Most Oregon farms are family owned, stable.

Byline: The Register-Guard

The face of agriculture may be changing in Oregon, but the vast majority of its 40,000 farms remain in family ownership, according to the most recent federal survey.

Of 40,049 farms surveyed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2002 Census of Agriculture, 98 percent were family owned and operated. The census, conducted every five years, found that 89 percent of Oregon farms were owned and operated by couples or an individual. Nearly 6 percent were family partnerships, such as siblings.

The state's farms have not declined in number nor have farm operations grown larger.

The number of farms actually increased slightly in Oregon between 1997, when there were 39,975, and 2002. The average farm size meanwhile decreased by 3.5 percent, to 427 acres. The amount of land being farmed fell 3.1 percent, to 17.1 million acres in 2002.

The modest growth in the number of farms in Oregon is due largely to small farms, including "hobby" farms and niche operations around urban areas that serve farmers' markets, roadside stands, U-pick operations and local restaurants, the state Department of Agriculture reported.

In 2002, the largest increase in farms were those reporting less than $2,500 in annual sales. About 47 percent of all Oregon farms fell into that category.

Fifty-four percent of operators reported farming as their primary occupation in 2002, up from 43 percent in 1997.

- Scott Maben