Farm Census

Sheridan County, Montana

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

448 farms991,016 acres in farms$194 million in farm sales

Among US counties with published figures, Sheridan County ranks ninth for wheat.

Within Montana, no other county with a published figure sells more farm products.

Grains and oilseeds: 92.3%Grains and oilseeds92.3%Cattle and calves: 5.6%5.6%Withheld groups: 2.1%2.1%Sheep and goats: under 0.1%Horses and mules: under 0.1%Grains and oilseeds: 92.3%Grains and oilseeds92.3%Cattle and calves: 5.6%5.6%Withheld groups: 2.1%2.1%Sheep and goats: under 0.1%Horses and mules: under 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: vegetables and melons, nursery and greenhouse crops, hay and other crops, hogs and pigs, poultry and eggs and other animal products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$179 million1st of 49
Cattle and calves$10.8 million44th of 51
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$51,00036th of 44
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$5,00048th of 48

What the fields held

Sheridan County harvested 598,572 acres of cropland in 2022, fourth of 56 counties in Montana. Wheat covered acreage equal to 54% of that, hay and haylage 7%.

CropAcresShare of US
Wheat323,2970.87%
Hay and haylage40,5710.07%
Canola18,3270.85%
Barley11,0390.45%
Soybeans1,946under 0.1%
Oats4700.05%

Withheld to protect individual farms: corn for grain, corn for silage, dry edible beans, potatoes and vegetables.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms92.4%

Sheridan County ranks eighth of 56 counties in Montana on this measure.

  • 709,589 acres of cropland, 72% of farmland
  • 269,311 acres of pastureland, 27% of farmland
  • 6,256 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

Farms in Sheridan County run larger than the national pattern: the median farm has 1,000 acres against 72 for the US. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 2,212 acres, 34th-largest of 55 in Montana. The most common size class is 2,000+ acres, with 33.0% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 50.2% of the total.

1–91%10–493%50–17914%180–49919%500–99912%1,000–1,99917%2,000+33%
Sheridan County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Cattle and calves15,631under 0.1%
Horses and ponies211under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs386under 0.1%
Goats37under 0.1%
Laying hens207under 0.1%
Turkeys4under 0.1%

Withheld: beef cows, milk cows and hogs and pigs.

Who farms here

Decisions on Sheridan County's 448 farms are made by 718 producers. Their average age is 58.3, 1.0 years below the Montana average. Women are 34.4% of them.

Under 3510%35–4414%45–5414%55–6420%65–7427%75+16%
Sheridan County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms458−2.2%
Land in farms, acres1,064,068−6.9%
Average farm size, acres2,323−4.8%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$70.6 million+100%
Wheat, acres334,481−3.3%
Canola, acres6,062+100%
Barley, acres2,156+100%
Hay and haylage, acres40,005+1.4%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Sheridan County accounts for 4.3% of farm sales in Montana and 1.8% of the farms in Montana. Rank Montana counties for wheat.

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