (4-digit codes within 113, 114 and 115)
• NAICS 3253, Pesticide, Fertilizer and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing
• NAICS 33311, Agricultural Implement Manufacturing
• NAICS 333111, Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing

Note: The 3-digit subsectors are: 111 (Crop Production); 112 (Animal Production); 113 (Forestry and Logging); 114 (Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping); and 115 (Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry). Subsectors 111 and 112 are not available from the CBP.

Source: 2020 Nonemployer Statistics (NES)

Table NS2000NONEMP, All Sectors: Nonemployer Statistics by Legal Form of Organization and Receipts Size Class for the U.S., States and Selected Geographies: 2020, showing these codes:

• NAICS 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
• NAICS 3253, Pesticide, Fertilizer and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing

Outside Links

Agriculture Council of America, National Ag Day

Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Outlook Handbook — Farmers, Ranchers and Other Agricultural Managers

Future Farmers of America

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Charts and Maps 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack Speaks at Ag Day Event on National Mall (March 22, 2022)