Max Chavez, a farmer and immigrant from Mexico, surveys his land as he decides where to plant this years crops on April 25, 2023, at his farmland in Carlisle, Iowa. Chavez, along with many other immigrant non-native English speakers in the agricultural and ranching community, has struggled to receive grants, loans and other funding opportunities. photo by Geoff Stellfox, The Gazette

According to the latest Census of Agriculture, the Midwest is home to less than 10% of the country’s farmers who identify as Hispanic. This makes it the region with the second-lowest Hispanic representation among farmers, behind only the Northeast. 

Nationwide, Hispanic farmers total 112,379, representing only 3% of all U.S. farmers. The highest concentrations of Hispanic farmers are found in the South and Western states, where more than half and nearly four in 10 Hispanic farmers live, respectively. 

In the Midwestern states, where more than 10,000 farmers who identify as Hispanic live, most of them are concentrated in Missouri, Kansas, Michigan and Illinois.

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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...