Kentucky Ag Facts — KyFoodandFarm.info

Agriculture sustained the first settlers of Kentucky in the 1770s, and the business of raising crops and livestock continues to be the backbone of rural Kentucky today. Kentucky is home to a wide variety of agriculture production, from horses and beef cattle to tobacco and corn. Agriculture in Kentucky is one of the state’s leading and most vital industries, contributing about $45.6 billion to Kentucky’s economy each year. Kentucky agriculture is also constantly changing to keep up with consumer demand and the ever-growing world population.

Kentucky is home to 69,425 farms, from large to small. The average farm size in Kentucky is 179 acres, compared to the national average of 463 acres. Kentucky agriculture is dominated by small family farms. About 63 percent of its farms have annual sales of less than $10,000.

Of Kentucky’s 25.4 million acres, just under 50% is considered farmland (12.4 million acres).

Kentucky agricultural cash receipts (sale of crops and livestock) were just under $8 billion in 2024.

Kentucky's top agricultural enterprises based on sales:

SOYBEANS & CORN
These versatile crops are used for animal feed, food, fuels, and many other products. Feed grain sales totaled
$2.5 billion in 2024.

POULTRY
Broilers (chickens raised for meat), eggs, and turkeys provided Kentucky farmers with nearly
$1.7 billion in 2024.

HORSES & EQUINE
Horse, pony, mule, and donkey sales and service fees were the largest portions of “other animal sales” in 2024, totaling $1.2 billion.

CATTLE
Kentucky is home to
1.8 million cattle/calves. As the largest beef state east of the Mississippi River, farmers sold over $1.5 billion in 2024.

While hay does not bring as much money from sales as other crops and livestock, hay (cut and dried grasses for feed) is produced on nearly 2 million acres. Hay sales for 2024 were estimated at $412 million. Kentucky's soils, water resources, and climate make the commonwealth the perfect place to feed grazing animals.

Where does Kentucky rank compared to other states?

1st in the nation - Horse & Equine Sales

2nd in the nation - Tobacco Sales

3rd in the nation - Grass Hay Production

4th in the nation - Number of Farms with Cattle

6th in the nation - Number of Total Farms

**Kentucky Agriculture Cash Receipts in 2024*:**

Animals and products - $4.744 billion
Crops - $3.221 billion
All commodities: $7.966 billion

Top Commodities by Sales Receipts:

Cattle and Calves - $1.514 billion
Broilers - $1.403 billion
All other animals/products (including horses) - $1.186 billion
Soybeans - $1.086 billion
Corn - $1.067 billion
Hay - $412 million
Chicken Eggs - $260 million
Miscellaneous Crops (horticulture, specialty crops) - $222 million
Tobacco - $204 million
Wheat - $202 million
Milk & Dairy Products - $192 million
Hogs - $164 million
Floriculture - $28 million
Turkeys - $21 million
Honey - $2.3 million
Rapeseed - $1.15 million
Farm chickens - $1.04 million
Wool - $48 thousand
Mohair - $6 thousand

Source: USDA-NASS Economic Research Service Kentucky Fact Sheet and Census of Agriculture
* Latest data provided as of February 2026.

Farms & Farmers

Farms: 69,425
Acres in Farms: 12,431,190
Percentage of State in Farmland: 48.9%
Average Farm Size: 179 acres, only 3% are > 1000 acres
98.5% of farms are owned by individuals, families, family-held corporations, or partnerships.
Learn more about our Farmers