Farm Census

Hendry County, Florida

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

392 farms586,858 acres in farms$633 million in farm sales

Among US counties with published figures, Hendry County ranks second for sugarcane and sixth for sales of hay and other crops.

Within Florida, no other county with a published figure has more land in farms.

Its vegetable acreage grew between 2017 and 2022, the third-largest increase among the 99 leading vegetable counties of 2017 with figures in both years.

Hay and other crops: 41.4%Hay and other crops41.4%Vegetables and melons: 33.8%Vegetables and melons33.8%Fruit and nuts: 15.2%Fruit and nuts15.2%Nursery and greenhouse: 4.4%4.4%Cattle and calves: 3.8%3.8%Aquaculture: 0.5%0.5%Grains and oilseeds: 0.5%0.5%Horses and mules: under 0.1%Other animals: under 0.1%Sheep and goats: under 0.1%Hay and other crops: 41.4%Hay and other crops41.4%Vegetables and melons: 33.8%Vegetables and melons33.8%Fruit and nuts: 15.2%Fruit and nuts15.2%Nursery and greenhouse: 4.4%4.4%Cattle and calves: 3.8%3.8%Aquaculture: 0.5%Grains and oilseeds: 0.5%Horses and mules: under 0.1%Other animals: under 0.1%Sheep and goats: under 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: hogs and pigs and poultry and eggs.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Hay and other crops$262 million2nd of 49
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$214 million3rd of 52
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$96.0 million3rd of 56
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$28.1 million23rd of 55
Cattle and calves$24.2 million7th of 56
Aquaculture$3.5 million8th of 27
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$3.1 million9th of 37
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$190,00033rd of 50
Other animals and animal products$104,00032nd of 47
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$2,00052nd of 52

What the fields held

Hendry County harvested 215,345 acres of cropland in 2022, second of 62 counties in Florida. Sugarcane covered acreage equal to 60% of that, orchard land 26%.

CropAcresShare of US
Sugarcane128,76914.1%
Orchard land56,6550.91%
Vegetables24,8290.58%
Hay and haylage1,742under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: corn for grain, soybeans, wheat, citrus, grapes and berries.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms79.3%

Hendry County ranks first of 62 counties in Florida on this measure.

  • 290,667 acres of cropland, 50% of farmland
  • 241,987 acres of pastureland, 41% of farmland
  • 41,139 acres of woodland, 7% of farmland
  • 222,294 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

Farms in Hendry County run larger than the national pattern: the median farm has 84 acres against 72 for the US. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 1,497 acres, second-largest of 61 in Florida. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 32.4% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 17.3% of the total.

1–911%10–4932%50–17914%180–49918%500–9997%1,000–1,9998%2,000+9%
Hendry County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Beef cows42,5420.15%
Cattle and calves64,7200.07%
Horses and ponies259under 0.1%
Goats40under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs75under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 2022252under 0.1%

Withheld: hogs and pigs, laying hens and turkeys.

Who farms here

Decisions on Hendry County's 392 farms are made by 731 producers. Their average age is 60.2, 0.7 years above the Florida average. Women are 30.9% of them.

Under 353%35–4414%45–5419%55–6427%65–7421%75+16%
Hendry County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms436−10.1%
Land in farms, acres433,113+35.5%
Average farm size, acres993+50.8%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$329 million+92.0%
Orchard land, acres70,733−19.9%
Vegetables, acres12,329+100%
Beef cows, head36,283+17.3%
Cattle and calves, head57,367+12.8%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Hendry County accounts for 6.2% of farm sales in Florida and 0.9% of the farms in Florida. Rank Florida counties for sugarcane.

Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture. How to read these pages.