Farm Census

Marion County, Florida

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

3,329 farms290,691 acres in farms$221 million in farm sales

Among US counties with published figures, Marion County leads the country in horses and ponies and ranks fourth for sales of horses and mules.

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

Horses and mules: 63.3%Horses and mules63.3%Nursery and greenhouse: 14.1%Nursery and greenhouse14.1%Vegetables and melons: 9.8%9.8%Cattle and calves: 6.6%Cattle and calves6.6%Hay and other crops: 2.2%2.2%Other animals: 1.5%1.5%Fruit and nuts: 1.3%1.3%Withheld groups: 0.6%Sheep and goats: 0.3%Poultry and eggs: 0.2%Christmas trees: under 0.1%Horses and mules: 63.3%Horses and mules63.3%Nursery and greenhouse: 14.1%14.1%Vegetables and melons: 9.8%9.8%Cattle and calves: 6.6%6.6%Hay and other crops: 2.2%2.2%Other animals: 1.5%1.5%Fruit and nuts: 1.3%1.3%Withheld groups: 0.6%Sheep and goats: 0.3%Poultry and eggs: 0.2%Christmas trees: under 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: grains and oilseeds, cotton, hogs and pigs and aquaculture products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$140 million1st of 50
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$31.1 million22nd of 55
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$21.5 million19th of 52
Cattle and calves$14.7 million11th of 56
Hay and other crops$4.9 million19th of 49
Other animals and animal products$3.3 million6th of 47
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$2.9 million26th of 56
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$728,0001st of 52
Poultry and eggs$500,00011th of 46
Christmas trees and short-rotation woody crops$61,0001st of 5

What the fields held

Marion County harvested 38,942 acres of cropland in 2022, 18th of 62 counties in Florida. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 66% of that, vegetables 7%.

CropAcresShare of US
Hay and haylage25,884under 0.1%
Vegetables2,8520.07%
Peanuts2,6620.19%
Orchard land832under 0.1%
of which grapes28under 0.1%
of which citrus6680.09%
of which apples1under 0.1%
of which pecans65under 0.1%
Berries163under 0.1%
Soybeans76under 0.1%
Sugarcane24under 0.1%
Corn for grain13under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: cotton, potatoes and almonds.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms28.6%

Marion County ranks 26th of 62 counties in Florida on this measure.

  • 50,315 acres of cropland, 17% of farmland
  • 171,637 acres of pastureland, 59% of farmland
  • 61,951 acres of woodland, 21% of farmland
  • 6,511 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Marion County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 18 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 87 acres, 54th-largest of 61 in Florida. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 57.8% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 1.2% of the total.

1–921%10–4958%50–17915%180–4994%500–9991%1,000–1,9991%2,000+1%
Marion County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Horses and ponies23,9280.99%
Goats2,5530.10%
Beef cows25,9130.09%
Sheep and lambs2,388under 0.1%
Cattle and calves40,796under 0.1%
Laying hens11,151under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs403under 0.1%
Milk cows49under 0.1%
Turkeys297under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 2022958under 0.1%

Who farms here

Decisions on Marion County's 3,329 farms are made by 5,873 producers. Their average age is 61.9, 2.4 years above the Florida average. Women are 48.4% of them.

Under 355%35–448%45–5413%55–6426%65–7430%75+18%
Marion County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms3,985−16.5%
Land in farms, acres330,914−12.2%
Average farm size, acres83+4.8%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$145 million+51.6%
Horses and ponies, head23,301+2.7%
Peanuts, acres7,710−65.5%
Goats, head4,379−41.7%
Beef cows, head31,823−18.6%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Marion County accounts for 2.2% of farm sales in Florida and 7.4% of the farms in Florida. Rank Florida counties for horses and ponies.

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