Chad Ingels, a corn, soy and hog farmer in northeastern Iowa, pulls weeds in his no-till soybean field on Tuesday, June 14, 2016. photo by Lauren Mills, IowaWatch

The number of farms in the U.S. has decreased recently — a situation federal officials termed a “wake-up call.” But more than a million farmers in the U.S. are now “new and beginning” farmers, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture.

Southern states account for 43% of these new faces in agriculture, while a little more than one-third operate in the Midwest. The eastern and western regions combined contribute just over one-fifth.

Within the Midwestern states, Missouri (14%), Iowa (12%) and Ohio (11%) stand out as the primary homes for this new generation of farmers. They are responsible for operating more than 214,000 farms in the region.

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Mónica Cordero writes for Investigate Midwest. She is a former Report for America corps member and part of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk team. Her expertise includes data analysis with...