Source:  USDA, 12/2011

USDA recently released  The Changing Organization of U.S. Farming.

SUMMARY:
Innovations in farm organization, business arrangements, and production practices have allowed
farmers to produce more with less. Fewer labor hours and less land is used today than 30 years
ago, and practices such as the use of genetically engineered seeds and no-till have reduced
machinery, fuel, and pesticide use. Likely aided by shifts in government policies and the use of
new risk management tools such as contracts and crop insurance, U.S. agricultural productivity
has increased by nearly 50 percent since 1982. Future innovations will be necessary to maintain,
or boost, current productivity gains in order to meet the growing global demands that will be
placed upon U.S. agriculture.

To read the full report, click here.