Understanding Farm Diversity: Insights From the Agricultural Resource Management Survey

Data available from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS)—an annual survey of farmers jointly produced by USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) and USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)—is used to evaluate the diversity of U.S. farms. ERS researchers recently used ARMS data to compare groups of farms based on the racial and ethnic characteristics of the farm operators. In 2022, the ARMS included a targeted sample of farms and ranches operated by socially disadvantaged producers, defined as those belonging to groups that historically have faced racial or ethnic prejudice. Targeting this group ensured researchers had a large enough sample to generate statistics across different race and ethnicity groups.