Demographics of Primary Producers: Race

Massachusetts Agricultural Census 2017

The Massachusetts farm population has been predominantly white.  In 2002, 98.7 percent of the principal farm operators were white. That percentage changed little over the past decade, dropping slightly to 96.7 percent in 2017. 

In Figure 6.2, we show the distribution of primary producers in 2017 by race. Black or African-American farm producers represent 1.8 percent of all producers, and Asian producers represent 0.7 percent of all producers. American Indian/ Alaska Native American and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander producers represent 0.2 percent and 0.1 percent of all producers, respectively. Of all Massachusetts producers, 0.7 percent report with more than one race.